Subsurface Drip Irrigation Demonstration and Research Project
The University of Arizona

Subsurface Drip Irrigation
Demonstration and Research Project

Department of Soil, Water,
and Environmental Science

About Subsurface Drip Irrigation AZdrip project layout and irrigation Design AZdrip installation of irrigation system Current Crop Results from past crops, project reports

Comparison of AZdrip Project Results for the
First Ten Seasons of Conventional Production

Table 1. Potential Irrigation Configurations
Table 2. AZdrip Growing Seasons and Yields
Table 3. AZdrip Crop Water Use
Table 4. AZdrip Seasonal Water Use Efficiency

Table 1. Potential Irrigation Configurations

Plot 1 High frequency irrigation. Ten permanent 80" (2.0 m) beds containing three drip lines spaced 19" (48cm) apart and 9" (23 cm) deep.
Plot 2 High frequency irrigation. May be configured as twenty 40" (1.0 m) beds with a single drip or ten 80" (2.0 m) beds with two drip lines spaced 40" (1.0 m) apart and 9" (23 cm) deep. The configuration is dependent on the crop.
Plot 3 Low frequency irrigation. Ten permanent 80" (2.0 m) beds containing three drip lines spaced 19" (48cm) apart and 9" (23 cm) deep.
Plot 4 Surface irrigation. May be configured as twenty 40" (1.0 m) beds or ten 80" (2.0 m) beds, or a single basin depending on the standard practice for the crop.
Plot 5 Low frequency irrigation. May be configured as twenty 40" (1.0 m) beds with a single drip or ten 80" (2.0 m) beds with two drip lines spaced 40" (1.0 m) apart and 9" (23 cm) deep. The configuration is dependent on the crop.

Table 2. AZdrip Growing Seasons and Yields

Crop
Season
HF SDI 80"
HF SDI 40"
LF SDI 80"
LF SDI 40"
Surface Irrigation
kg yield/ha   (lbs/ac)
Broccoli
2002-03
22700
(20250)
24340
(21710)
23440
(20910)
20770
(18530)
21310
(19010)
Broccoli
2003-04
29310
(26150)
42090
(37550)
31260
(27890)
35130
(31340)
24260
(21650)
Broccoli
2004-05
15380
(13720)
11470
(10230)
13790
(12300)
12670
(11300)
9190
(8200)
kg yield/ha   (lbs/ac)
Watermelon
2003
58670
(52340)
45340
(40450)
44260
(39480)
33810
(30160)
20880
(18630)
Watermelon
2005
57000
(50850)
51960
(46350)
30290
(27020)
32660
(29140)
13090
(11680)
Watermelon
2006
10930
(9750)
3930
(3500)
8950
(7980)
3670
(3270)
890
(790)
kg yield/ha   (lbs/ac)
Barley
2005-06
3930
(3500)
4330
(3860)
5380
(4800)
5110
(4560)
6150
(5490)
Papago Peas
2006-07
cover crop tilled under
kg yield/ha   (lbs/ac)
Cotton (lint)
2007
2820
(2520)
2800
(2500)
2130
(1900)
1710
(1525)
1760
(1570)
Cotton (lint) 2008
3110
(2830)
2940
(2670)
2890
(2630)
2890
(2630)
2940
(2670)

Table 3. AZdrip Crop Water Use

Crop Season HF SDI 80" HF SDI 40" LF SDI 80" LF SDI 40" Surface Irrigation
cm/ha (in/ac)
Broccoli 2002-03 137.4 (21.9) 131.7 (21.0) 137.4 (21.9) 135.4 (21.6) 135.8 (21.7)
Broccoli 2003-04 73.4 (11.7) 65.9 (10.5) 78.4 (12.5) 72.1 (11.5) 89.7 (14.3)
Broccoli 2004-05 87.9 (14.0) 96.6 (15.4) 86.0 (13.7) 82.2 (13.1) 128.0 (20.4)
cm/ha (in/ac)
Watermelon 2003 193.2(30.8) 173.2(27.6) 179.4(28.6) 165.6(26.4) 193.9(30.9)
Watermelon 2005 143.7(22.9) 142.4(22.7) 143.7(22.9) 124.2(19.8) 127.4(20.3)
Watermelon 2006 - - - - -
cm/ha (in/ac)
Barley 2005-06 111.7(17.8) 119.8(19.1) 103.5(16.5) 118.6(18.9) 75.3(12)
cm/ha (in/ac)
Cotton 2007 315 (50.2) 377 (60.1) 297 (47.4) 272 (43.3) 323 (51.4)
Cotton 2008 272 (43.3) 265 (42.2) 259(41.2) 258 (41.1) 280 (44.6)

Table 4. AZdrip Seasonal Water Use Efficiency

Crop
Season
HF SDI 80"
HF SDI 40"
LF SDI 80"
LF SDI 40"
Surface Irrigation
kg yield / cm water (lbs yield/inch water)
Broccoli
2002-03
165 (925)
185 (1034)
171 (955)
153 (858)
157 (880)
Broccoli
2003-04
399 (2235)
639 (3576)
399 (2231)
487 (2725)
392 (1514)
Broccoli
2004-05
175 (980)
119 (664)
160 (898)
154 (863)
72 (402)
kg yield / cm water (lbs yield/inch water)
Watermelon
2003
304 (1699)
262 (1466)
247 (1380)
204 (1142)
193.9(603)
Watermelon
2005
397 (2221)
365 (2042)
211 (1180)
263 (1472)
103 (575)
Watermelon
2006
-
-
-
-
-
kg yield / cm water (lbs yield/inch water)
Barley
2005-06
35 (197)
36 (202)
52 (291)
43 (241)
82 (458)
kg yield / cm water (lbs yield/inch water)
Cotton
2007
9 (50)
7 (42)
7 (40)
6 (35)
5 (30)
Cotton 2008
11.4 (65)
11.1 (63)
11.2 (63)
11.2 (64)
10.5 (60)


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