Tennessee farmers increase irrigation for higher crop yields

When adopting irrigation, Tennessee row-crop producers must make appropriate choices of when and where to place it because the cost is high, varying from $1,500 to $2,500 per acre in a region where rainfall and good water-holding soils often provide a majority of the crop’s water requirement.

University of Tennessee researchers and educators held on-farm research demonstrations, webinars and educational meetings and published websites and articles to help producers make irrigation adoption and management decisions.

The average yield increase from row crop irrigation in Tennessee is 250 pounds per acre for cotton, 50 bushels per acre for corn and 18 bushels per acre for soybean, based on Research and Education Center plots and producer surveys.

From 2011 to 2024, row crop irrigation in Tennessee has increased from 70,687 to 211,568 acres (a 5,900-acre decline was reported in 2024), according to USDA’s FSA certified agricultural acreage reports. Presently, 8% of the total row crop acreage in Tennessee is irrigated.

Prior to 2012, no established crop consultants or agri-businesses were providing irrigation scheduling services to Tennessee row crop irrigators. As of 2022, there were six irrigation scheduling providers who have contracted with 77 producers on 20,603 acres, based on a phone survey of crop consultants.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

Project supported by USDA Capacity – Extension funds.