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from the issue of June 9, 2005
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Computer tool helps under limited irrigation
A new University of Nebraska computer program will help farmers make better-informed cropping decisions under limited water supplies.
The Water Optimizer, a decision support tool for producers with limited water, was developed by an Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources team.
"The computer tool will help farmers decide if they should grow different crops, irrigate fewer acres or apply less water to existing crops," said Ray Supalla, agricultural economist.
The tool was developed in response to several years of drought across the state and to assist farmers facing water restrictions in the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and Republican River Basin.
Republican River Basin water restrictions stem from the 2002 settlement involving Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado over the 1943 Republican River Compact. This settlement found groundwater pumping was covered by the compact, which will limit future groundwater irrigation development in the basin.
"It's really an aid that will help the irrigators make decisions on how to use the limited water supplies they will have," said DeLynn Hay, Nebraska Cooperative Extension program leader.
The Upper Republican Natural Resources District has had specific water allocations for a number of years, but this is the first time that they will be applied in a broader area that also includes Middle and Lower Republican NRDs.
"This tool will help these farmers make cropping decisions that will use the limited water supply in a way to maximize profits for the given situation," Hay said.
The tool evaluates single fields for several crop options. Irrigated crops include corn, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, alfalfa, edible beans and sunflowers. Dryland crops include corn, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, alfalfa and wheat in continuous, summer fallow and eco-fallow rotations.
The tool allows users to input information into a spreadsheet, including soil type and irrigation system options. Irrigation options include center pivot or gravity irrigation systems, well or canal delivery, and systems powered by electricity, diesel or natural gas. After entering this basic information, producers enter their production costs, irrigation costs, crop prices, crop type and available water.
After these parameters have been set, the program calculates what crops will be most profitable with the given costs and available water.
The program also helps a producer decide when it is time to go to dryland.
Other potential uses include comparing management strategies such as profit maximizing deficit irrigation, fixed crop rotations, single-year and multi-year full irrigation strategies, or Environmental Quality Incentives Program or Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program leasing.
The program does not include insurance, farm programs and a whole-farm model.
Derrel Martin, IANR biological systems engineer, also was on the team that developed the program.
The Water Optimizer tool is available at http://real.unl.edu/h20/.
A DVD/CD set is available for $7 by calling (800) 755-7765 or faxing (402) 472-9724. The DVD includes a program tutorial and the CD has the Water Optimizer tool. The tool only is compatible for PC users with Microsoft Office XP or Microsoft Office 2003.
GO TO: ISSUE OF JUNE 9
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