This is the 23nd year the University of Missouri has collected data from Missouri farmers on irrigation performance. The data presented here are the average values for 40 irrigation systems which responded to our December 2000 survey. Individual farms may report more than 1 system. Irrigation systems located in the bootheel region of southeast Missouri are not included in this report.
The number of surveys returned was the same as last year but the types of systems changed considerably indicating that we have a different set of respondents. About 15% of the respondents indicated that they did not irrigate this year due to adequate rainfall. Survey respondents included 31 irrigation systems irrigating corn and 24 systems irrigating single-crop soybeans in Missouri in 2000.
Respondents reported that corn yields from land irrigated with an average of 2.9 inches of water exceeded dryland corn yields by only 10 bushels. Irrigated single-crop soybean yields exceeded dryland yields by 2.6 bushels, with 3.9 inches of water being applied.
Eighty seven percent of the systems were center pivots; 8% were traveling guns; 5% were furrow poly pipe. Pumping power was predominately diesel with a much smaller percentage using electricity and propane. Ninety one percent of the respondents reported that their irrigation water supply was adequate. Seventy percent of those that used reservoirs reported that their reservoirs were full in June.
Other government payments are not included. Though the year started with drought conditions, during the growing season timely rains came so that irrigation yields were not much greater than dryland yields. This year the net return to land and management for corn was $39.17/acre; single crop soybeans resulted in $37.53/acre. Without government program payments returns to land and management are unprofitable for the amount of investment in crop production. The income change due to irrigation was negative for both corn and soybeans. The additional yield attributed to irrigation was not enough to pay for the additional variable costs of irrigation.
2000 Irrigation Survey Crop Details | ||
| Number reporting | 31 | 24 |
| Average acres irrigated | 161 | 134 |
| Irrigated yield/acre (bushels) | 170 | 47.5 |
| Dryland yield/acre (bushels) | 160 | 44.9 |
| Increase (bushels/acre) | 10 | 2.6 |
| Inches/application | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Times irrigated | 2.5 | 3.6 |
| Total inches applied | 2.9 | 3.9 |
| Types of Systems | |
| Center Pivot fixed | 79% |
| Traveling gun | 8% |
| Center Pivot towable | 8% |
| Furrow poly pipe | 5% |
| Types of Water Supplies | |
| Reservoir | 61% |
| Well | 27% |
| Combination, reservoir/stream/well | 12% |
| Types of Pumping Power | |
| Electricity | 19% |
| Diesel | 73% |
| Diesel/Electric combination | 4% |
| Propane | 4% |
| 2000 Average Fuel Cost per Acre Inch: | |
| Electricity (5 systems) | $2.99 |
| Diesel (19 systems) | $1.97 |
| Propane (1 system) | $4.6 |
| Average (25 systems) | $2.28 |
| 2000 Repair Costs: | |
| Average per farm (32 farms) | $785.00 |
| Average per acre (131 acres/farm) | $5.61 |
| Water Supply Adequate? | 91% yes |
| Reservoir full in June? | 70% yes |
| 1991-2000 Survey Corn Yields, average: | |
| Irrigated | 151.6 bushels/acre |
| Dryland | 115.9 |
| Difference | 35.7 |
| 2000 Average Corn Planting Rate: | |
| Irrigated | 27731 stalks/acre |
| Dryland | 24614 stalks/acre |
| 1991-2000 Survey Soybean Yields, average: | |
| Irrigated | 49.6 bushels/acre |
| Dryland | 39.8 |
| Difference | 9.8 |