Year: 2005
Type: report
Abstract: Two grower locations were used to monitor the soil moisture profiles at soil depths of 10, 30 (~1 ft) and 60 cm (~2 ft).A capacitance probe (C-probe) was used in each of the three treatments.Treatments included the grower's normal irrigation practice, using a pivot system, the researcher's hand irrigated plot to time irrigation events at critical periods and a non-irrigated control plot.Graphics of the C-probe information provided a visual account of the soil moistures, giving the grower a clearer understanding of the stage of sugar beet root growth at the various depths and the significance of their irrigation practices.At location A, the grower kept the soil moisture profile high, resulting in increased sugar beet yields but lowered beet quality with less sugar content per beet.Timing irrigation events, based on the soil moisture graphs from the C-probes, provided by the Ontario Weather Network, provided equal yields to the grower's regime while significantly increasing % sugar accumulation.Critical irrigation events were identified that could have improved both yield and sugar content in sugar beets.At location B, with a much heavier soil type, irrigation was used to oxygenate the soil, softening it up after early season near-flood conditions.Yields were considerably depressed in this location however with timely irrigation, yields were improved with no loss in sugar quantities.Sugar beet roots were forced to grow more deeply into the soil where less nutrients are available resulting in low yields.A water budget approach, where critical information such as evapotranspiration values along with grower inputs of rainfall and irrigation timings and quantities, was deemed a less effective method for timing irrigation events, due to missing or false data inputs.On the other hand, the soil moisture profile, read through graphics derived from the C-probes provided a more accurate account of what was happening at these particular farm locations allowing growers to make more effective irrigation management decisions.Where irrigation was deemed excessive the practice provided more hours of leaf wetness resulting in a slight increase in the incidence of Cercospora Leafspot foliar disease. METHOD and EQUIPMENTTwo grower locations (Fig. 1) were selected having large pivot irrigation units with considerable experience in irrigating sugar beets.On June 9 the following equipment was installed at each of the locations: Location A: Sylvester Farm, Quanicassee C-Probe Depths Irrigation Dates Other Sensors Control Plot 10cm, 30cm, 60cm None None Hand Irrigated Plot 10cm, 30cm, 60cm August 9, 24, 31, September 13 4 rows, 10m length plot, Fig. 4 Atmometer (Evapotranspiration Gauge, Fig. 12) Pivot Plot 10cm, 30cm, 60cm May 5, July 10, 14, August 9, 15, 30, September 4, 12, 17Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge.Fig. 6 At the Sylvester site, Location A, there was a clay loam surface followed by a lighter sandier layer then a yellow clay soil at the 60cm depth.The irrigation water source was from the Saginaw Bay through a series of deep ditches.The pivot system covers 160 acres, (Fig 5).Location B: Reif Farm HWY 81 -Indiantown C-Probe Depths Irrigation Dates Other Sensors Control Plot 10cm, 30cm, 60cm None None Hand Irrigated Plot 10cm, 30cm, 60cm August 9, 24, 31, September 13. 4 rows, 10m length plot, Fig. 4. None Pivot Plot 10cm, 30cm, 60cm
Authors: R.E. Pitblado, Ian Nichols, J. Lok, R. Danford
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2806007455