Water and salt management are critical to agricultural sustainability in the Lower Colorado River Basin. Crop production in the area utilizes various irrigation application methods over the cropping system. The Quantitative Assessments of Water and Salt Balance for Cropping Systems in Lower Colorado River Irrigation Districts project, coordinated by The Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA), aims to answer questions that arose after the release of a 2015 report addressing agriculture and water use in the Yuma area. (https://desertagsolutions.org/sites/desertagsolutions.org/files/attachm…) Over the past 5 years, researchers have collected a unique database of updated crop water use and soil salinity impacts and are developing a mobile irrigation and salinity management App which will enable growers in the region to fine-tune irrigation timing and quantity to provide for actual crop water needs while managing salinity levels for productivity and long-term sustainability. Researchers and members of the project team presented “Water and Salt Management in the Low Desert Crop Production System” at the 2021 Southwest Ag Summit to discuss current findings, share the progress of the ongoing project, and allow attendees to provide feedback on development of the mobile App.
Timestamps for the presentation are as follows:
00:00 - Project Overview by Paul Brierley
11:12 - Crop Water Use and Management in the Yuma Irrigation Districts by Dr. Andy French
34:42 - Satellite Imagery for Irrigation Management by Dr. Andy French
43:22 – Conclusion and Q&A with Dr. French
49:18 - Salt Risks Ultimately Become the Limit to Improved Irrigation Efficiency in Aridland Vegetable Cropping Systems by Dr. Charles A. Sanchez
1:08:03 – Conclusion and Q&A with Dr. Sanchez
1:14:33 – DesertAgWISE (Water Irrigation Salinity Environment) Mobile App update by Toby Torrey
1:31:09 – App Conclusion and Q&A with Toby Torrey