Alabama row crop producers have greatly increased the amount of irrigation of soybeans in recent years. Irrigation scheduling tools have the potential to aid in increasing water use efficiency and yield while decreasing costs. However, irrigation scheduling in soybeans has not been widely adopted due to the lack of easy-to-use tools. Easy to use apps are available for other crops, however, more information is needed to adapt them to soybeans. In particular, crop co-efficient values need to be determined to relate water use at different crop stages to potential (theoretical) evapotranspiration. A regional effort is needed to determine these values and to test their use on various soil types and conditions, in order to create an accurate irrigation scheduling app.
Acknowledgements
This publication is a joint contribution of Auburn University, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service and National Soil Dynamics Laboratory. Research contained in AU Crops Research Reports was partially funded through the Alabama Soybean Producers, the Alabama Cotton Commission, the Alabama Wheat and Feed Grains Producers, and private industry grants. All funding is appreciated.
Confidential Report
Publication, display or distribution of data contained herein should not be made without prior written approval. Mention of a trademark product does not constitute a guarantee of the product by Auburn University and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products.