70th SWCS International Annual Conference July 26-29, 2015 Greensboro, NC

1. IRRIGATION SWEET CORN
WITH DRIP IRRIGATION TO
CONSERVE WATER
RESOURCES
GARY L. HAWKINS, PH.D. AND CALVIN PERRY
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA – CROP AND SOIL SCIENCE
28 JULY 2015
2015 SWCS ANNUAL MEETING
GREENSBORO, NC

2. IRRIGATION IN GEORGIA

3. OBJECTIVES
• THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WERE:
• TO COMPARE SWEET CORN PRODUCTION AND GRADE UNDER
FOUR IRRIGATION TREATMENTS
• OVERHEAD – STANDARD CONTROL
• DRIP WITH PLASTIC
• DRIP WITHOUT PLASTIC
• DRIP IN STANDARD ROW SPACING
• MEASURE SOIL MOISTURE AND MONITOR SOIL MOISTURE
MOVEMENT

4. Rep 1 Rep 2 Rep 3 Rep 4
16”
16”
36”
Drip with Plastic
Drip without Plastic
Drip between rows
Treatments

5. 72’ minus
54’
72’ minus
54’
18
’
18
’
Every other day plastic with
tape
Split application plastic
with tape
T2 no plastic but
tape
T3 Bare Ground and
tape
T1 plastic and tape
Hawkins/Perry Sweet Corn 20
Sweet Corn Plots at SIRP
N
Main Office
P-
R1
P-
R3
P-
R2
G-
R1
G-
R3
G-
R2
R1T
2
R3T
1
R1T
3
R1T
1
R2T
1
R2T
3
R2T
2
R4T
2
R4T
3
R4T
1
R3T
2
R3T
3
There are also 4
treatments in the
overhead (OH1, OH2,
OH3, OH4). Each plot is
6 rows from the LEFT

6. Corn seed were planted
directly into the beds

7. Beds without plastic
was planted as beds
with plastic
Overhead irrigated and drip
between rows was planted with
normal planters

8. MONITORING SOIL MOISTURE

9. -2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2Rainfall(inches)
InchesofRainfallorIrigation(Cumulativeinches)
Cumulative Rainfall verses Cumulative Irrigation
Inches of Rain Cum Irrigation Cum rain
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0 20 40 60 80 100
Inchesofwaterper
day
Days After Planting (DAP)

10. 0.000
0.050
0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350VolumetricSoilMoisture(m^3/m^3)
Overhead Irrigation - Check
4 inch
16 inch

11. 0.000
0.050
0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350
VolumetricSoilmoisture(m^3/m^3)
Drip without Plastic
4 inch T2 16 inch T2

12. 0.000
0.050
0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350
VolumetricSoilMoisture(m^3/m^3)
Overhead vs. Drip w/ Plastic vs. Drip w/o Plastic
4 inch T2 16 inch T2 24 inch T2 4 inch T1 16 inch T1
24 inch T1 4 inch Overhead 16 inch Overhead 24 inch Overhead

13. Overhead - Check
Standard with DripDrip without Plastic
Drip with PlasticJ
u
n
e
6
2
0
1
3
-
6
5

14. Plastic with Drip

15. 5.00
5.50
6.00
6.50
7.00
7.50
8.00
Overhead
(Control)
Plastic No-Plastic Bare Grd. Tifton Green Purple
LengthandGirth(inches) Comparison of all Treatments -- 2013 Sweet Corn
Average (Length) Average (Girth)
A
AA
C
BB
BC
D
B
C
D
C
AA

16. 14.0
14.5
15.0
15.5
16.0
16.5
17.0
Overhead
(Control)
Plastic No-Plastic Bare Grd. Tifton Green Purple
Brix of Sweet Corn at SIRP 2013

17. 86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
Overhead
(Control)
Plastic No-Plastic Bare Grd. Tifton Green Purple
Grade(%) Grade of Sweet Corn -- 2013

18. CONCLUSIONS
• WE STARTED THIS PROJECT TO DETERMINE IF USING
PLASTIC WITH DRIP TO GROW SWEET CORN WAS A METHOD
TO CONSERVE WATER RESOURCES IN AN AREA THAT WAS
FACING WATER ISSUES IN GEORGIA
• DRIP WAS USED AS A METHOD THAT WOULD BE USED IN
VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
• OVER THE GROWING SEASON WE HAD AN ALMOST EQUAL
AMOUNT OF RAINFALL AS IS REQUIRED BY THE WATER USE
CURVE
• EVEN THOUGH WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH WATER ON
THE CROP, THERE WERE SOME SLIGHT DIFFERENCES THAT
COULD BE SEEN
• THE TEST IS PLANNED TO BE RERUN IN 2014

19. Thanks for Your Time.
Questions?
Gary L. Hawkins
UGA – Crop and Soil Science
Watkinsville, GA
ghawkins@uga.edu
706-310-3526