Thursday, November 8, 2007 - 9:15 AM
346-6

Furrow Diking to Improve Soil and Water Conservation in Southeast Row Crops.

Russell Nuti1, Clinton Truman2, Ron Sorensen1, and Marshall C. Lamb1. (1) USDA-ARS-NPRL, 1011 Forrester Drive, SE, Dawson, GA 39842, (2) 2375 Rainwater Rd., USDA-ARS, Southeast Watershed Research Lab., PO Box 748, Tifton, GA 31793

Crop production in the Southeastern U.S. is water limiting. Rainfall is supplemented by irrigation to sustain profitable crop production. Increased water capture would improve water use efficiency and reduce irrigation requirements, thus reducing input costs. Furrow diking is a cost effective management practice that is designed to create a series of depressional storage basins in the furrow between crop rows to catch and retain rainfall and/or irrigation water. The objective of this study was to compare water capturing and erosion control characteristics of furrow diking by comparing infiltration, runoff, soil loss, and soil water content of diked and non-diked tillage systems. In 2006, a field study (Faceville loamy sand) was established near Dawson, GA with diked and non-diked conventional tilled systems managed to irrigated cotton. Simulated rainfall (50 mm/h for 1 hr) was also utilizing on diked and non-diked plots (2x3 m) (n=3). Runoff and soil loss were measured continuously from each rainfall simulator plot. Diking reduced runoff and sediment yields by 3.5 times compared to the non-diked treatment. Diking increased infiltration by 38% resulting in 7.1 days of estimated plant available water for diked plots and only 3.9 days of estimated plant available water for non-diked plots.