1. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION LATERAL SPACING AND INSTALLATION DEPTH FOR COTTON
- Author
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Paul D. Colaizzi, W. L. Multer, and Juan Enciso
- Subjects
Hydrology ,Land lease ,Lint ,Loam ,Yield (finance) ,Environmental science ,Economic analysis ,Depreciation (economics) ,Drip irrigation ,Soil surface ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) - Abstract
Cotton lint yield, seed mass, fiber quality parameters, gross return, and net return were compared for subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) lateral spacing and installation depth in a clay loam soil in western Texas for three seasons. Drip laterals were spaced either in alternate furrows (2 m) or beneath every planted bed (1 m), and installation depths were either 0.2 or 0.3 m beneath the soil surface. Net return was gross return minus fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs included the annual payment for financing the initial investment of SDI materials and installation (5.00% interest over 10 years), the annual land lease, and the annual depreciation of the SDI system. Variable costs were those associated with cotton production and were similar for the two drip lateral spacings. Lint yield, seed mass, and gross and net returns were significantly greater for the 1 m lateral spacing in the first two seasons, but these parameters were significantly greater for the 2 m lateral spacing in the third season. These parameters were consistently greater (either numerically or significantly) for the 0.3 m lateral depth in all seasons. Most fiber quality parameters were not significantly different, and no consistent trends were observed. Lint yields ranged from 640 to 1,635 kg ha-1, and net returns ranged from -$395 to $1,005 ha-1. The low lint yield and resulting net loss were due to a germination failure in the second season for the alternate furrow spaced laterals. Additional seasons of study are required before conclusions might be drawn concerning the most economic lateral spacing for cotton production in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, but the 0.3 m lateral depth resulted in greater net returns than the 0.2 m lateral depth.
- Published
- 2005