Plants and Other Soil Moisture Sensors in Cotton.

Cotton production in the Southern High Plains is very water-dependent, resulting in substantial interest and research in crop water management. We explore the use of neutron probes, capacitance and TDR probes, weather-based ET modeling, and crop thermal sensing as methods of determining volumetric water content, crop water needs, and growth habits in response to irrigation level. Advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed, as well as results from 2011 to present in an irrigation trial consisting of 7-10 irrigation levels and irrigation trials focused on irrigation timing and amount.