Crop Water Use Data Available from the Southeastern USA

CROP water use data were extracted from literature data originating in the southeastern U.S. Data were catalogued according to location, method of measurement, crop, time, duration of study, form of data, main treatments, and concurrent data published. In all, 101 unique crop-experiment citations were located. The following locations, in four states, accounted for 56 of these: Pontiac, SC; Thorsby, AL; Ft. Lauderdale and Belle Glade, FL; and Raleigh and Waynesville, NC. Soil profile methods were used in 39; lysimeters were used in 44. The soil profile method of determining water use has been criticized for susceptibility to errors under high rainfall conditions common to the southeastern U.S. Experimental methods were not always completely described, so limitations of the data were not always clear. A few citations included discussions of the limitations; most common was lack of fetch or conditions non-representative to field crops. From the review, it can be concluded that a conclusive study is lacking in the physiographic area. It is also considered that insufficient data exist for a conclusive test of transferability of western irrigation management technology into the more humid Southeast