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Best Management Practices For Corn Production In South Dakota: Irrigation And Salt Management, Todd P. Trooien, C. Gregg Carlson, Hal D. Werner

SDSU Extension Circulars

In South Dakota, average annual precipitation ranges from less than 13 inches to nearly 30 inches, generally increasing from west to east (fig. 6.1). However, all regions of South Dakota can experience drought. Irrigation can reduce a crop’s dependence on natural rainfall and improve yields. To best capitalize on investment in irrigation equipment, it has been suggested that one should increase plant populations on irrigated land by 2,000 to 3,000 plants per acre (Aldrich et al. 1975). This chapter discusses how much irrigation water to apply and how to manage the salts contained in the water. If you are planning …