EFFECTIVE WATER MANAGEMENT AND SOIL CONSERVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE GREEN BEAN PRODUCTION

Plant and soil scientists and water management engineer at the University of Idaho will conduct two field experiments to develop sustainable water and soil conservation strategies for green bean production. The study will focus on the effects of water management using drip irrigation versus furrow irrigation in two tillage systems: conventional and strip tillage. Crop growth, bean yield and quality will be measured in response to these water and soil management practices. These experiments will be conducted at two locations in southwestern and southcentral Idaho and repeated over 3 years.Short-term goal: To evaluate the efficacy of drip irrigation and reduced tillage on green bean yield, quality, and water use.Long-term goal: To increase sustainability of bean production in Idaho; specifically - reduced irrigation water use and improved water use efficiency due to adoption of drip irrigation.We estimate that, the following could be achieved as a result of this project within 5-10 years: 1) with expected adoption of drip irrigation by 25% of bean growers in the next 5-10 years, to achieve water savings of at least 15% compared to current water used for bean irrigation; 2) for growers adopting drip irrigation, we expect an increase in production value of over $585/acre, with an additional savings of over $135/acre; 3) to achieve a decrease in nitrogen fertilizer use by 50% within 5 years of adopting reduced till practices.Objectives: Develop effective water management system in green beans grown under varied tillage systemsEvaluate the potential benefits of drip irrigation and reduced tillage systems, in comparison to conventional tillage and furrow irrigationDevelop grower guidelines for effective irrigation water application in green beans grown under different tillage systemsConduct extension outreach