Comparison of Site-Specific and Conventional Uniform Irrigation Management for Potatoes

In the past decade, researchers, agriculturalists, and the irrigation industry as a means ofincreasing water and nitrogen use efficiency have discussed the concept of site-specific irrigation management.Research efforts to date have largely been directed toward development of hardware and software forimplementing site-specific irrigation using continuous-move irrigation systems. Field studies to demonstrateand document an economic benefit to site-specific irrigation management are needed to encouragecommercialization and producer adoption of the technology. A 2.9 ha field of potatoes was divided intoeighteen arbitrary irrigation management zones. One-half of the management zones received site-specificirrigation management and the remainder received equal irrigation based on the average irrigation requirement for the nine zones. The mean seasonal irrigation amounts applied to the irrigation treatments were equivalent.Both total and marketable yields were significantly greater (p=0.10) under the site-specific irrigationmanagement treatment. Based on a tuber quality adjusted price structure for processing potatoes, grossreceipts were $165/ha ($67/ac) greater under site-specific irrigation management compared to conventionaluniform irrigation management for the field site.