Agriculture Commons^™

Efficient Irrigation For Recreational Turfgrass In New England: Evapotranspiration And Crop Coefficients, James W. Poro

Masters Theses

As water demand increases it will become more imperative for golf course superintendents, landscape managers, and other industry professionals to improve water use efficiency in the management of recreational turfgrass. Scheduling irrigation according to actual turfgrass evapotranspiration rates (ET_T) is an integral component of efficient irrigation practices. Impracticality of field derived ET_T for industry use, however, directs the need of weather station derived reference (predicted) evapotranspiration (ET₀). To accurately predict (estimate) ET_T of turf and other crops, scientifically derived landscape (crop) coefficients (K_c values) are used in conjunction with mathematical models that incorporate …

Locating The Variability Of Soil Water Holding Capacity And Understanding Its Effects On Deficit Irrigation And Cotton Lint Yield, Heath Adam Duncan

Masters Theses

Precision irrigation equipment such as variable-rate center pivots is readily available to Tennessee growers and producers; however, little research exists describing its application to cotton grown in Tennessee. In order to optimize the use of variable-rate irrigation equipment and water resources, two experiments were performed to determine (1) whether or not ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical conductivity (EC) measurements can be used to delineate variable-rate irrigation zones and (2) examine the response of cotton lint yield to varying rates and duration of irrigation.

GPR and EC measurements were recorded, validated using soil cores, and used to identify the subsurface variability …

Irrigation Plus Nitrogen Rate Effects On Hybrid Bermudagrass Hay Yield And Quality, With Preliminary Evaluation Of Ndvi, Tissue, And Soil Nitrate-N Sampling As Diagnostic Tools, Timothy Donald Carter

Masters Theses

A nitrogen fertility study with Vaughn’s hybrid bermudagrass conducted on a Crider silt loam soil (fine, silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Paleudalfs) over three (3) years (2008-2011) at the Highland Rim Research and Education Center near Springfield, Tennessee is evaluated in this manuscript. Nitrogen applications are evaluated in both irrigated and non-irrigated plots at five (5) different application rates: 0, 56, 112, 168, and 224 kg N ha^-1. These rates are applied beginning in late April, and three (3) additional times upon harvests occurring in June, July, and August. Irrigation plots receive enough water to bring total weekly …