Sprinklers, Crop Water Use, and Irrigation Time: Cache County

Sprinkler irrigation has been an important part of Utahs agricultural production since the early 1950s. About 40 % of Utahs 1.3 million irrigated acres are watered with sprinklers, including hand move, wheel move, center pivot and other types. Sprinkler irrigation is even more important in Iron County, accounting for 80 percent of all irrigated acreage. Sprinklers can be a good investment when properly designed, installed, maintained and managed. For every acre-foot of water supplied to an efficient sprinkler system a farmer can expect to harvest about 1 3/4 tons of alfalfa and 46 bushels of wheat. In contrast, the expected harvest with a typical surface irrigation system (flood or furrow) is less than 1 1/4 tons of alfalfa or about 30 bushels of wheat for each acre-foot of water applied. Sprinklers apply water more efficiently and uniformly than typical surface irrigation systems, thus they produce more yield for each acre-foot of water. Not all water applied by an irrigation system is used by the crop. Some water is lost to deep percolation, evaporation, or runoff. Application efficiency (Ea) is a term that tells how much of the water applied by the system is actually stored in the root zone for crop use. In Utah a typical sprinkler system has an Ea of 70 % which means that 70 % of the water applied by the sprinkler heads is actually stored in the soil for crop use. The actual Ea depends upon how evenl

4-H Dairy Youth Opportunities in Utah

This publication discusses the different opportunities available to youth in Utah to become involved with Dairy 4-H

Utilizing Growing Degree Days for Corn Production

This fact sheet explains the concepts and formulas in determining growing degree days

Weaning Strategies in Beef Cattle to Reduce Stress

This fact sheet considers weaning strategies for beef cattle, including the advantages and disadvantages of fenceline weaning, and twostep weaning

2019 Costs and Returns for Irrigated Safflower, Northern Utah

This fact sheet is intended to be a guide used to estimate income and expenses, list inputs and production practices and provide a framework for the farm plan for irrigated safflower in northern Utah

2015 Costs and Returns for Non-Irrigated Safflower, Northern Utah

This fact sheet contains a budget table with sample costs and returns to establish and produce non-irrigated safflower in Northern Utah. It is intended to be a guide used to estimate income and expenses, list inputs and production practices, and provide a framework for the whole farm plan

Utah Farmland Assessment Act

This publication is a description of how productive farmland is assessed for property tax

Herbicide Strategies to Maximize Yield in Glyphosate-Resistant Corn

Water, nutrients, space, and sunlight are critical resources for the growth and development of all crops. Over the years, recommendations for inputs such as fertilizer, irrigation, and seeding rate have been fine-tuned to maximize yields while minimizing cost. Weeds compete with crops for this limited pool of resources. As resource availability shrinks, crop yields almost immediately begin to declin

Goatsrue (Galega officinalis) Identification and Management in Pastures and Croplands

Goatsrue is an aggressive invasive plant and a declared Utah state noxious weed (Category 1B). It was introduced into the Cache Valley in 1891 and spread through the irrigation canals, streams, and rivers of the Bear River drainage. Cache County has one of the largest goatsrue infestations in the nation. Luckily, only small infestations are found in neighboring counties (Box Elder, Rich, Weber, and Davis). Goatsrue’s rapid growth, prolific seed production, and ability to spread quickly through waterways make it a problem and concern for many residents of Cache County. Properly identifying and managing goatsrue can help reduce the size of large infestations, eliminate small infestations, and limit its spread

The Fundamentals of Nutrient Management

This publication gives best management practices of nutrient management in livestock and dairy facilities