Irrigating Lettuce with Buried Drip, Surface Drip, and Furrow Irrigation Systems: Overall Performance

Groundwater nitrate contamination is a major concern in the Salinas Valley of California. The source of much of the nitrate appears to be vegetable production in the valley. A field-scale demonstration project comparing crop and irrigation system performance under surface drip, subsurface drip, and furrow irrigation systems was established to further investigate the nitrate contamination concerns and to demonstrate emerging irrigation technologies to growers in the area. The information collected and presented in this paper for two cropping seasons includes: irrigation water applications, lettuce yields, post-harvest lettuce residues, and the variability of soils, soil salinity, soil moisture, and plant production.