Page 6 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

XiaolinQu, M.S., Lal K. Almas: The water requirement and profitability analysis of corn using irrigation
management approaches including evapotranspiration and weather data

this area. The High Plain accounted for over 40 percent of the value of agricultural

production for the state of Texas. Not only leading the state in the production of

feed grain, wheat, and cotton, this area also has fed about 13.3 million cattle and

calves in the year of 2010 (2010 State Agriculture Overview, 2010).

Texas Panhandle area lies on the Northern Texas High Plain, consisting of the

northernmost 26 counties in the state. Dryland farming has played an important

role since the introduction of farming in the Panhandle area in the late 1800s. It

was estimated that the application of irrigation has increased yield by two to seven

times over dryland production in this area (Colette et al., 2007). With the

significant yield improvement from applying irrigation, irrigation soon became the

approach for the producers to increase crop profits. It was found that irrigation is

very essential to maintain the regional economy (Colette et al., 2004).

During the 1950s, irrigation development in the Panhandle area started to

accelerate. From 1950s to 1980s, irrigated areas increased. However beginning in

1974, irrigated area was started to decrease (Colette et al., 2008). The decline of

the irrigated area was due to both the rise in energy costs and the less availability

of the ground water, which is mainly from the Ogallala Aquifer.

The Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is the major

water-bearing formation of the Panhandle area. It supports the major irrigated

agricultural production and processing base, municipal and industrial water needs.

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