What limitations to irrigation practices are caused by conservation tillage?
Concerns related to irrigation timing and uniformity of water distribution have discouraged some irrigators from adopting conservation tillage practices. Residue, left on the soil surface, often causes problems in furrow irrigation systems, where residue dams plug furrows and prevent uniform movement of water down furrows. (I’d move this question toward end) Q: What are some other low-cost management practices that irrigators can adopt to conserve moisture when implementing deficit or limited irrigation strategies? A: Furrow firming is a practice which can be used to reduce or even out infiltration rates in soils with high intake rates. Additional changes irrigators can implement include changes in furrow stream size which determines advance time. Management of the amount of crop residue, set times, length of run, surface conditions at the trough of the furrow, and furrow size together will increase water savings.
