Irrigation research at CSWQRU addresses problems pertinent to southeast Missouri agriculture.

In addition to conducting studies at the University of Missouri Delta Center in Portageville, Missouri*, and with cooperators on nearby farms, the program includes cooperative studies with researchers at other locations. 

Cooperative research with scientists from the University of Arkansas and Mississippi State University investigates rice irrigation and impacts on water quality. With rice becoming increasingly important in southeast Missouri, this information will be quite valuable to producers in the region.

Another project involving scientists throughout the mid-South and Texas deals with cotton irrigation and the optimal time to terminate irrigation. Being at the northern edge of the cotton belt, properly managing inputs, including irrigation, is essential for Missouri producers.

Read more about our research on reducing water use in rice in the January 2009 issue of Agricultural Research, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's science magazine, and in "MIRI Method Reduces Water Use in Rice Field Tests" in the January 23, 2009 edition of Science Daily.*

The program at the Delta Center is a part of the Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit located at Columbia and its goals include:

• Developing methods and techniques for design, operation, and management of irrigation systems in southeastern Missouri.
• Developing and evaluating the benefits and limitations of site-specific management (precision irrigation) technologies for irrigated agriculture.
• Evaluating the impact of soil compaction on irrigation and possible changes in management to reduce the effects of compaction.

Projects and programs studying irrigation at CSWQRU include:

• IMPROVING IRRIGATION PRACTICES AND IRRIGATED CROP PRODUCTION IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
• OPTIMIZING IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT FOR HUMID CLIMATES

 *links to non-federal sites