Furrow irrigation vs alternatives

[Rhodie Ranch]

Having spent three days on the road, heading to Coeur D'Alene, I noticed a lot of differences in irrigation techniques.

In our area, down on the flatlands, corn is grown and irrigated using furrow watering. They use curved pipes to siphon the water from the ditches into each furrow. Coming up thru Idaho, I saw huge walking sprinklers overhead sprinkling the corn growth.

Is this due to our lack of water in Calif? I listened to an hour long Ag report a few weeks ago, where the special segment was underground drip irrigation. Its present in about 8 % of CA ag at this point, and making in roads in populairty.

 

[Smart Red]

The Midwest method of overhead spraying results in a lot of water lost to evaporation to the air. Underground drip irrigation would be the most efficient use of limited water resources -- and the most expensive.

I imagine it would work well for tree and bush crops, but far less well for something like corn.

Furrow watering seems like a pretty good option for places where standing water can be focused.

 

[ducks4you]

Underground is best. Otherwise evening or very early morning, so that it soaks in to the roots. Also, water around the outside of the roots so that the ground around them doesn't absorb the water. I used my post hole auger this year, like I always do, to dig one foot holes for my tomato plants. I have hardly watered them, but after the first day to recover, none are wilting. I have had to make sure to water everything else, but my peas and my beets and my okra don't need it anymore, either. AND...compost, compost, compost around them and they will dry out much slower. I am so impressed by my garden soil after 6 years of adding compost every fall from my horse and chicken manure and bedding.

 

[dickiebird]

Down in south east MO they build berms around the fields then flood the fields with water. I don't know what their timing for the flooding is but I know there are lots of mosquitoes in s/e MO!!!
I think each field has it's own well.

THANX RICH

 

[bobm]

What works for the best use of resourses depends greatly on soil types and topagraphy as well as availability and cost of water. Digit S has rocky soil, Baymule has Texas snow sand, my ranch in Cal. has a hardpan at the surface to 3 feet below, while my home in PNW has very permiable soils. With these types of soils a drip system would be advisable. While in the very flat country of N. Valley of Cal. there are clay type soils , very flat and the most efficient way to irrigate row crop land is row irrigation, while for orchards flood or drip irrigation is used. Large pastures are flood irrigated as well as sprinklers are used depending of cost as well as topography. So, one size does NOT fit all .