Project Number: 5368-13000-007-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Dec 06, 2006
End Date: Dec 05, 2011

Objective:
1. Quantify soil and water management practice effects on water quantity and quality at watershed and field scales. a. Compare changes in the water and salt balance for an irrigated watershed with conversion from furrow to sprinkler irrigation and implementation of other conservation practices. b. Identify practices to reduce nutrient losses from irrigated fields. 2. Develop application protocols and evaluate effects of synthetic amendments that enhance, modify or inhibit infiltration to efficiently use irrigation water. 3. Evaluate tillage and crop rotation practices that optimize limited irrigation water supplies. 4. Improve erosion control practices and erosion prediction for sprinkler and furrow irrigated land. a. Identify amendment, compost and manure effects on irrigation erosion. b. Improve surface and sprinkler irrigation erosion prediction.

Approach:
Objective 1. Quantify soil and water management practice effects on water quantity and quality at watershed and field scales. This objective is divided into two sub-objectives to evaluate effects of conservation and management practices at the watershed scale through a Special Emphasis CEAP and to identify management practices that reduce nutrient losses from irrigated fields. Objective 1a: Compare water and salt balances for irrigated watersheds with different relative amounts of furrow and sprinkler irrigation. Objective 1b: Identify practices to reduce nutrient losses from irrigated fields. Objective 2. Develop application protocols and evaluate effects of synthetic amendments that enhance, modify or inhibit infiltration to efficiently use irrigation water. Objective 3. Evaluate tillage and crop rotation practices that optimize limited irrigation water supplies. Objective 4. Improve erosion control practices and erosion prediction for sprinkler and furrow irrigated land. This objective is separated into two sub-objectives. Objective 4a focuses on evaluating erosion control practices while Objective 4b involves field measurements and model development to improve sprinkler and furrow irrigation erosion prediction. Objective 4a: Identify amendment, compost and manure effects on irrigation erosion. Objective 4b: Improve surface and sprinkler irrigation erosion prediction. Formerly 5368-13000-006-00D and 5368-12130-009-00D (4/07).