ArkValley Irrigation Grant Prog Report

• Project Type: Ag/Muni Grant
• Applicant: Colorado State University Cooperative Extensions
• Project Name: Improvement of Irrigation Technology in Arkansas River Valley
• Title: Progress Report
• Date: 3/1/1998
• County: Larimer
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Interim Report

,

ag~"~n Spring Planter
D@O[][f[]J([)U

March 6,

1998

Effective water usage key
to irrigation;workshop
participants receive tips

By Sue Keder
LA JUNTA - Jim Valiant l1l:lV
ha....e stat~d the theme of th~'
rrrig~ltjon ~bn3gemcO( Worksh0p
held here Feb. 26 \vhen he s.:\id. "We
nel-'lI [0 effectively U:iC Ollf water.
Ova-irrig;ttion doesn't effectively
u~e it."
\'~di:\llt i'i the rt"~inllal irrigation
spe..:i.tlis[ and resear..:h scientist at
thl..' Colorado St~lte University
CO".lp~r~ttive b:.tl..'ltsillll Fidd Oftice.
The worbhop W;IS Spoll.~oreJ hy
CS U extcl1.'iion ;lnd the Natural
Rr.::murcL's COl1servatiull Service.
~likc Bartoll), r('~i()n;\l ....cgetabh.:
crop..; speciali'it at the t\rkansas
V~t1k)' KL''iear..:h Cellter. talked about
using drip irrigation and
pla,;ticulturL' in growing vcgctabks.
Drip irrigation i..; tlit: foundation of
lilt: pb..;ticlllltlln: system, he said. It
ClJni~r"t.::\ \I,'~tl(:r. maintains uniform
1ll0i"tU(l' and rrl'\Tnts erosion.
ClIllsich.":rations III using drip
irrigation are soil type, w~tcr quality,
\Vatcr availability and cultural
practices.
Plastic mulches cOlTIe in different
colors, different kinds of
dcgradability and different textures.
Bartolo said the main thing to
remember when using plastic
mulches is to make sure they are
snugged dov....n tightly, firmly against
the soil.
Bartolo has done many
ex.pcriments with the Arkansas
Valley's major vegetable crop,
onions. He has found that drip
irrigation helps maintain uniform
moisture and oood fertilizer in the
root zone, helps manage the
rno':CfTlcnt of salts and cuts down on
b<:tcterial disease, which is rampant
using furrow irrigation.

Pla~tindturc h;J.s also hdped
('antelopes be ready earlier. Bartolo
s.1iJ he: has had the best success with
clear mulch. which stimulates
t:arlines<.; and ern aid cantelope in
maturing Jpproxim.:uely three weeks
before they would on bare ground.
The quality of the fruit is nlso
incrcast:d because it i~n't sitting on
lhl..' hare ground. In addition, clear
row e(l\'l'I"S stimulate growth and
dc\ elopment and provide frost
rrok'nion. Clear row covers call add
7 to 10 Jays extra increase in
l':lrlincs<;. Ck.:tr
plastic is i.\
goo d
environment
for weeds, S9
herbicide must
be used,
Bartolo said.
\\'..lll'rmt:lon
is aLso \"Cry
rl..'sponsin: to

r1asticulturc
and drip
i r I' i f!;\ t ion.
U.'lflg both
increases
earliness and
quality and
incrl..'a:-;cs yidd
almost
t!(l\lhk'. he
said. TLlrl\~ltl}l'S i'\likc Bartolo
can be
prn~lll(l"..l 7 LIJ I 0 d~l:,:. 1..'~lrliL'r. The
rll~\jor l'hangl' with tomatoes is
increase in quality. Bartolo said
l1lui.\turl..' is sleadia using drip
irri~:l!inn/p1aqicLlJ.tllrc and so
tornatlh::-; ck'I1't crack <},:; much.
Peppers arc .11.\0 rc.~ponsive to the
rractie~s. ~\." j, sweet corn.

f-1(i\;::-e\'I..'-r~-hc cautian~d th.1t
producers consider the mJIket for
the different produce. Produce that is
consumed imm~diately m:lY be
better far earli nc.,s than something
like peppers. Since most people
freeze peppers, they prob3bly won't
P3Y more for them in July when they
know they can get them in August,
he said:
A soil scientist at the USDA.ARS
Northwest Irrig3tion and Soils
Research Laboratory in Kimberly,
Id::t.ho, .1150 spoke at the workshop.
Producers can lose up to 50 tons of
soil per acre per year from surface
irrigation in field:;, S:lid Rick Lentz.
The soil, \vith the nutrients added to
it, goes into rivers and causes
dannge to riparian and aquatic
systems.
Lentz has done considerable
research using the polyacrylamide
PA!v1, which adheres 10 the surface
soil. It helps stabilize soil clods; is a
pO\verful flucuating agent, formUlg
larger soil p.1nicJcs which settle out
of the flow; and reduces the friction
of the W.1tcr now over the soil. In
one study, Lentz said, the use of
PAM reduced s.oil loss about 95
percent, increased filtration 15
percent, incre.1scd later~lI wetting 25
percent ~md decreased nutrient losses
75 percent.
Lentz gave the following tips for
selecting .1 polyacrylamide: m.1ke
sure the formula cOIl(~ins 90 pl.:rccl1t
of the active ingredient. it should
have a high ~lOlecul~r weight
(greater IhJn J~ lng/molecule): it
should have a ncgJtivc (anionic)
charge; jt should h.1ve :.I IOhlQ
percent negative char~e. with higher
being bett;r; and sho~ld cOl1tai~ no
more than .05 percent aCT)'lamide
monomer. Lentz suggestt:u using a
food grade PA~1. which is
biodegradable in water and soil and
won'l accumubte in plant lIl.1tcrial.