Alternate-furrow irrigation for San Joaquin Valley Cotton

Studies to evaluate the practice of irrigating alternate furrows in cotton were conducted for two years on a sandy laom soil at the U. S. Cotton Research Station, Shafter. With an alternate-furrow irrigation system, soil moisture used by the plant before irrigating is replenished on only one side of the row at the time of irrigation. This system provides a more sensitive means of regulating plant water stress, which can be of help in controlling the vegetative growth rate of the plant. However, since the entire soil zone is not all used for water storage, care must be exercised to avoid excessive water stress. Total lint yields for alternate-furrow test plots were as good or better than yields for regular furrow irrigation, and with considerable less water used.