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CALIFORNIA COTTON (Southern)

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The field used to represent cotton production in California is located in Fresno County in the Central Valley, although cotton production occurs throughout the Central Valley. According to the 1997 Census of Agriculture, California is the major producer of cotton in the U.S. Cotton is generally grown on the alluvial fans and basin rims by both dry and wet seeded methods. Row spacing and planting depths are consistent with other cotton growing regions of the U.S. Both standard (30-inch) and ultra-narrow (20-inch) row spacing are used. Irrigation is mostly by flooding. The soil selected to simulate the field is a Twisselman clay. Twisselman clay is a fine, mixed, calcareous, thermic Typic Torriorthents. These soils are often used for cotton production under irrigation. Twisselman clay is a deep, well drained, slow to medium runoff, slowly permeable (very slow in saline-alkali phases) soil that formed in alluvium mainly from sedimentary rock sources. These soil are generally found on alluvial fans and basin rims at elevations of 200 to 1,000 feet above mean sea level and have slopes of 0 to 5 percent. The soil is of moderate extent. Twisselman clay is a Hydrologic Group C soil.

Table 1
PRZM 3.12 Climate and Time Parameters for Fresno County, California - Cotton
ParameterValueSource
Starting Date January 1, 1948Meteorological File - Southern: Bakersfield, CA (W23155)
Ending Date December 31, 1983Meteorological File - Southern: Bakersfield, CA (W23155)
Pan Evaporation Factor (PFAC) 0.7PRZM Manual Figure 5.1 (EPA, 1998)
Snowmelt Factor (SFAC) 0.5 cm C- 1PRZM Manual Table 5.1 (EPA, 1998)
Minimum Depth of Evaporation (ANETD) 17.0 cmPRZM Manual Figure 5.2 (EPA, 1998)

Table 2
PRZM 3.12 Erosion and Landscape Parameters for Fresno County, California - Cotton
ParameterValueSource
Method to Calculate Erosion (ERFLAG) 4 (MUSS)PRZM Manual (EPA, 1998)
USLE K Factor (USLEK) 0.21 tons EI-1* PRZM Input Collator (Burns, 1992) and FARM Manual (EPA, 1985)
USLE LS Factor (USLELS) 0.02Haan and Barfield, 1979
USLE P Factor (USLEP) 1.0PRZM Manual (EPA,1998)
Field Area (AFIELD) 172 haArea of Shipman Reservoir watershed (EPA, 1999)
NRCS Hyetograph (IREG) 1PRZM Manual Figure 5.12 (EPA, 1998)
Slope (SLP) 2.5%Mid-point of soil series range (EPA, 2001)
Hydraulic Length (HL) 600 mShipman Reservoir (EPA, 1999)
Irrigation Flag (IRFLAG) 2 (cropping period only) Based on recommendations from farm advisors for general flooding for crop irrigation
Irrigation Type (IRTYP) 1 (Flood) Based on recommendations from farm advisors for general flooding for crop irrigation
Leaching Factor (FLEACH) 0.1Estimated
Fraction of Water Capacity when Irrigation is Applied (PCDEPL) 0.55 Based on recommendations from farm advisors for general flooding for crop irrigation
Maximum Rate at which Irrigation is Applied (RATEAP) 0.4 cm hr-1PRZM Manual, Table 5.33 (EPA, 1998)

* EI = 100 ft-tons * in/ acre*hr


Table 3
PRZM 3.12 Crop Parameters for Fresno County, California - Cotton
ParameterValueSource
Initial Crop (INICRP) 1Set to one for all crops (EPA, 2001)
Initial Surface Condition (ISCOND) 1Kerry Arroues USDA-NRCS
Number of Different Crops (NDC) 1Set to crops in simulation - generally one
Number of Cropping Periods (NCPDS) 36Set to weather data. Meteorological File - Bakersfield, CA (W23155)
Maximum rainfall interception storage of crop (CINTCP) 0.2 PIC; confirmed using Table 5.4 from PRZM Manual (Burns, 1992 and EPA, 1985)
Maximum Active Root Depth (AMXDR) 65 cmKerry Arroues USDA-NRCS
Maximum Canopy Coverage (COVMAX) 100Kerry Arroues USDA-NRCS
Soil Surface Condition After Harvest (ICNAH) 3Kerry Arroues USDA-NRCS
Date of Crop Emergence
(EMD, EMM, IYREM)
05/05Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates for U.S. Field Crops (USDA, 1984)
Date of Crop Maturity
(MAD, MAM, IYRMAT)
03/01Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates for U.S. Field Crops (USDA, 1984)
Date of Crop Harvest
(HAD, HAM, IYRHAR)
11/11Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates for U.S. Field Crops (USDA, 1984)
Maximum Dry Weight (WFMAX) 0.0Set to "0" Not used in simulation
SCS Curve Number (CN) 89, 86, 87Set to MS Cotton values. Field validated curve numbers.
Manning's N Value (MNGN) 0.023 RUSLE Project; C23CTCTC; Cotton, conventional tillage, Fresno (USDA, 2000)
USLE C Factor (USLEC) 0.54 - 0.412 RUSLE Project; C23CTCTC; Cotton, conventional tillage, Fresno, Variable with date (USDA, 2000)

Table 4
PRZM 3.12 Twisselman Soil Parameters for Fresno County, California - Cotton
ParameterValue Verification Source
Total Soil Depth (CORED) 100 cm NRCS, National Soils Characterization Database (NRCS, 2001)
Number of Horizons (NHORIZ) 3 (Top horizon split in two)
First, Second, and Third Soil Horizons (HORIZN = 1,2,3)
Horizon Thickness (THKNS)
  • 10 cm (HORIZN = 1)
  • 26 cm (HORIZN = 2)
  • 64 cm (HORIZN = 3)
NRCS, National Soils Characterization Database (NRCS, 2001) http://soils.usda.gov/survey/nscd/ Exit EPA Disclaimer
Ed Russell (USDA-NRCS, Fresno)
Bulk Density (BD)
  • 1.45 g cm-3 (HORIZN = 1)
  • 1.5 g cm-3 (HORIZN = 2)
  • 1.6 g cm-3 (HORIZN = 3)
Initial Water Content (THETO)
  • 0.36 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN =1,2)
  • 0.317 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN =3)
Compartment Thickness (DPN)
  • 0.1 cm (HORIZN = 1)
  • 6.5 cm (HORIZN =2)
  • 16 cm (HORIZN = 3)
Field Capacity (THEFC)
  • 0.36 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 0.317 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 3)
Wilting Point (THEWP)
  • 0.22 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 0.197 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 3)
Organic Carbon Content (OC)
  • 0.29% (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 0.174% (HORIZN = 3)

Burns. 1992. Burns, L.A., (Coordinator), B.W. Allen, Jr., M.C. Barber, S.L. Bird, J.M. Cheplick, M.J. Fendley, D.R. Hartel, C.A. Kittner, F.L. Mayer, Jr., L.A. Suarez, and S.E. Wooten. Pesticide and Industrial Chemical Risk Analysis and Hazard Assessment, Version 3.0. (PIRANHA) Environmental Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA. 1992.

EPA. 1985. Field Agricultural Runoff Monitoring (FARM) Manual, (EPA/600/3-85/043) Environmental Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA.

EPA. 1998. Carsel, R.F., J.C. Imhoff, P.R. Hummel, J.M. Cheplick, and A.S. Donigian, Jr. PRZM-3, A Model for Predicting Pesticide and Nitrogen Fate in the Crop Root and Unsaturated Soil Zones: Users Manual for Release 3.0. National Exposure Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA.

EPA. 1999. Jones, R.D., J. Breithaupt, J. Carleton, L. Libelo, J. Lin, R. Matzner, and R. Parker. Guidance for Use of the Index Reservoir in Drinking Water Exposure Assessments. Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington. D.C.

EPA. 2001. Abel, S.A. Procedure for Conducting Quality Assurance and Quality Control of Existing and New PRZM Field and Orchard Crop Standard Scenarios. Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.

Haan, C.T. and B.J. Barfield. 1978. Hydrology and Sedimentology of Surface Mined Lands. Office of Continuing Education and Extension, College of Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506. pp. 286.

USDA. 1984. Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates for U.S. Field Crops, Statistical Reporting Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook #628, pp.78.

USDA. 1990. Davis, F.M., R.A. Leonard, W.G. Knisel. GLEAMS User Manual, Version 1.8.55. USDA-ARS Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory, Tifton GA. SEWRL-030190FMD.

USDA. 2000. Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) EPA Pesticide Project. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

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