Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of crop rotation and minimum tillage on water use efficiency of irrigated cotton in a Vertisol

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Irrigation Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Crop water use efficiency of irrigated cotton was hypothesized to be improved by a combination of minimum tillage and sowing a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation crop. This hypothesis was evaluated in a Vertisol near Narrabri, Australia from 1997 to 2003. The experimental treatments were: continuous cotton sown after conventional or minimum tillage and minimum-tilled cotton–wheat. Soil water content was measured with a neutron moisture meter, and runoff with trapezoidal flumes. Application efficiency of irrigation water was estimated as the amount of infiltrated water/total amount applied. Plant available water was estimated using the maximum and minimum soil water storage during the growing season. Evapotranspiration was estimated with the water balance method using measured and simulated soil water data. Seasonal evapotranspiration was partitioned into that coming from rainfall, irrigation and stored soil water. Crop water use efficiency was calculated as cotton lint yield per hectare/seasonal evapotranspiration. Rotation of cotton with wheat and minimum tillage improved water use efficiency in some years and application efficiency in all years. Average seasonal evapotranspiration was higher with minimum tillage than with conventional tillage. In years when cotton was sown in all plots, average cotton crop water use efficiencies were 0.23, 0.23 and 0.22 kg (lint)/m3 for minimum-tilled cotton–wheat and continuous cotton, and conventionally tilled continuous cotton, respectively. In-season rainfall efficiency, transpiration and soil evaporation were unaffected by cropping system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ET:

Evapotranspiration

CWUE:

Crop water use efficiency

PAW:

Plant available water

AE:

Irrigation application efficiency

NMM:

Neutron moisture meter

S :

Soil water storage

ER:

Effective rainfall

I :

Irrigation

WUE:

Water use efficiency

References

  • Al-Khafaf S, Wierenga JP, Williams BC (1978) Evaporative flux from irrigated cotton as related to leaf area index, soil water and evaporative demand. Agron J 70:912–917

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bartholomaeus M (1991) Goals of farming systems. In: Squires V, Tow P (eds) Dryland farming: a systems approach. Sydney University Press, Sydney, pp 32–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumhardt RL, Lascano RJ (1996) Rain infiltration as affected by wheat residue amount and distribution in ridged tillage. Soil Sci Soc Am J 60:1908–1913

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baumhardt RL, Lascano RJ (1999) Water budget and yield of dryland cotton intercropped with terminated winter wheat. Agron J 91:922–927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of Meteorology (2003) http://www.bom.gov.au/silo/products/LRain.shtml

  • Cameron J, Hearn AB (1997) Agronomic and economic aspects of water use efficiency in the Australian cotton industry. A report compiled for the cotton research and development corporation of Australia. Narrabri, NSW, Australia, pp 58

  • Constable GA, Rochester IJ, Daniells IG (1992) Cotton yield and nitrogen requirement is modified by crop rotation and tillage method. Soil Tillage Res 23:41–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper JL (1999) A grower survey of rotations used in the New South Wales cotton industry. Aust J Exp Agric 39:743–755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cull PO (1979) Irrigation scheduling of cotton by computer. Ph.D Thesis, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia

  • Daniells IG (1989) Degradation and restoration of soil structure in a cracking grey clay used for cotton production. Aust J Soil Res 27:455–469

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas J (1997) Annual report 1996–1997. Cooperative research centre for sustainable cotton production, Narrabri, NSW, Australia, pp 32–33

  • Dowling D (2003) Introduction: 2002–03 cotton season. Aust Cottongrower Cotton Yearbook 2003, pp 4–5

  • Edwards JH, Wood CW, Thurlow DL, Ruf ME (1992) Tillage and crop rotation effects on fertility status of a hapludult soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 56:1577–1582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greacen EL (ed) (1981) Soil water assessment by the neutron method. CSIRO, Canberra, Australia

  • Hodgson AS, Chan KY (1984) Deep moisture extraction and crack formation by wheat and safflower in a Vertisol following irrigated cotton rotations. In: McGarity JW, Hoult EH, So HB (eds) Cracking clay soils. University of New England, Armidale, pp 299–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Hulme PJ, McKenzie DC, Abbott TS, MacLeod DA (1991) Changes in the physical properties of a Vertisol following an irrigation of cotton as influenced by the previous crop. Aust J Soil Res 29:425–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hulugalle NR, Entwistle PC (1997) Soil properties and crop growth in an irrigated Vertisol after nine years of minimum tillage. Soil Tillage Res 42:15–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hulugalle NR, Lobry de Bruyn LA, Entwistle PC (1997) Residual effects of tillage and crop rotation on soil properties, soil invertebrate numbers and nutrient uptake in an irrigated Vertisol sown to cotton. Appl Soil Ecol 7:11–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hulugalle NR, Entwistle PC, Cooper JL, Scott F, Nehl DB, Allen SJ, Finlay LA (1999) Sowing wheat or field pea as rotation crops after irrigated cotton in a grey Vertosol. Aust J Soil Res 37:867–890

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hulugalle NR, Entwistle PC, Scott F, Kahl J (2001) Rotation crops for irrigated cotton in a medium-fine, self-mulching, grey vertosol. Aust J Soil Res 39:317–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hulugalle NR, Entwistle PC, Weaver T, Scot F, Finlay LA (2002) Cotton-based rotation systems in a sodic Vertosol under irrigation: effects on soil quality and profitability. Aust J Exp Agric 42:341–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mateos L, Hearn AB (1991) Calibration of a water balance model for cotton in the Namoi Valley, New South Wales: 2. Partitioning of evapotranspiration between plant and soil. Unpublished report, CSIRO cotton research unit, Narrabri, NSW, Australia, pp 18

  • McGarry D (1990) Soil compaction and cotton growth on a Vertisol. Aust J Soil Res 28:869–977

    Google Scholar 

  • McHugh A, Tullberg J, Freebairn D (2003) Effects of field traffic removal on hydraulic conductivity and plant available water capacity. In: Hoogmoed W (ed) Soil management for sustainability, Proceeding of the 16th conference on international soil Tillage Research Organization, 13–18 July 2003, Brisbane, Qld, Australia. ISTRO, Brisbane, Qld, Australia pp 717–722

  • Meyer WS (2000) Irrigation and competition for water. Will improved water use efficiency deliver everyone’s aspiration? In: Connellan GJ (ed) Water essential for life, Proceedings of the 2000 conference on irrigation association of Australia, 23–26 May 2000, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. IAA, Melbourne, Australia, pp 13–19

  • Orgaz F, Mateos L, Fereres E (1992) Season length and cultivar determine the optimum evapotranspiration deficit in cotton. Agron J 84:700–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Philip JR (1957) The theory of infiltration: 4. Sorptivity and algebraic infiltration equations. Soil Sci 84:257–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pillai UP, McGarry D (1999) Structure repair of a compacted Vertisol with wet-dry cycles and crops. Soil Sci Soc Am J 63:201–201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie JT (1972) Model for predicting evaporation from a row crop with incomplete cover. Water Resour Res 8:1204–1213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rochester IJ, Peoples MB, Constable GA, Gault RR (1998) Faba beans and other legumes add nitrogen to irrigated cotton cropping systems. Aust J Exp Agric 38:253–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarmah AK, Pillai-McGarry U, McGarry D (1996) Repair of the structure of a compacted Vertisol via wet/dry cycles. Soil Tillage Res 38:17–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soil Survey Staff (1996) Keys to soil taxonomy, 7th edition. Natural resources conservation service of the USDA, Washington, DC, USA, pp 644

  • Tennakoon SB, Milroy SP (1999) Using Irrigation siphons to measure in-field water use. Aust Cottongrower 20(6):34–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Tennakoon SB, Milroy SP (2000) Evaluation of crop water use efficiency and farm level irrigation efficiency of irrigated cotton farms in northern NSW and southern Queensland. In: Connellan GJ (ed) Water essential for life, Proceedings of the 2000 Conference on Irrigation Assocition of Australia, 23–26 May 2000, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. IAA, Melbourne, Australia, pp 135–142

  • Tennakoon SB, Milroy SP (2003) Crop water use and water use efficiency on irrigated cotton farms in Australia. Agric Water Manage 61:179–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valzano FP, Greene RSB, Murphy BW, Rengasamy P, Jarwal SD (2001) Effects of gypsum and stubble retention on the chemical and physical properties of a sodic grey vertosol in western Victoria. Aust J Soil Res 39:1333–1347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu L, Feng G, Letey J, Ferguson L, Mitchell J, Sanden MB, Markegard G (2003) Soil management effects on nonlimiting water range. Geoderma 114:401–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The assistance and comments of Dr. S. P. Milroy during the project and manuscript preparation are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also acknowledge the suppport of CSIRO’s Cotton Research Unit at Narrabri, Australia, in conducting the research. Funding was provided by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation of Australia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Protection Agency, 80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, QLD, 4068, Australia

    S. B. Tennakoon

  2. ACRI, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Locked Bag 1000, Narrabri, NSW, 2390, Australia

    N. R. Hulugalle

Authors
  1. S. B. Tennakoon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. R. Hulugalle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. B. Tennakoon.

Additional information

Communicated by P. Waller

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tennakoon, S.B., Hulugalle, N.R. Impact of crop rotation and minimum tillage on water use efficiency of irrigated cotton in a Vertisol. Irrig Sci 25, 45–52 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-006-0033-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-006-0033-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation