Sunset Colonia, Uruguay 28 Sept 2015 Water-saving rice irrigation - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Sunset Colonia, Uruguay 28 Sept 2015

Water-saving rice irrigation practices in Mississippi

Potential Applications to Uruguay Production

Joe Massey, Ph.D. YMD Joint Water Management District Stoneville, Mississippi, USA E-mail: joe@ymd.org

Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Water Management District

Management and Measurement of Water Resources

• Began in 1989 after major drought in 1988

created regulatory problems for farmers.

• Farmers wanted to know (a) how much surface

and ground water is available for irrigation and (b) how much water is being used by agriculture.

• YMD staff measures irrigation use on

≈ 300 fields each year.

Oryza sativa Producing Regions in the USA

Mississippi River Flood Plain

Source: US Geological Survey

Humid, sub-tropical climate Rainfall ≈ 1,500 mm/year In-season ≈ 300 mm ≈ 90,000 ha rice grown in MS

Outline

• Overview of irrigation in Mississippi Delta (MS Delta).
• Rice irrigation management practices used in MS

Delta.

• Multiple-inlet rice irrigation (MIRI).
• Potential applications to Uruguay rice production.
• Research needs and opportunities.

Crop Irrigation in the Mississippi Delta

Crop Irrigation in the Mississippi Delta

YMD (2014)

Cropland Approximate Area (ha) Total 1,000,000 Irrigated 690,000 Non-irrigated 310,000

Non-irrigated land is being converted to irrigation at rate of ≈ 13,000 ha (1.3% per year) over past 6 years.

Crop Irrigation Applied in the Mississippi Delta

12-yr average values (YMD, 2014) Crop Irrigation Applied (m3/ha) Soja 2,750 ± 920 Maiz 3,055 ±920 Algodon 1,833 ± 611 Arroz 9,176 ± 920 Total irrigation applied ≈ 8 x 109 m3 (2014)

Rice irrigation management practices used in the Mississippi Delta.

20% of rice fields = ungraded (“crooked levees”)

80% of rice fields = graded to 0 - 0.2% slope

Rice Production in Mississippi

Began land grading in 1980’s

2014

≈ 35 year process and federal funding to get to this stage.

Crooked Levees = 20% of rice grown use 11,171 ± 1,269 m3/ha irrigation

Straight Levees = 45% of rice grown use 9,648 ± 508 m3/ha irrigation

Average Irrigation Use in Mississippi Rice Production

Grading saves ≈ 14% irrigation relative to crooked levees.

Data source: YMD Joint Water Management District, Stoneville, MS

Straight Levees = 45% of rice grown use 9,648 ± 508 m3/ha irrigation

Zero-grade (no levees) = 5% of rice grown use 5,078 ± 1,523 m3/ha irrigation

Average Irrigation Use in Mississippi Rice Production

0-grade saves ≈ 47 % irrigation relative to straight levees.

Data source: YMD Joint Water Management District, Stoneville, MS

Zero-Grade Rice Irrigation Issues that limit adoption by farmers

Rice is typically grown in 1:1 or 2:1 soybean:rice rotation. The major drawback of Zero- Grade systems is water logging of rotational crops. Thus, 0-grade fields often grown under continuous rice.

Straight Levees = 45% of rice grown use 9,648 ± 508 m3/ha irrigation

Straight Levees plus MIRI = 30% of rice grown use 7,871 ± 1,269 m3/ha irrigation Average Irrigation Use in Mississippi Rice Production

Multiple-inlet rice irrigation (MIRI) saves ≈ 18 % irrigation relative to straight levees alone.

Data source: YMD Joint Water Management District, Stoneville, MS

Multiple-Inlet Rice Irrigation (MIRI)

Poly-tubing first used in rice near Stuttgart, Arkansas (1991)

Charles Pappen Phil Tacker Jim Thomas Photos courtesy of Phil Tacker

Poly-Tubing

• Lay-flat plastic tubing
• Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
• Diameters range from 20 to 55-cm
• Thickness ≈ 300 microns
• 1 tubing roll will irrigate ≈ 15 to 30 ha*
• May be reused with care

(*) depends on field size, shape, and topography.

Attach tubing to water outlet

Lay Tubing in Furrow

Cross levees at 90o angle

Multiple-Inlet Rice Irrigation (MIRI)

Mid-Field Installation

Rice fields irrigated using only one outlet

(Conventional practice) Field 1 Water Outlet Field 2 Water Outlet

Rice field irrigated MIRI

Poly-tubing

Image credits: Google Earth (USDA FSA)

MIRI Trial on Relatively Flat 20-ha Field in RS, Brazil.

Image credit: Delta Plastics

Potential Benefits

• Easier

management of flood (e.g., water savings).

• Improved rainfall

capture (?)

• Reduced runoff
• f agro-

chemicals.

• Improve N

management.

First 20 ha trial in 2013. 2014 =4,000 ha MIRI

In addition to reducing runoff from field, MIRI allows more rapid establishment of shallow flood over entire field. This should help to stabilize N-fertilizers, reducing NH3 losses. This has agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits.

Improved Nitrogen Fertilizer Management using MIRI

Irrigation x N-management is key to sustainability

• f rice production.

Revised Planetary Boundaries by Steffen et al. (2015)

Science 347:1259855.

Multiple-Inlet Rice Irrigation Field Trials in South America

• Uruguay

Began in 2009 by Bernardo Böcking. INIA began in 2014.

• Brazil

Bretanhas farm in 2013. IRGA in 2013. UFSM in 2014.

• Argentina

COPRA in 2013

El Junco, Salto, Uruguay

South American MIRI Field Trials Poly-tubing used to replace secondary canal.

Standard 2nd Canal (6 to 7 meters)

South American MIRI Field Trials Argentina

Potential Benefits:

• Increased area devoted

to crop production.

• Reduce maintenance

costs for canal.

• Reduced conveyance

(e.g., seepage) losses of water from canal.

Comparison of conventional secondary canal and poly-tubing replacement.

FUENTE: ING. BERNARDO BOCKING – SALTO

Ejemplo 2 chacras 11/12 Mangas Regaderas Has 90 143 Regadores (operarios) 1 2,5 Ha por regador 90 57 33 Se abarca más área con un operario y mangas m³/ha de represa 12.126 13.550

• 1.424

1.400m3 menos de gasto de agua en la represa Ciclo de riego (días) 118 120 Días de riego efectivo 95 93 mm aplicados/día 10,2 11,6

• 1,4

lts/seg/ha/día 1,2 1,4

• 0,2

Se puede regar con menor caudal en la chacra (15%)

• Ef. Kg de arroz/kg de agua

0,74 0,7 0,04 Uso más eficiente del agua Eficiencia de riego 72% 65% 7% Uso más eficiente del agua Comparaciones

MIRI Field Results from El Junco, Salto, Uruguay

2009 = 30 ha trial. 2014 = 1,500 ha MIRI

Standard 2nd Canal (6 to 7 meters)

South American MIRI Field Trials Argentina

Potential Benefits:

• Increased area devoted

to crop production.

• Reduce maintenance

costs for canal.

• Reduce soil erosion?
• Reduced conveyance

(e.g., seepage) losses of water from canal.

Comparison of conventional secondary canal and poly-tubing replacement.

Extending Irrigation Capacity with Improved Irrigation Efficiency

By reducing waste in system, it is possible that more crops can be grown using existing irrigation infrastructure.

Summary

• MIRI has been used in mid-South rice production since 1991.
• In US, water savings of 18% or more possible using MIRI while

reducing agrochemical runoff and improving N use efficiency.

• Trials using MIRI in South America began in 2009 and suggest

potential applications in Uruguay rice production.

• Many research needs and opportunities to maximize production

and reduce water footprint.

Resources

• Delta Plastics Irrigation Resources: Gerardo Cerutti

http://www.deltaplastics.com/irrigation-resources

• Training video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR2JNspMXkk
• Extension bulletin: http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2338.pdf
• ASAE paper by Vories et al. (2005)

http://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Place/50701000/cswq-0215-174368.pdf

• Joe Massey, YMD Joint Water Management District, Joe@ymd.org