ABSTRACT
Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are preferably used over alternative systems for crop production in several parts of the world because the large initial SDI system costs can be offset by crop profits. If the longevity of the SDI systems can be increased through properly designed and maintained systems, these systems could be economically justified for a great diversity of row crops. In some regions, SDI systems have been used for lower-value commodity crop production such as in Kansas for irrigating corn and West Texas to irrigate cotton [8, 13, 14]. Cotton producers have replaced furrow irrigation systems with SDI systems to spread limited water resources for the declining aquifers of West Texas and also to remain profitable.
