Randy Mcgee farms a little bit of everything.
"We raise cotton, corn, alfalfa, wheat and cattle on some of the wheat," Mcgee said.
When tacking last year's drought-stricken conditions, drip irrigation was his saving grace.
"Since the drought especially, we have noticed the benefits of using drip irrigation and no till farming practices, and it really shined this year," Mcgee said.
Mcgee said he grew corn with the drip irrigation system and boy was he glad he did.
"The drip corn was actually the only corn we were able to produce," Mcgee said. "Corn irrigated with other practices just couldn't survive the heat and the lack of water this year."
Mcgee attributed his success to the drip irrigation's ability to apply moisture directly to where the plants needed it.
"Probably the biggest advantage of drip irrigation is zero evaporation," Mcgee said. "Even on a windy day, all of the water is being placed in the root zone of the plants and the sun and the wind are not taking the water. The second biggest thing is that the entire field gets water every single day versus with a pivot it may be as much as a week before parts of the field would see water. There is not as much stress with drip irrigation practices."
Despite his success with drip irrigation, Mcgee said he will do some things different this growing season.
"We have started implementing a conservation plan through the NRCS and we are starting to call on these practices," Mcgee said. "Everything has switched to a no till operation now, and we think that will help in the drier months of the year and conserve what little bit of moisture that actually does fall from the sky."
Mcgee offered advice to those younger farmers who are just getting started.
"Take advantage of your resources that NRCS and USDA provide for you and do not be afraid to ask questions," Mcgee said. "Let the NRCS set up a conservation plan to maximize your crops."
Mcgee said he has yet to find a crop that can't be grown with a drip system having successfully grown corn, alfalfa, cotton, and hay grazer with drip irrigation.
