| Title: | Modeling basin-scale impacts of cultivation practices on cotton yield and water conservation under various hydroclimatic regimes |
| Authors: | Tan, L., Y. Zhang, G.W. Marek, S. Ale, D.K. Brauer and Y. Chen |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Journal: | Agriculture |
| Volume (Issue): | 12(1) |
| Pages: | |
| Article ID: | 17 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/agriculture12010017 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT-MAD |
| Broad Application Category: | hydrologic only |
| Primary Application Category: | irrigation impacts or irrigation BMP scenarios |
| Secondary Application Category: | water balance assessment |
| Watershed Description: | 6,000 km^2 Double Mountain Fork Brazos River, located in northwest Texas, U.S. |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | |
| Abstract: | The SWAT model equipped with an improved auto-irrigation function was used to assess
the impacts of cultivation practices on irrigated and dryland cotton yield and water conservation
in the Texas Panhandle. Results showed the largest irrigation depth led to reductions in irrigation
and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) with slightly increased cotton yields compared to the baseline
scenarios under different hydroclimatic regimes. However, soil water content and surface runoff
values were increased when using the largest irrigation depth. The opposite results were observed
for the small irrigation depth. Early planting of cotton resulted in decreased irrigation and ETc, and
increased cotton yields under both irrigated and dryland conditions, particularly in normal and wet
years. By contrast, the late planting scenarios indicated the opposite for those variables. Simulated
hydrologic variables were relatively stable using various maturity cultivars. Nevertheless, greater
than 10% reductions in irrigated cotton yield under diverse hydroclimatic years and dryland yields
during normal and wet years were identified in the long-season cotton. The opposite was determined
for the short-season cotton. These outcomes suggest that a larger irrigation depth, earlier planting
date, and short-season cultivar are promising cultivation practices for improving cotton yield and
water conservation in the Texas Panhandle. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | soil and water assessment tool (SWAT); irrigation application depth; planting date;
cultivar maturity; precipitation regimes |