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<br />~Recommendations: These recommendations are based on the results <br />r\)obtained from eleven years of monitoring studies conducted in the Grand <br />~Valley. These recommendations are presented as a management tool to <br />a) accomplish some of the salinity control objectives. <br /> <br />* Producers need to be assisted in the proper management and <br />operation of improved irrigation system immediately after the <br />system is installed. <br /> <br />* Proper management of individual irrigation events requires a <br />knowledge and implementation of improved water management <br />techniques. This can be accomplished best when NRCS field office <br />personnel can regularly work with individual irrigators on a one to <br />one basis during the irrigation season so that producers will apply <br />water based on crop needs. The NRCS needs to target those farmers <br />who manage a large number of acres with limited man-power, and <br />part-time and week-end farmers. <br /> <br />* Salt load reduction through IWM can be achieved through intensive <br />technical assistance and education programs on IWM techniques and <br />crop economics tied to water application. Demonstration projects on <br />irrigation SCheduling would be very effective. <br /> <br />* The NRCS will need to follow-up on IWM design information provided <br />to farmers. NRCS also needs to determine if recommended furrow <br />stream size, time of set, etc. for the new irrigation systems are <br />appropriate and are being applied. <br /> <br />* It is necessary to obtain fast, accurate, reliable estimates of <br />actual field moisture conditions. Field moisture data needs to be <br />compared to computer generated ET values for adjustment of <br />calculated soil moisture balance. <br /> <br />* Currently, the most variable information on irrigation system <br />design, IWM planning, and scheduling is the soil intake rate. <br />'Intake rates being used for planning seems to be low for some <br />soils. This could lead to designing irrigation systems that do not <br />reflect actual field conditions. It also may lead to <br />underestimating deep percolation and/or problems with required <br />application rate. Intake rate information needs to be updated. <br /> <br />* Monitoring data from 1985 through 1994 needs to be entered into a <br />computer database so that information on average soil intake rate <br />for different soils can be generated. Information on the effect of <br />crop rotation on soil intake rate could also be obtained. Future <br />monitoring studies on soil infiltration and wetted perimeter would <br />also be helpful. <br /> <br />* An alternative cultural, management, or agronomic practice is <br />needed to replace the traditional "blacking over" practice, for the <br />establishment of small grain and first year alfalfa. An <br />alternative method would help reduce deep percolation during the <br />first irrigation. This practice, when developed, needs to be <br />demonstrated and publicized. <br /> <br />21 <br />