Measures of Cotton’s Water Needs Must Be More Precise
Cotton contributes $5 billion to the United States’ economy through exports alone and is Georgia’s top row crop. This important crop is also facing escalating threats from climate change-induced droughts. Attempts to mitigate drought through traditional irrigation practices have led to excessive water use, aquifer depletion, increased costs and harmful environmental impacts. These factors create an urgent need to optimize irrigation scheduling specifically for cotton to maximize productivity while minimizing water use.
One way to ensure crop health and protect crops is through precision irrigation management, the practice of providing water to crops at the right time, place and amount to improve growth, yield and water use efficiency. Advanced management requires precise estimates of evapotranspiration, how much water moves from soil and plants into the atmosphere throughout the growing season, to determine crops’ water needs. However, implementing plant-based precision irrigation requires crop-specific information that has not been utilized for cotton in the Southeastern U.S., despite its economic importance.
Researchers, led by University of Georgia Professor of Crop and Soil Science Dr. John Snider, are addressing this research gap. The research team is developing plant-based precision irrigation scheduling strategies to improve water use efficiency, ensure yield stability and enhance economic productivity.
Conserving Water, Increasing Productivity & Profits
By providing a more accurate estimate of cotton’s irrigation needs than estimates based on a generic model to reduce unnecessary water use, this research heralds a new era of responsible agriculture. Researchers are providing scalable solutions for cotton production at the field level and contributing to the resilience of agricultural systems in the face of increasing climate variability.
The project is integrating plant-based irrigation advancements into accessible irrigation scheduling tools, empowering growers with actionable information. Cotton growers in the Southeastern U.S. and beyond will benefit from this research through ensuring optimal water use without compromising yield or profitability.