Abstract
Few studies have been done considering the possibility of irrigation systems in Iowaor other humid regions. Recent technological progress in precision agriculture may allow irrigation inthese areas to become more economically feasible. Crop models have emerged as a method toevaluate different crop management practices such as irrigation without costly and time-consumingonsite experiments. In this study, the CERES-Maize crop model was used in conjunction withAPOLLO, a shell program developed at Iowa State University, to evaluate potential improved yield ina central Iowa cornfield on a spatially and temporally variable basis. Five years of historical yield andweather data were used to calibrate the model over 100 spatially variable grids for nonirrigatedconditions in the 20.25 ha field. This calibrated model then used 28 years of historical weather datato simulate three irrigation scenarios: no irrigation, scheduled uniform irrigation, and precisionirrigation. 30 mm irrigations were applied when the percent of available soil water fell below 50percent. Irrigation improved yield by at least 1000 kg ha-1 in half of the years simulated, and alsoshowed to have less variability both spatially and temporally. Precision irrigation showed slightlyhigher yields than scheduled uniform irrigation. Spatial variability of yield was most influence bytopography, with the largest improvements occurring on steep sideslopes and hilltops. Assuminguse of a center pivot irrigation system, irrigation showed economic returns in only three of the 28years included in the study. High capital costs were the leading restrictor of economic feasibility.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation improved simulated yield by at least 1000 kg ha-1 in half the years.
- Taxon
- Corn
Zea mays subsp. mayst0 - Treatment
- Irrigatione0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- at least 1000 kg ha-1e0
- Qualifier
- in half of the years simulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Irrigation improved yield by at least 1000 kg ha-1 in half of the years simulated”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation reduced spatial and temporal yield variability.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- Irrigatione0
- Outcome
- variability both spatially and temporallye0
- Direction
- lesse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Irrigation improved yield by at least 1000 kg ha-1 in half of the years simulated, and alsoshowed to have less variability both spatially and temporally”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Precision irrigation yielded slightly more than scheduled uniform irrigation.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- Precision irrigatione0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- slightlyhighere0
- Comparator
- scheduled uniform irrigatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Precision irrigation showed slightlyhigher yields than scheduled uniform irrigation”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Topography most influenced spatial yield variability.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Outcome
- Spatial variability of yielde0
- Setting
- topographye0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Spatial variability of yield was most influence bytopography”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Largest yield improvements occurred on steep sideslopes and hilltops.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Outcome
- improvementse0
- Direction
- largeste0
- Setting
- steep sideslopes and hilltopse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“largest improvements occurring on steep sideslopes and hilltops”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation returned economically in only three of 28 years.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Outcome
- economic returnse0
- Value
- three of the 28yearse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“irrigation showed economic returns in only three of the 28years included in the study”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
High capital costs were the leading constraint on economic feasibility.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- High capital costse0
- Outcome
- economic feasibilitye0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“High capital costs were the leading restrictor of economic feasibility”
t0“Corn”
The same questions in other papers
irrigation · yield · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
790 papers in the same direction as this paper · 209 in the opposite direction · 16 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- no effect
- negative
1,012 papers more in this group
See all 1,016 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.