Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID KS-2024 - Simon

Optimizing variety maturity and deficit-irrigation strategy for thermally-limited cotton production in Kansas

Institute: Kansas
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $23,417 Total Non-Federal Funds: $23,417

Principal Investigators: Logan Simon

Project Summary: Because of declining water supplies for irrigation in southwest Kansas and the High Plains, many producers are reassessing their crop selection for heir irrigated acreage. Cotton may be a good drought tolerant alternative crop for the region. However, improved recommendations are needs for pairing variety maturity class to deficit irrigation strategy. Because early varieties are more determinant in their growth habit, they may not be as tolerant of delayed irrigation as more indeterminant early-medium varieties. This study will be initiated at the Kansas State University Southwest Research-Extension Center near Garden City, KS to investigate the response of early and early-medium cotton varieties to deficit irrigation strategies. The objective is to determine the effect of variety maturity selection and deficit irrigation strategy on seed and lint yield, lint quality, and yield formation factors on the northern edge of the Cotton Belt.