1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey

Prepared by Joe Henggeler, Extension Agricultural Engineer
Commercial Agricultural Program

Average irrigated acreage of those surveyed in 1999: 808 acres Average acreage planned for irrigation in 2000: 879 acres 

I. Systems Used (by acreage used on)
   Furrow, rigid pipe        27%
   Furrow, poly-pipe         23%
   Center pivot, fixed       31%
   Center pivot, towable     19%

II. Costs
    1) Fuel:
             LP Gas                    $11.52/acre
             Diesel                    $13.39/acre
             Electric                  $11.86/acre

    2) Maintenance and Repairs:
       A) Wells   $115.16/well         $ 1.29/acre
       B) Pumps   $141.43/pump         $ 1.59/acre
            note: 89.2 acres/well site
                  9.1 wells/farmer
       C) System (average all types)   $ 3.39/acre

       TOTAL                           $ 6.27/acre

III. Crop Consulting
     Percentage of respondants who:
        Use consultants            31%
        Do not use consultants     69%

How much they would pay (for those who would consider using a
consultant) for irrigation scheduling:  $2.25/acre

IV. Irrigation Water Use Information
    Where would you like to go to get water use information?  Please rate the 
    following options in this fashion:
    
    0 = not a viable method for me
    1 = it may have some merit for me
    3 = fair method
    4 = sounds like a good method
    5 = very good method; get with it & get it going!
    
    Results:
    My local newspaper                1.36
    Local radio station               1.60
    Local TV station                  1.29
    Internet, I call up when needed   2.40
    Internet, e-mail me weekly        2.40
    FAX me once a week                1.87
    
V. Crop Cultural Practices
   Deep-ripped:     45% (88%, 39% & 0% for sand, silt, & clay, respectively)
   Limed:           50% (48%, 55% & 33% for sand, silt, & clay, respectively)
   Laser-leveled    55% (37%, 60% & 71% for sand, silt, & clay, respectively)

Table 1.-- The Effect of Ripping, Liming, and Lasering on Irrigated Crop Yield in Southeast Missouri, 1999
  Ripped Not Ripped Limed Not Limed Lasered Not Lasered
CORN 164.4

n = 13

 166.9

n = 7

176.0

n = 7

159.5

n = 13

 168.5

n = 6

163.9

n = 14
FULL-SEASON SOYBEANS 46.5

n = 4

49.9

n = 14

 52.3

n = 4

48.2

n = 14

 49.9

n = 11

 47.9

n = 7

DOUBLE-CROP SOYBEANS 41.2

n = 10

 46.0

n = 5

44.6

n = 8

40.7

n = 7

46.9

n = 7

39.3

n = 8 

Difference of Irrigated over Non-Irrigated, 1999:
Corn                   43 bu
Soybeans               29 bu
Double-crop Soybeans   26 bu
Cotton                 316 lbs
Milo                   24 bu

Table 2.-- 1999 Bootheel Irrigation Results
  CORN COTTON SC SOY DC SOY MILO
Number Reported 20 4 18 15 --
Acres Reported 2688 276 1992 1990 --
# of Irrigations, furrow 5.7 6.0 6.1 7.3 --
# of Irrigations, pivot 7.5 4.0 11.6 10.0 --
Irrigated Yield 163 bu 787 lbs 49 bu 43 bu --
Dryland Yield 121 bu 471 lbs 21 bu 17 bu --
Increase over Dryland 43 bu 316 lbs 29 bu 26 bu --

Table 3.-- 1987-1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Yields for Irrigated vs Dryland Crops and their Breakeven Costs
Year Irrig. Corn



(bu)		 Non-Irrig. Corn


(bu)		 Irrig. Soybeans

(bu)		 Non-Irrig. Soybeans

(bu)		 Irrig. DC Soybeans

(bu)		 Non-Irrig. DC Soybeans

(bu)		 Irrig. Cotton


(lbs)		 Non-Irrig. Cotton


(lbs)		 Irrig. Milo



(bu)		 Non-Irrig. Milo


(bu)
1987 149 121 44 32 33 19 -- -- 110 101
1988 148 88 39 32 36 27 877 718 108 91
1989 152 117 37 27 29 23 807 605 92 77
1990 146 86 44 29 38 31 768 528 82 32
1991 143 84 42 29 43 30 917 678 105 69
1992 189 135 48 37 44 32 1029 990 121 108
1993 137 95 44 31 41 30 722 546 113 75
1994 162 123 47 38 43 37 933 779 101 93
1995 156 124 43 29 42 31 637 422 90 66
1996 170 124 43 32 42 25 905 719 98 63
1997 155 103 41 28 42 31 865 723 110 70
1998 140 95 37 22 40 27 692 542 82 --
1999 163
($ 2.36)*		 121
($ 2.43)*		 49
($ 5.59)*		 21
($10.15)*		 43
($ 5.19)*		 17
($ 9.63)*		 787
($ 0.62)*		 471
($ 0.88)*		 --
----		 --
----
Avg 155 109 43 30 40 28 828 642 101 77
* Break-even price; after D. Reinbott. 2000. Crop Budgets: Southeast Missouri. Un-numbered report. University of Missouri Outreach & Extension Service. Scott County.

Table 4.-- Yield Increase of Full-Season Soybeans to Irrigation
1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Soil Type Fixed Pivot Towable Pivot Rigid Pipe Poly-pipe Average
Sand 25.0

n = 2

 --- --- 34.0

n = 1

 28.00

n = 3
Silt 24.5

n = 2

 27.0

n = 1

 25.5

n = 2

 38.5

n = 4

 31.22

n = 9
Clay/Gumbo --- --- 32.0

n = 2

 14.0

n = 2

 23.00

n = 4
Average 24.75

n = 4

 27.00

n = 1

 28.75

n = 4

 30.86

n = 7

 28.56

n =16

Table 5.-- Irrigated Full-Season Soybeans Yield
1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Showing # of Irrigations & Average Depth Applied
Soil Type Fixed Pivot Towable Pivot Rigid Pipe Poly-pipe Average
Sand 40.0
(10.0@0.9")
n = 2		 --- --- 52.0
(2.0@7.0")
n = 1		 44.00

n = 3
Silt 40.5
(13.0@1.0")
n = 2		 35.0
(12.0@0.7")
n = 1		 51.0
(4.0@6.0")
n = 2		 60.0
(10.8@2.0")
n = 4		 50.89

n = 9
Clay/Gumbo --- --- 46.0
(4.5@3.0")
n = 2		 50.5
(4.3@3.7")
n = 4		 49.00

n = 6
Average 40.25

n = 4

 35.00

n = 1

 48.50

n = 4

 54.89

n = 9

 49.11

n =18
furrow users with surge = 53.3 bu/ac (n=3)
furrow users without surge = 52.9 bu/ac (n=10)

Table 6.-- Yield Increase of Double-Crop Soybeans to Irrigation
1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Soil Type Fixed Pivot Towable Pivot Rigid Pipe Poly-pipe Average
Sand 20.0

n = 2

 --- --- 27.5

n = 2

 23.75

n = 4
Silt 21.5

n = 2

 27.0

n = 3

 --- 28.7

n = 3

 26.25

n = 8
Clay/Gumbo 29.0

n = 2

 --- --- --- 29.00

n = 2
Average 23.50

n = 6

 27.00

n = 3

 --- 28.20

n = 5

 25.93

n =14

Table 7.-- Irrigated Double-Crop Soybeans Yield
1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Showing # of Irrigations & Average Depth Applied
Soil Type Fixed Pivot Towable Pivot Rigid Pipe Poly-pipe Average
Sand 35.0
(14.5@0.6")
n = 2		 --- --- 47.0
(8.5@1.8")
n = 2		 41.50

n = 4
Silt 41.5
(13.0@0.7")
n = 2		 39.3
(7.3@0.9")
n = 3		 --- 47.8
(3.0@4.0")
n = 2		 43.55

n = 9
Clay/Gumbo 43.0
(6.5@1.0")
n = 2		 --- --- --- 43.00

n = 2
Average 39.83

n = 6

 39.33

n = 3

 --- 47.50

n = 6

 42.80

n =15
furrow users with surge = 47.8 bu/ac (n = 4)
furrow users without surge = 41.0 bu/ac (n = 11)

Table 8.-- Yield Increase of Corn Due to Irrigation
1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Soil Type Fixed Pivot Towable Pivot Rigid Pipe Poly-pipe Average
Sand 45.0

n = 2

 --- --- --- 45.00

n = 2
Silt 45.7

n = 6

 52.5

n = 2

 --- 29.7

n = 3

 42.55

n =11
Clay/Gumbo --- --- 40.0

n = 1

 --- 40.00

n = 1
Average 45.50

n = 8

 52.50

n = 2

 40.00

n = 1

 29.66

n = 3

 42.71

n =14

Table 9.-- Irrigated Corn Yield
1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Showing # of Irrigations & Average Depth Applied
Soil Type Fixed Pivot Towable Pivot Rigid Pipe Poly-pipe Average
Sand 132.0
(8.0@0.8")
n = 2		 --- --- --- 132.00

n = 2
Silt 173.2
(8.5@0.7")
n = 6		 150.0
(9.5@4.1")
n = 2		 200.0
(3.0@?)
n = 1		 170.8
(5.6@1.8")
n = 5		 170.93

n =14
Clay/Gumbo --- --- 120.0
(6.0@?)
n = 1		 --- 120.00

n = 1
Average 162.88

n = 8

 150.00

n = 2

 160.00

n = 2

 170.80

n = 5

 163.36

n =17

Table 10.-- Yield Increase of Cotton Due to Irrigation
1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Soil Type Fixed Pivot Towable Pivot Rigid Pipe Poly-pipe Average
Sand --- --- --- 338.3

n = 3

 338.33

n = 3
Silt --- 250.0

n = 1

 --- --- 250.00

n = 1
Clay/Gumbo --- --- --- --- ---
Average --- 250.00

n = 1

 --- 338.33

n = 3

 316.23

n = 4

Table 11.-- Irrigated Cotton Yield
1999 Bootheel Irrigation Survey
Showing # of Irrigations & Average Depth Applied
Soil Type Fixed Pivot Towable Pivot Rigid Pipe Poly-pipe Average
Sand --- --- --- 833.3
(6.0@2.0")
n = 3		 833.33

n = 3
Silt --- 650.0
(4.0@6.0")
n = 1		 --- --- 650.00

n = 1
Clay/Gumbo --- --- --- --- ---
Average --- 650.00

n = 1

 --- 833.33

n = 3

 787.48

n = 4