As crop production plans are adapting to the declining water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer, cotton is playing an increasingly important role in water conservation.
While relatively new to the northern Texas Panhandle, cotton has a role in the region’s water conservation plan, as many farmers are proactively adopting drought-tolerant crops to extend the life of their water supply, said Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist, Amarillo.
Cotton complements the existing irrigated corn production and can prolong the ability to maintain regional irrigation, Bell said.
In this region, cotton requires 12-24 inches of water per acre compared to the 24-30 inches per acre for corn, she said. But it is more than just the total seasonal water use that is playing a role in the viability of cotton, Bell said. It is the periods of water use.
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