To make the most efficient use of limited water supplies in the production of field crops, a sequence of key decisions must be made before planting. These decisions are particularly important in a drought year such as 1977 in California.

Present funding of this University of California research is by the California State Department of Water Resources; earlier funding was by the Office of Water Research and Technology (Washington, D.C.) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Assistance was received from the U. C. Water Resources Center, Davis.