13-2022 Gholson RISER Program Annual Report

Declining aquifer levels, coupled with impending well monitoring, serve as a catalyst to improve water use efficiency. The RISER program has identified several technologies and management practices that have the potential to eliminate the 300,000 ac-ft/yr overdraft on the Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer while ensuring that producers stay within permitted irrigation limits. However, the adoption of Best Management Practices (BMPs) by producers in the Mississippi Delta is minimal. The RISER (Row Crop Irrigation Science Extension and Research) Program can serve as the primary means to facilitate widespread adoption of the latest irrigation management research findings across the Mississippi Delta. The goal of the project is to evaluate, demonstrate, and transfer innovative and proven technologies that can result in water conservation by conducting coordinated extension activities throughout the Mississippi Delta.