Agronomic and economic analysis of guar (Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba L.) in comparison to drought tolerant crops adapted to the Texas High Plains
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Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) has long been the most profitable crop on the Texas High Plains, but with depleting Ogallala Aquifer levels, water-efficient, alternative crops have never had a stronger presence. Proceeding many years of a devastating drought, supplemental irrigation has not been sufficient to make a sustainable cotton crop. Many producers need to see results of profitability before including alternative crops such as guar, sorghum, and sesame into their current crop rotations. Guar, sorghum, and sesame are all able to grow with sustainable yields on dryland during average precipitation years, but the Texas High Plains never has a normal year of precipitation. This grand challenge calls for a need to decrease supplemental irrigation on current cotton crops, and drive home the idea of growing water-saving crops for generations to come or what we call sustainability.
The objective was to conduct guar agronomic trials in Lubbock, Texas during the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons to determine: 1) cultivars adapted to drip irrigation; 2) guar lines resistant to foliar disease; 3) and finally perform an economic analysis to determine sustainability of guar, sorghum, and sesame on the Texas High Plains.
Two different, agronomic trials were planted at Lubbock, Texas on subsurface drip irrigation. Seventy-four experimental cultivars with five commercial cultivars were compared under drip irrigation for seed yield, seed size, and foliar disease resistance. While nine advanced cultivars with four commercial cultivars were compared under drip irrigation for seed yield, forage yield and value (2014), seed size, and foliar disease resistance. Economic analysis was performed to compare the break-even price of guar, sesame, and sorghum to compete with an average two-bale cotton crop, and also the most profitable, water efficient crop-mix for a circle irrigation pivot.