Texas

Texas Tech University and its partners are putting new water saving methods into practice on actual farms through an eight-year, $6.2 million project unveiled Jan. 21.

"The most important long-term issue facing agriculture and the economic stability of our region is how to conserve water," Marvin Cepica, dean of the Texas Tech College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, said at a news conference. "This project allows researchers to take their water conservation strategies out of the laboratory and into practice on working farms."

Researchers at Texas Tech, the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1, Texas Cooperative Extension, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, the USDA Plant Stress and Water Conservation Laboratory and other partners will participate in the project. The work, which involves a variety of crops and livestock, will begin with the spring planting on at least 18 private farms in Hale and Floyd counties.

"This historic demonstration project has no precedent in terms of scope and potential impact on water conservation," said Cepica. "It will bring together the best of our technologies for water use efficiency in real-time on working farms and under conditions that will provide for the greatest understanding of their integrative effects. This is an unprecedented opportunity to invest in the future of this region and our state through a more comprehensive understanding of the economic impacts of water conservation techniques and adoption of water saving strategies."

Technologies to be demonstrated include more efficient irrigation equipment, different crop rotation systems, the testing of newly developed water efficient and stress tolerant plants and the use of satellite imagery to determine a field's exact water needs.

Funding for the demonstration project comes from a grant from the Texas Water Development Board with funds provided under a bill authored in the last Texas legislative session by Lubbock state Sen. Robert Duncan. "This step in the evolution of irrigated agriculture's technology and economics is key to the preservation of High Plains agriculture as a leading Texas industry," said Duncan.

Date: 1/27/05

	Web hpj.com

Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2008.  High Plains Publishers, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com