Why is Irrigation Management Important?

Adequate supply of water to crops is essential to optimize crop yields, but over-application or untimely application of irrigation water can result in losses of nutrients through soil erosion and runoff. Several irrigation management options may be considered to minimize nutrient loss:

• Calibrate irrigation equipment to know application rates.

• Check nozzle output to ensure uniform application of water.

• Irrigate fine-textured soil to leave some soil water-holding capacity for precipitation.

• Allow soil capacity to store off-season precipitation by timing the last irrigation to deplete soil water while meeting crop needs.

Kansas State University Contact:

Danny Rogers, Biological & Agricultural Engineering

Kansas State University

147 Seaton

Manhattan, KS 66506

785.532.2933

Incentive Programs:

The Irrigation Initiative - State Conservation Commission (SCC)

Kansas Ground and Surface Water Conservation - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Publications:

K-State Research and Extension

Irrigation at K-State Research and Extension

Soil Water Measurements: An Aid to Irrigation Management

Subsurface Drip Irrigation 

Management Considerations for Operating a Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) System 

Design Considerations for Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) Systems 

Shock Chlorination Treatment for Irrigation Wells 

Using Evapotranspiration Reports for Center Pivot Irrigation Scheduling  

KanShed--An ET-Based Irrigation Scheduling Tool 

Irrigation Water Measurement as a Management Tool  

Efficiencies and Water Losses of Irrigation Systems  

Western Kansas Irrigation Research Project

Considerations for Sprinkler Packages on Center Pivots

Search for other irrigation extension publications.

Other publications:

Irrigation Recommendations - Kansas Forest Service

Water Conservation - Ogallalah Aquifer - State Conservation Commission (SCC)

Kansas Irrigation Water Use Tables - Kansas Water Office