Managing Crop Irrigation - Crop Quest

Growing Crops with Small Irrigation Wells

Tracy Smith — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 08:15:28 +0000

There is some difference of opinion as to what constitutes small irrigation wells and being a relative term is open for interpretation. However, anytime the capacity of irrigation is unable to match the crop’s evapotranspiration rate, challenges of a small well are apparent. Some strategies for maximizing water use and reducing risk with small wells [...]

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Monitoring Water Use Through Water Meter Log

Tracy Smith — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 08:00:23 +0000

It appears that we are heading into a drier than normal spring across the High Plains, and the long-term weather forecast is for normal to below normal precipitation this summer. So, what else is new! Many irrigators are already utilizing a portion of their water allotment to fill the moisture profile prior to planting, and [...]

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Are You Managing Water Efficiently?

Tracy Smith — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 08:00:41 +0000

Being from Missouri, interning with Crop Quest in Southwest Kansas was a huge change and learning experience for me, as the agriculture industry is completely different here from what I am used to! There was one thing I was all too familiar with though; water management. During my time with the Precision Ag Team, I [...]

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Recent Rains Bring Hope for Summer Crops

Tracy Smith — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 08:15:01 +0000

The High Plains have experienced an extended drought for the past number of years. Lower than average precipitation has plagued some areas for over a decade. Years like 2011 and 2012 rivaled some of the dry, hot years of the 1930’s and 1950’s. Recently, the weather pattern has been a little more tolerable, and soaking [...]

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Water Issues In The Southwest

Tracy Smith — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 08:00:08 +0000

We’ve probably all seen the drought maps that the National Weather Service reports, and how the Midwest and Southwest have been in extreme or severe drought situations for the last two to three summers. The rains in August and the monsoon season in the Southwest have helped a lot, but the situation hasn’t been remedied [...]

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Farm Satellite Imagery: Revealing Nozzle Problems

Tracy Smith — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 08:00:41 +0000

Ever heard the phrase “too little, too late”? Working in agriculture today, producers can’t afford for anything to be too little, or too late. There are too many variables leading up to harvest affecting your yields. Luckily, farm satellite imagery can identify nozzle issues and alleviate some of the unknowns. A problem that we are [...]

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Know Your Water Holding Capacity

Tracy Smith — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 08:00:05 +0000

Soils vary in many different ways. They differ in texture, infiltration rates, tilth, permeability, depth, organic matter content, and water holding capacity - to name a few. Soils are made up of three main components: sand, silt and clay. The proportion of each component determines the soil texture. Each soil texture has its own Water [...]

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