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IRRIGATION and “ RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DIVISION Applied Research Report 1992 - 1993 >dlberiG 1992-93 APPLIED RESEARCH REPORT o IRRIGATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DIVISION ALBERTA AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT April, 1993 Additional Copies Available From; Irrigation and Resource Management Division Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Room 206, J.G. O'Donoghue Building 7000 - 113 Street Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5T6 Phone: (403) 422-4385 PREFACE The Irrigation and Resource Management Division Annual Applied Research Report is a collection of progress and final research reports. The research is carried out by staff members of the Division and private consultants retained under contract. Research projects vary from detailed tests to field surveys; from irrigation to conservation topics. The reports are limited in length and summarize the highlights. The detailed data and information is available from the individual researchers. The reports have been grouped according to subject matter. The authors are responsible for the contents of the report. Copying of the material is permitted provided credit is given to the researcher (s) and the data and interpretations are not altered. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the staff members who carried out the research and prepared the reports in this 1992-93 edition of the Applied Research Report of the Irrigation and Resource Management Division. I acknowledge the great effort to plan and carry out these projects. I appreciate also the encouragement and support provided by their supervisors. On behalf of all, I thank the farmers, the Irrigation Districts and Agricultural Service Boards for their cooperation. In particular, I thank Dawn Gara, Hank VanderPluym and Barb Shackel for compiling the Report. Brian L. Colgan Director Irrigation & Resource Management Division IRRIGATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DIVISION APPLIED RESEARCH REPORT - 1992-93 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page A. IRRIGATION - SALINITY Soil Salinity and Sodicity Levels on Lands Irrigated From Verdigris Lake Reservoir K. M. Riddell 1 Reclamation Effectiveness of Replacing Lateral J-Bird with a Pipeline in the SE-35-16-18-W4 K. M. Riddell 8 B. IRRIGATION - WATER APPLICATION Direct Moisture Stress Measurement of Alfalfa Plants Grown for Seed G. Snaith, D. McKenzie 16 Irrigation and Soil Moisture Monitoring Lucerne Foods - Pea Contracts, 1992 G. Cook, R. Collett 19 Irrigation and Soil Moisture Monitoring Lucerne Foods - Corn Contracts, 1992 G. Cook, R. Collett 22 Consumptive Moisture Use of Irrigated Alfalfa R. Riewe, V. Ellert 24 Fall Irrigation Study - 1992 R. Riewe, B. Handerek 27 The Influence Timing of Irrigation Water Has On Crop Yield R. Riewe, B. Handerek 32 Irrigation Management of Dry Beans - 1992 R. Riewe, V. Ellert, D. Coutts, B. Woolhouse 36 C. IRRIGATION - EQUIPMENT Evaluation of Low Angle Impact Sprinklers for Wheel Line Irrigation Systems G. Cook, L. Kwasny 39 Demonstration of Low Energy Precision Application Equipment for Irrigation and Chemigation of Potatoes M. Rigby, G. Cook 44 iii Page D. CONSERVATION - SOILS Variations in Spring-Time Erosion Measured with a Rainfall Simulator S, C. Nolan, T. W. Goddard, K. Skarberg 49 The Effects of a Vegetative Control on the Reclamation of a Salt-Affected Soil D. Wentz, B. Read 54 Development of a Soil Salinity Expert Software System D. Wentz, C. Livergood, B. Read 60 Dryland Salinity Investigation Program Status Report, December, 1992 D. Wentz 65 Rooting Depth and Soil Water Use of Ten Varieties of Alfalfa in Southern Alberta D. Wentz, B. Read, V. Sawchuk 73 Canola and Conservation Tillage T. L. Jensen 78 The Effects of Field Shelterbelts on Soil Moisture and Crop Yield in Alberta, in 1992 J. Timmermans, C. Sprout, I. Laslo 81 Field Shelterbelt Demonstration Activities J. Timmermans, C. Sprout, I. Laslo 84 Wind Reduction by a Caragana Field Shelterbelt in South Central Alberta, in 1992 J. Timmermans, C. Sprout, I. Laslo 86 Chemical Quality of Plants, Soils and Shallow Groundwater of Saline Seeps in Alberta, 1992 D. Wentz, B. Read 90 E. CONSERVATION - WATER MANAGEMENT Snow Trapping Using Various Stubble Heights as a Soil Moisture Management Technique A. Howard, B. Read 94 Long-Term Soil Moisture Trends in Alberta A. Howard, J. Michielsen, J. Bell, R.T. Heywood 99 On-Farm Water Management for Rotational Grazing S. Ali, K. Williamson 102 Evaluation of Spring Backflood Irrigation in Cental Alberta J. Prochnau, N. -MacAlpine, E. Bittner, S. Ali 107 Page F. WATER QUALITY Automated Monitoring of Salinity Levels in Water Entering Verdigris Lake M. Riddell, D. Mikalson 113 Nitrate Levels in Soil and Groundwater Below Irrigated Fields Receiving Manure Applications in Southern Alberta K. M. Riddell 116 Monitoring for Pesticides and Herbicides in Southern Alberta - 1992 S. J. Rodvang 123 Herbicide Monitoring Under a Chemigated Potato Field M. Rigby, G. Cook, S. J. Rodvang 130 Verdigris Lake Water Quality - 1992 G. Cook, J. Ganesh, L. Kwasny 135 o Elimination of Aquatic Weeds in Irrigation Canals Using Triploid Grass Carp, Year IV E. D. Lloyd, S. Jonas, J. Stewart 140 Surface Water Quality Monitoring for Salinity, Sodicity and Nitrates in Southern Alberta Irrigation Return Flow Streams, 1992 G. Greenlee, M. Peters, P. Lund 145 Surface Water Quality Monitoring for Tracing Elements and Pesticides in Southern Alberta Irrigation Return Flow Streams, 1992 G.M. Greenlee, T.M. Peters, P.D. Lund 151 G. HYDROGEOLOGY Long-Term Water-Level Trends in the Bow River and Taber Irrigation Districts S. J. Rodvang 159 Hydrogeological Study of the Lethbridge Aquifer O. Sracek, S. J. Rodvang 165 H. ANALYSIS The Effect of Installation and Development Techniques on Routinely Measured Groundwater Parameters S. J. Rodvang 172 A Method for Determining Saturated Paste Equivalent Electrical Conductivities from EM-38 Readings D. Wentz, R. Read, C. Livergood 178 V Page A Comparison of Soil Moisture Levels as Determined by the Neutron Scatter Technique Using Different Count Rates D. Wentz, B. Read 183 I . MISCELLANEOUS Peat Soil Temperature Monitoring at the Olthuis Farm, 1989 to 1992 P. Dzikowski, B. Chapman 186 Timing Bee Emergence to Coincide with Optimum Alfalfa Plant Flowering Stage G. Snaith, D. McKenzie 190 Forage Production on Irrigated Chernozemic and Solonetzic Soils in the Berry Creek Basin (Year Two-1992) G.M. Greenlee, T.M. Peters, P.D. Lund, D.R. Bennett 192