Ogallala Water

Dr. Rudnick’s research focuses on improving irrigation management strategies for commonly grown crops and rotations found in the semi-arid climate of west central Nebraska. His research team’s projects include:

• Evaluation of deficit irrigation strategies for maize and soybean under center pivot and subsurface drip irrigation systems.
• Integration of variable rate irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer management.
• Assessment of the effects of residue removal across landscape zones on maize yield and crop water use.
• Field and laboratory evaluation of soil water monitoring equipment.

On his participation with the Ogallala Water Coordinated agriculture project, Dr. Rudnick says: "I hope that the OWCAP project will better define current and upcoming methods to manage water across the Ogallala Aquifer region, provide producers with the necessary information and proper training to effectively implement technology, such as soil water monitoring equipment, into their operations, and advance our understanding on how to spatially and temporally manage water within a field using various sources of information and technology."

Links

University of Nebraska - Lincoln
LinkedIn

Selected Publications

Irmak, S., K. Djaman, D.R. Rudnick. 2016. Effect of full and limited irrigation amount and frequency on subsurface drip-irrigated maize evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency and yield response factors. Irrigation Science 34: 271. DOI 10.1007/s00271-016-0502-z

Rudnick, D.R., S. Irmak, R.B. Ferguson, T. Shaver, K. Djaman, G. Slater, A. Bereuter, N. Ward, D. Francis, M. Schmer, B. Wienhold, S. Van Donk. 2016. Economic return versus crop water productivity of maize for various nitrogen rates under full irrigation, limited irrigation, and rainfed settings in south central Nebraska. Journal of Irrigation & Drainage Engineering 142(6), 04016017.

Rudnick, D.R., V. Sharma, G.E. Meyer, S. Irmak. 2015. Using fuzzy logic to predict and evaluate the magnitude and distribution of precipitation on rainfed maize and soybean yields in Nebraska. Transactions of the ASABE 58(5): 1215-1229.

Rudnick, D.R., K. Djaman, S. Irmak. 2015. Performance analysis of capacitance and electrical resistance-type soil moisture sensors in a silt loam soil. Transactions of the ASABE 58(3): 649-665.

Rudnick, D.R., S. Irmak. 2014. Implementation of a soil-water extraction model on a spatial domain using field capacity and apparent electrical conductivity relationships. Transactions of the ASABE 57(5): 1359-1373.

Rudnick, D.R., S. Irmak. 2014. Impact of nitrogen fertilizer on maize evapotranspiration crop coefficients under fully-irrigated, limited irrigation, and rainfed settings. Journal of Irrigation & Drainage Engineering 140(12), 04014039.

Rudnick, D.R.,S. Irmak. 2014. Spatial and temporal maize soil-water extraction (depletion) dynamics: Part I. Development and evaluation of a soil water-extraction model. Transactions of the ASABE 57(2): 431-444.

Rudnick, D.R., S. Irmak. 2014. Spatial and temporal maize soil-water extraction (depletion) dynamics: Part II. Impact of water and nitrogen management strategies on soil-water extraction. Transactions of the ASABE 57(2): 445-462.

Rudnick, D.R., S. Irmak. 2013. Impact of water and nitrogen management strategies on maize yield and water productivity indices under linear-move sprinkler irrigation. Transactions of the ASABE 56(5): 1769-1783.