Many soybean plants will soon be at the critical reproductive stage, when a crop can use a quarter-inch of water per day.
According to Mississippi State University Irrigation Specialist Jason Krutz, irrigation should begin at a pre-determined soil-moisture threshold, regardless of growth stage. By monitoring soil-moisture sensors to determine when your fields have reached the threshold, you’re helping ensure you don’t lose yield to drought stress during the critical R3 through R6 growth stages.
If you use furrow-irrigation, you can increase irrigation efficiency through the use of the PHAUCET/PipePlanner computer program. These programs help determine the best hole sizes to punch along the length of a polypipe irrigation set. The tool calculates these hole sizes based on pressure changes along the tubing, pipe diameter, the different row lengths along the polypipe set, and the elevation changes along the field where the polypipe tubing is located.
For all your irrigation-initiation questions, check out this summary of significant management practices. The highlighted practices are proven to contribute to higher yields in both research environments and farmers’ fields.
Source: USB