Cotton Production As Affected By Irrigation Timing in Conservation Systems.

Water is the limiting factor for crop production within the Texas Rolling Plains and has become a critical resource for multiple stakeholders. Hence, efficient irrigation is paramount to conserve water resources. We evaluated three irrigation strategies over a six-year period: 1) continuous irrigation starting after emergence at 3.8-5.1 mm/day (high); 2) continuous irrigation starting at flowering at 3.8-5.1 mm/day (low); and 3) continuous irrigation starting at flowering at 5.1-6.35 mm/day (medium) conducted on conventional, strip-till, no-till and no-till with a terminated wheat cover crop. Irrigation water use efficiency decreased with increasing irrigation water applications. Lint yields were not significantly different between low and high irrigation levels. In addition, no-till systems (with and without a cover crop) resulted in significantly higher lint yields than conventional and strip-tillage systems. Our results have indicated that early irrigation to bank soil moisture is no an efficient use of water. In contrast, irrigation at critical growth stages can conserve irrigation water and maintain production goals.