**-  Midwest  
-  Columbia, MO 
-  Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research 
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**Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research**
**2007 Annual Report**
**1a.Objectives (from AD-416)**													Objectives are: Evaluate the rice production systems employed in Missouri for minimizing water use while maximizing profitability. Develop methods for incorporating field variability into irrigation management decisions. Develop management guidelines for an irrigated, twin-row  production system. Evaluate effectiveness of automated soil moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling. Evaluate irrigation pumping plant efficiencies on Missouri farms. Develop database of optimal cotton seeding rates for use with variable-rate planting. Develop and test methods for screening currently grown cotton cultivars for tolerance to waterlogging. Develop rapid screening technique for evaluating soybean cultivar tolerance to waterlogging for use in cultivar development programs.						
**1b.Approach  (from AD-416)**													Scientists from both ARS and MU conduct crop production research in southeast Missouri relating to irrigated crop production and irrigation management. This research will include studies on agricultural experiment stations as well as on cooperator's farms. Project results will be documented in scientific and extension publications and will be presented at a variety of national, regional, and local meetings.						
**3.Progress Report**													This report serves to document research conducted under a SCA between ARS and the Univ. of MO., Delta Research Center. Additional details can be found in the report for the parent research project 3622-13610-002-00D, entitled Optimizing Irrigation Management for Humid Climates. In this project, objectives are to develop methods for incorporating variability, develop guidelines for twin-row system, evaluate automated soil moisture sensors, develop cotton seeding-rate DB, and screen cotton and soybean cultivars for tolerance to waterlogging. Projects investigate important aspects of irrigated crop production in the upper Mississippi Delta region..1)Plot studies employed a 3 tower pivot (radial length 152m) to conduct the study to incorp. variability into irrigation management. Soil maps, soil textural field samples, and aerial photos were used to divide the field into specific treatments. The first year of the study addressed corn to establish a baseline for the irrigation scheduling procedure..2)Plot studies employed a wide range of cotton seeding rates on sandy and silt loam soils. In-season growth measures included nodes above white flower, digital imagery, and reflectance..3)Soybean cultivars and plant introductions previously identified with moderate to high flood tolerance were grown in a greenhouse in plastic-lined boxes containing soil from a soybean field to evaluate their tolerance to gradual and fast flooding of soil. During the flooding cycles, transpiration and photosynthesis rate from the youngest mature leaf in plants was measured daily..4)Based on 2006 findings, three cotton varieties (ST5599BR, DP432RR, and DP 455 BG/RR) were selected for further investigations. Starter fertilizers were evaluated in flooded and non-flooded conditions, flood timings were investigated, and the screening of cotton varieties continued. Project results will be documented in scientific and extension publications and will be presented at a variety of national, regional, and local meetings. Monitoring project progress occurs on a near-continuous basis. The ADODR, being co-located with most of the cooperators, has near-daily contact and discussions on project progress and conducts research near many of the others, which offers many opportunities to confirm activities and status. For many of the sub-objectives, direct cooperation exists between the ADODR and cooperators. All the Delta Center cooperators write annual progress reports for the Annual Advisory Board meeting, usually in Mar., and the Field Day near Sep. 1. The irrigation field day during the winter offers another opportunity for updates. Project scientists organized and participated in several field days, with presentations to irrigators and irrigation industry rep. as listed below. These included the Aug. 2006 U of MO Delta Center Field Day, Portageville, MO; Dec. 2006 Bootheel Irrigation Conf., Portageville, MO; and Feb. 2007 39th Annual Irrigation Conf., Columbia, MO. The cotton flooding information from 2006 was presented as a poster at the Beltwide Cotton Conf. Jan. 7-9, 2007 in New Orleans, LA. Additional presentations were made by scientists cooperating on the parent project.						
    Project TeamVories, Earl  - *Earl*Sadler, Edward  - *John*Sudduth, Kenneth  - *Ken* 
Project Annual Reports FY 2009 FY 2008 FY 2007 
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