A Simple Alternative to Drip Irrigation

   Summer's back in town and it's getting warm. That means it is time for the first irrigation on the cotton. Many of you are concerned about water this year and we appreciate that. We are always concerned about water. I can't remember the last time we had any 'extra' water.
 
   One of the things we have done is develop a method of irrigating the cotton that is nearly as efficient as drip without the capital costs of installing a drip system. In the picture below you will see we are watering every other row.

   If you look closely you will see the center row is bone dry. This accomplishes to things. First, weeds can't grow without water. So, we use less herbicides, hand labor or tractor work to control weeds. More importantly, we save water. By this point of the season these young cotton plants have only used three to four inches of water. By going skip row this irrigation we only apply four inches of water per acre, matching want the plants have used. It is very hard to do better than that with a drip system.

   One reason I am bringing this up is that our irrigation district is proposing banning furrow irrigation at the end of next season. I am all for water conservation, but I do not understand this. I am already paying for an irrigation district and I will not get one drop of water from them this year. Now they want me to install a $1200 per acre drip system even when they cannot guaranty they can deliver water in future years. Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? I can cut back wasting water, but I can't go much further than replacing the water the plants are actually using.

   Of course we all want to save water, especially at times like these. I especially appreciate the non-farmers who are cutting back watering their yards and even saving buckets of water from your showers.
You guys are awesome.
   I have said it before, and I will say it again: there are wet years and there are dry years in California. We are foolish because we do not save water from the wet years for the dry years.

My favorite Clint Eastwood movie is 'Heartbreak Ridge.' We will continue to 'Adapt, Innovate and Overcome' on the farm.

Don't forget, there is a more affordable version of my new book, "This Week on the Farm" available on Amazon. I am working to get it in to local bookstores.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Week-Farm--Second-Edition/dp/0692232281/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402197390&sr=8-1&keywords=this+week+betancourt+books

I hope you all have a great week.

P