When is it time to stop irrigating grain?
Post date: Jul 11, 2012 8:50:18 PM
Driving around the system I have noticed many winter wheat fields that are being irrigated long after the crop stops utilizing that water. While there will be sufficient storage water to finish this season, it is very likely that all of the reservoirs will be depleted at the end of this season, so it is beneficial for us to save as much storage water this season as possible so it remains as carry-over storage for use next year.
A simple 'rule of thumb' for determining if your wheat crop no longer needs water is to examine the first node. If the node is closed, no water is being transpired by the plant. A much more detailed report, authored by Howard Neibling, is available here: