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County Impact Statements - White County
Rice Growers Using Polypipe to Reduce Irrigation Water Use Also Make
Irrigation Management Easier
Irrigation water quantity and quality is limited in a large area of White
County. This sometimes makes it difficult for producers to adequately irrigate
rice, corn and soybean crops. Using polypipe and the Multiple Inlet Rice
Irrigation (MIRI) system has been shown to reduce the amount of water needed for
irrigation by as much as 25 per cent. If properly managed, MIRI will also allow
the producer to retain a higher percentage of rain water in the rice field
during the growing season. This in turn results in less ground water being used.
Growers can also irrigate other crops more timely and have less expense.
Three demonstrations were established in White County to teach growers how to
properly install the MIRI system and evaluate how the system worked on their
farms. Farmers involved with this project were Keith Feather, John Hamilton, and
David and J. P. Freppon.
After using MIRI, all the involved farmers felt they had reduced their water
use. David Freppon commented he used only one well to irrigate his field with
the MIRI system. In past years he has used two wells for the same field and
often had problems keeping enough water on the field. Keith Feather stated there
was no doubt the MIRI system used less water than a conventional irrigation
system. John Hamilton liked the ease of water management and also felt there was
a reduction in water use. All three growers plan to use more MIRI systems next
year. Neighboring farmers are also expressing interest in using the system in
future years.
Keith Feather installs polypipe to irrigate his rice using the
Multiple Inlet Rice Irrigation Technique
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Impacts
- Over 20,000 acres of rice are grown in White County each year.
- Use of MIRI can reduce irrigation water use in rice by as much as 25 %.
- MIRI increases uniformity of irrigation and leads to better nitrogen
fertilizer utilization.
- All growers involved in the demonstrations reported water use reductions
and increase ease of water management.
- All growers involved in the project plan to increase their use of MIRI in
future years.
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