,This dataset consists of growth and yield data for each season when soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] was grown for seed at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU) research weather station, Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). In the 1994, 2003, 2004, and 2010 seasons, soybean was grown on two large, precision weighing lysimeters, each in the center of a 4.44 ha square field. In 2019, soybean was grown on four large, precision weighing lysimeters and their surrounding 4.4 ha fields. The square fields are themselves arranged in a larger square with four fields in four adjacent quadrants of the larger square. Fields and lysimeters within each field are thus designated northeast (NE), southeast (SE), northwest (NW), and southwest (SW). Soybean was grown on different combinations of fields in different years. Irrigation was by linear move sprinkler system in 1995, 2003, 2004, and 2010 although in 2010 only one irrigation was applied to establish the crop after which it was grown as a dryland crop. Irrigation protocols described as full were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings made with a neutron probe to 2.4-m depth in the field. Irrigation protocols described as deficit typically involved irrigations to establish the crop early in the season, followed by reduced or absent irrigations later in the season (typically in the later winter and spring). The growth and yield data include plant population density, height, plant row width, leaf area index, growth stage, total above-ground biomass, leaf and stem biomass, head mass (when present), kernel or seed number, and final yield. Data are from replicate samples in the field and non-destructive (except for final harvest) measurements on the weighing lysimeters. In most cases yield data are available from both manual sampling on replicate plots in each field and from machine harvest. Machine harvest yields are commonly smaller than hand harvest yields due to combine losses. These datasets originate from research aimed at determining crop water use (ET), crop coefficients for use in ET-based irrigation scheduling based on a reference ET, crop growth, yield, harvest index, and crop water productivity as affected by irrigation method, timing, amount (full or some degree of deficit), agronomic practices, cultivar, and weather. Prior publications have focused on soybean ET, crop coefficients, and crop water productivity. Crop coefficients have been used by ET networks. The data have utility for testing simulation models of crop ET, growth, and yield and have been used for testing, and calibrating models of ET that use satellite and/or weather data.,See the README for descriptions of each data file.,,

,This dataset consists of agronomic calendars for each growing season (year) when soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] was grown for seed at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU) research weather station, Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). In 1995, 2003, 2004, and 2010, soybean was grown on two large, precision weighing lysimeters, each in the center of a 4.44 ha square field. In 2019, soybean was grown on four large, precision weighing lysimeters, each in the center of a 4.4 ha square fields. The four fields were contiguous. The fields were designated northeast (NE), southeast (SE), northwest (NW), and southwest (SW), and were themselves arranged in a larger square with the fields in four adjacent quadrants of the larger square. Irrigation was by linear move sprinkler system in 1995, 2003, 2004, and 2010. In 2019, the NE and SE fields were irrigated using subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), while the NW and SW fields were irrigated using a linear move system. Irrigations designated as full were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings made with a neutron probe to 2.4-m depth in the field. Irrigations designated as deficit typically involved full irrigation to establish the crop. A crop calendar for each season lists by date the pertinent agronomic and maintenance operations (e.g., planting, thinning, fertilization, pesticide application, lysimeter maintenance, harvest). For each season there is one crop calendar for each two lysimeters (NE and SE, and/or NW and SW). These datasets originate from research aimed at determining crop water use (ET), crop coefficients for use in ET-based irrigation scheduling based on a reference ET, crop growth, yield, harvest index, and crop water productivity as affected by irrigation method, timing, amount (full or some degree of deficit), agronomic practices, cultivar, and weather. Prior publications have focused on ET, crop coefficients, and crop water productivity. Crop coefficients have been used by ET networks. The data have utility for testing simulation models of crop ET, growth, and yield and have been used for testing, and calibrating models of ET that use satellite and/or weather data.,See the README for descriptions of each data file.,,

,This parent dataset (collection of datasets) describes the general organization of data in the datasets for each growing season (year) when alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was grown as a reference evapotranspiration (ETr) crop at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU), Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). Alfalfa was grown on two large, precision weighing lysimeters, calibrated to NIST standards (Howell et al., 1995). Each lysimeter was in the center of a 4.44 ha square field on which alfalfa was also grown (Evett et al., 2000). The two fields were contiguous and arranged with one (labeled northeast, NE) directly north of the other (labeled southeast, SE). See the resource "Geographic Coordinates, USDA, ARS, Bushland, Texas" for UTM geographic coordinates for field and lysimeter locations. Alfalfa was planted in Autumn 1995 and grown for hay in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. The resource "Agronomic Calendar for the Bushland, Texas Alfalfa Datasets", gives a calendar listing by date the agronomic practices applied, severe weather, and activities (e.g. planting, thinning, fertilization, pesticide application, lysimeter maintenance, harvest) in and on lysimeters that could influence crop growth, water use, and lysimeter data. These include fertilizer and pesticide applications. There is one calendar, from before planting in autumn 1995 to after final harvest in 1999, for the NE and SE lysimeters and fields. There were 4 harvests each year except 1998 when 5 harvests were taken. Irrigation was by linear move sprinkler system equipped with pressure regulated low pressure sprays (mid-elevation spray application, MESA). Irrigations were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings via field-calibrated (Evett and Steiner, 1995) neutron probe from 0.10- to 2.4-m depth in the field. Lysimeters and fields were planted to the same plant density, row spacing, tillage depth (by hand on the lysimeters and by machine in the fields), and fertilizer and pesticide applications. Weighing lysimeters measured relative soil water storage to 0.05 mm accuracy at 5-min intervals, and the 5-min change in soil water storage was used along with precipitation, dew and frost accumulation, and irrigation amounts to calculate crop evapotranspiration (ET), reported at 15-min intervals. Each lysimeter was instrumented to sense wind speed, air temperature and humidity, radiant energy (incoming and reflected, typically both shortwave and longwave), surface temperature, soil heat flux, and soil temperature, all at 15-min intervals. Instruments used changed from season to season, thus subsidiary datasets and data dictionaries for each season are required. The Bushland weighing lysimeter research program is described by Evett et al. (2016), and lysimeter design is described by Marek et al. (1988). Important conventions concerning the data-time correspondence, sign conventions, and terminology specific to the USDA ARS, Bushland, TX, field operations are given in the resource "Conventions for Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets".,There are 5 datasets in this collection. Common symbols and abbreviations used are defined in the resource "Symbols and Abbreviations for Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets". Datasets consist of Excel (xlsx) files. Each xlsx file contains an Introductory tab that explains the other tabs, lists the authors, describes conventions and symbols used, and lists instruments used. The remaining tabs in a file consist of dictionary and data tabs. The 5 datasets are:,See README for descriptions of each dataset.,The soil is a Pullman series fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll. Soil properties are given in the resource titled "Soil Properties for the Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets". Land slope in the lysimeter

,This parent dataset (collection of datasets) describes the general organization of data in the datasets for each growing season (year) when maize (Zea mays, L., also known as corn in the United States) was grown for grain at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU), Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). Maize was grown for grain on between two and four large, precision weighing lysimeters, each in the center of a 4.44 ha square field. The four fields were contiguous and arranged in four quadrants, which were labeled northeast (NE), southeast (SE), northwest (NW), and southwest (SW). See the resource titled "Geographic Coordinates, USDA, ARS, Bushland, Texas" for UTM geographic coordinates for field and lysimeter locations. Maize was grown on only the NE and SE fields in 1989 and 1990, and on all four fields in 1994, 2013, 2016, and 2018. Irrigation was by linear move sprinkler system in 1989, 1990, and 1994, although the system was equipped with various application technologies such as high-pressure impact sprinklers, low pressure spray applications, and low energy precision applicators (LEPA). In 2013, 2016, and 2018, two lysimeters and their respective fields were irrigated using subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), and two lysimeters and their respective fields were irrigated by a linear move sprinkler system equipped with spray applicators. Irrigations were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings made with a neutron probe from 0.10- to 2.4-m depth in the field. The number and spacing of neutron probe reading locations changed through the years (additional sites were added), which is one reason why subsidiary datasets and data dictionaries are needed. The lysimeters and fields were planted to the same plant density, row spacing, tillage depth (by hand on the lysimeters and by machine in the fields), and fertilizer and pesticide applications. The weighing lysimeters were used to measure relative soil water storage to 0.05 mm accuracy at 5-minute intervals, and the 5-minute change in soil water storage was used along with precipitation, dew and frost accumulation, and irrigation amounts to calculate crop evapotranspiration (ET), which is reported at 15-minute intervals. Each lysimeter was equipped with a suite of instruments to sense wind speed, air temperature and humidity, radiant energy (incoming and reflected, typically both shortwave and longwave), surface temperature, soil heat flux, and soil temperature, all of which are reported at 15-minute intervals. Instruments used changed from season to season, which is another reason that subsidiary datasets and data dictionaries for each season are required.,Important conventions concerning the data-time correspondence, sign conventions, and terminology specific to the USDA ARS, Bushland, TX, field operations are given in the resource titled "Conventions for Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets".,There are six datasets in this collection. Common symbols and abbreviations used in the datasets are defined in the resource titled, "Symbols and Abbreviations for Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets". Datasets consist of Excel (xlsx) files. Each xlsx file contains an Introductory tab that explains the other tabs, lists the authors, describes conventions and symbols used and lists any instruments used. The remaining tabs in a file consist of dictionary and data tabs. There is a dictionary tab for every data tab. The name of the dictionary tab contains the name of the corresponding data tab. Tab names are unique so that if individual tabs were saved to CSV files, each CSV file in the entire collection would have a different name. The six datasets, according to their titles, are as follows:,See the README for descriptions of each dataset.,The land slope is <1% and

,This dataset consists of growth and yield data for each year when alfalfa was grown at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU) research weather station, Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). Alfalfa was grown on two large, precision weighing lysimeters, each in the center of a 4.44 ha square field. The two square fields were themselves arranged with one directly north of and contiguous with the other. The two fields and lysimeters within each field were designated northeast (NE), and southeast (SE). Irrigation was by linear move sprinkler system in autumn 1995 when the alfalfa was planted through 1999. Irrigations were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings made with a neutron probe to 2.4-m depth in the field. The growth and yield data include height, leaf area index, growth stage, total above-ground biomass, leaf and stem biomass, and final yield. Data are from replicate samples in the field and non-destructive (except for harvest) measurements on the weighing lysimeters. In most cases yield data are available from both manual sampling on replicate plots in each field and from machine harvest. These datasets originate from research aimed at determining crop water use (ET), crop coefficients for use in ET-based irrigation scheduling based on a reference ET, crop growth, yield, harvest index, and crop water productivity as affected by irrigation method, timing, amount (full or some degree of deficit), agronomic practices, cultivar, and weather. Prior publications have focused on alfalfa ET, comparisons with "tall crop" reference ET, crop coefficients, and crop water productivity. Crop coefficients have been used by ET networks. The data have utility for testing simulation models of crop ET, growth, and yield, and for studies of reference ET methods.,Resources in this dataset:,,

,This dataset consists of growth and yield data for each year when maize (Zea mays, L., also known as corn in the United States) was grown for grain at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU) research weather station, Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). Maize was grown for grain on four large, precision weighing lysimeters, each in the center of a 4.44 ha square field. The four square fields are themselves arranged in a larger square with the fields in four adjacent quadrants of the larger square. Fields and lysimeters within each field are thus designated northeast (NE), southeast (SE), northwest (NW), and southwest (SW). Irrigation was by linear move sprinkler system in 1989, 1990, and 1994. In 2013, 2016, and 2018, two lysimeters and their respective fields (NE and SE) were irrigated using subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), and two lysimeters and their respective fields (NW and SW) were irrigated by a linear move sprinkler system. Irrigations were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings made with a neutron probe to 2.4-m depth in the field. The growth and yield data include plant population density, height, plant row width, leaf area index, growth stage, total above-ground biomass, leaf and stem biomass, ear mass (when present), kernel number, and final yield. Data are from replicate samples in the field and non-destructive (except for final harvest) measurements on the weighing lysimeters. In most cases yield data are available from both manual sampling on replicate plots in each field and from machine harvest. These datasets originate from research aimed at determining crop water use (ET), crop coefficients for use in ET-based irrigation scheduling based on a reference ET, crop growth, yield, harvest index, and crop water productivity as affected by irrigation method, timing, amount (full or some degree of deficit), agronomic practices, cultivar, and weather. Prior publications have focused on maize ET, crop coefficients, and crop water productivity. Crop coefficients have been used by ET networks. The data have utility for testing simulation models of crop ET, growth, and yield and have been used by the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), by OPENET, and by many others for testing, and calibrating models of ET that use satellite and/or weather data.,Resources in this dataset:,,

,This parent dataset (collection of datasets) describes the general organization of data in the datasets for the 2009 and 2011 growing seasons (year) when sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was grown for seed grain at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU), Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). Sunflower was grown for seed grain on two large, precision weighing lysimeters, each in the center of a 4.44 ha square field. The two fields were contiguous, arranged along a north-south axis, and were labeled northeast (NE), and southeast (SE). See the resource titled "Geographic Coordinates, USDA, ARS, Bushland, Texas" for UTM geographic coordinates for field and lysimeter locations. The fields were irrigated by a linear move sprinkler system equipped with spray applicators. Irrigations were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings made with a neutron probe from 0.10- to 2.4-m depth in the field. The number and spacing of neutron probe reading locations changed through the years (additional sites were added), which is one reason why subsidiary datasets and data dictionaries are needed. The lysimeters and fields were planted to the same plant density, row spacing, tillage depth (by hand on the lysimeters and by machine in the fields), and fertilizer and pesticide applications. The weighing lysimeters were used to measure relative soil water storage to 0.05 mm accuracy at 5-minute intervals, and the 5-minute change in soil water storage was used along with precipitation, dew and frost accumulation, and irrigation amounts to calculate crop evapotranspiration (ET), which is reported at 15-minute intervals. Each lysimeter was equipped with a suite of instruments to sense wind speed, air temperature and humidity, radiant energy (incoming and reflected, typically both shortwave and longwave), surface temperature, soil heat flux, and soil temperature, all of which are reported at 15-minute intervals. Instruments used changed from season to season, which is another reason that subsidiary datasets and data dictionaries for each season are required.,Important conventions concerning the data-time correspondence, sign conventions, and terminology specific to the USDA ARS, Bushland, TX, field operations are given in the resource titled "Conventions for Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets".,There are six datasets in this collection. Common symbols and abbreviations used in the datasets are defined in the resource titled, "Symbols and Abbreviations for Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets". Datasets consist of Excel (xlsx) files. Each xlsx file contains an Introductory tab that explains the other tabs, lists the authors, describes conventions and symbols used and lists any instruments used. The remaining tabs in a file consist of dictionary and data tabs. There is a dictionary tab for every data tab. The name of the dictionary tab contains the name of the corresponding data tab. Tab names are unique so that if individual tabs were saved to CSV files, each CSV file in the entire collection would have a different name. The six datasets, according to their titles, are as follows:,See the README for descriptions of each dataset.,The land slope is <1% and topography is flat. The mean annual precipitation is ~470 mm, the 20-year pan evaporation record indicates ~2,600 mm Class A pan evaporation per year, and winds are typically from the South and Southwest. The climate is semi-arid with ~70% (350 mm) of the annual precipitation occurring from May to September, during which period the pan evaporation averages ~1520 mm.,These datasets originate from research aimed at determining crop water use (ET), crop coefficients for use in ET-based irrigation scheduling based on a reference ET, crop growth, yield, harvest index, and crop water

,This dataset contains water balance data for each year when soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] was grown at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU), Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] was grown on two large, precision weighing lysimeters, each in the center of a 4.44 ha square field in 1995, 2003, 2004 and 2010. Soybean was grown on four large, precision weighing lysimeters and their surrounding 4.4-ha fields in 2019. Irrigation in 1995, 2003, 2004, and 2010 was by linear move sprinkler system. Irrigation in 2019 was by subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system on the northeast (NE) and southeast (SE) weighing lysimeters an fields, while irrigation was by linear move sprinkler system on the northwest (NW) and southwest (SW) lysimeters and fields. Full irrigations were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings made with a neutron probe to 2.4-m depth in the field. Deficit irrigations were less than full - see crop calendars and irrigation data in these files for details. The weighing lysimeters were used to measure relative soil water storage to 0.05 mm accuracy at 5-minute intervals, and the 5-minute change in soil water storage was used along with precipitation and irrigation amounts to calculate crop evapotranspiration (ET), which is reported at 15-minute intervals. Because the large (3 m by 3 m surface area) weighing lysimeters are better rain gages than are tipping bucket gages, the 15-minute precipitation data are derived for each lysimeter from changes in lysimeter mass. The land slope is <0.3% and flat. The water balance data consist of 15-minute and daily amounts of evapotranspiration (ET), dew/frost fall, precipitation (rain/snow), irrigation, scale counterweight adjustment, and emptying of drainage tanks, all in mm. The values are the result of a rigorous quality control process involving algorithms for detecting dew/frost accumulations, and precipitation (rain and snow). Changes in lysimeter mass due to emptying of drainage tanks, counterweight adjustment, maintenance activity, and harvest are accounted for such that ET values are minimally affected. The ET data should be considered to be the best values offered in these datasets. Even though ET data are also presented in the "lysimeter" datasets, the values herein are the result of a more rigorous quality control process. Dew and frost accumulation varies from year to year and seasonally within a year, and it is affected by lysimeter surface condition [bare soil, tillage condition, residue amount and orientation (flat or standing), etc.]. Particularly during winter and depending on humidity and cloud cover, dew and frost accumulation sometimes accounts for an appreciable percentage of total daily ET. These datasets originate from research aimed at determining crop water use (ET), crop coefficients for use in ET-based irrigation scheduling based on a reference ET, crop growth, yield, harvest index, and crop water productivity as affected by irrigation method, timing, amount (full or some degree of deficit), agronomic practices, cultivar, and weather. Prior publications have focused on crop ET, crop coefficients, and crop water productivity. Crop coefficients have been used by ET networks. The data have utility for testing simulation models of crop ET, growth, and yield.,See the README for descriptions of each data file.,,

,This parent dataset (collection of datasets) describes the general organization of data in the datasets for each growing season (two-year period) when winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was grown for grain at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU), Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL). Winter wheat was grown on two large, precision weighing lysimeters, calibrated to NIST standards (Howell et al., 1995). Each lysimeter was in the center of a 4.44 ha square field on which wheat was also grown (Evett et al., 2000). The two fields were contiguous and arranged with one directly north of the other. See the resource titled "Geographic Coordinates, USDA, ARS, Bushland, Texas" for UTM geographic coordinates for field and lysimeter locations. Wheat was planted in Autumn and grown over the winter in 1989-1990, 1991-1992, and 1992-1993. Agronomic calendar for the each of the three growing seasons list by date the agronomic practices applied, severe weather, and activities (e.g., planting, thinning, fertilization, pesticide application, lysimeter maintenance, harvest) in and on lysimeters that could influence crop growth, water use, and lysimeter data. These include fertilizer and pesticide applications. Irrigation was by linear move sprinkler system equipped with pressure regulated low pressure sprays (mid-elevation spray application, MESA). Irrigations were managed to replenish soil water used by the crop on a weekly or more frequent basis as determined by soil profile water content readings made with a field-calibrated (Evett and Steiner, 1995) neutron probe from 0.10- to 2.4-m depth in the field. The lysimeters and fields were planted to the same plant density, row spacing, tillage depth (by hand on the lysimeters and by machine in the fields), and fertilizer and pesticide applications. The weighing lysimeters were used to measure relative soil water storage to 0.05 mm accuracy at 5-min intervals, and the 5-min change in soil water storage was used along with precipitation, dew and frost accumulation, and irrigation amounts to calculate crop evapotranspiration (ET), which is reported at 15-min intervals. Each lysimeter was equipped with a suite of instruments to sense wind speed, air temperature and humidity, radiant energy (incoming and reflected, typically both shortwave and longwave), surface temperature, soil heat flux, and soil temperature, all of which are reported at 15-min intervals. Instruments used changed from season to season, which is another reason that subsidiary datasets and data dictionaries for each season are required. The Bushland weighing lysimeter research program was described by Evett et al. (2016), and lysimeter design is described by Marek et al. (1988). Important conventions concerning the data-time correspondence, sign conventions, and terminology specific to the USDA ARS, Bushland, TX, field operations are given in the resource titled "Conventions for Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets".,There are six datasets in this collection. Common symbols and abbreviations used in the datasets are defined in the resource titled, "Symbols and Abbreviations for Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets". Datasets consist of Excel (xlsx) files. Each xlsx file contains an Introductory tab that explains the other tabs, lists the authors, describes conventions and symbols used and lists any instruments used. The remaining tabs in a file consist of dictionary and data tabs. The six datasets are as follows:,See the README for descriptions of each dataset.,The soil is a Pullman series fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll. Soil properties are given in the resource titled "Soil Properties for the Bushland, TX, Weighing Lysimeter Datasets". The land slope in the lysimeter fields is <0.3% and topography is flat. The mean annual precipitation is ~470 mm, the 20-year pan evaporation record

,Data and code for "Cover crop inclusion and residue retention improves soybean production and physiology in drought conditions",CONTEXT: Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) planting has increased in central and western North Dakota despite frequent drought occurrences that limit productivity. Soybean plants need high photosynthetic and transpiration rates to be productive, but they also need high water use efficiency when water is limited. Retaining crop residues and including cover crops in crop rotations are management strategies that could improve soybean drought resilience in the northern Great Plains.,OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine how a management practice that included cover crops and residue retention impacts agronomic, ecosystem water and carbon dioxide flux, and canopy-scale physiological attributes of soybeans in the northern Great Plains under drought conditions.,METHODS: We compared two soybean fields over two years with business-as-usual and aspirational management that included residue retention and cover crops during a drought year. This comparison was based on yield, aboveground biomass, Phenocam images, and fluxes from eddy covariance and ancillary measurements. These measurements were used to derive meteorological, physical, and physiological attributes with the ‘big leaf’ framework.,RESULTS: Soybean yields were 29% higher under drought conditions in the field managed in a system that included cover crops and residue retention. This yield increase was caused by extending the maturity phenophase by 5 days, increasing agronomic and intrinsic water use efficiency by 27% and 33%, respectively, increasing water uptake, and increasing the rubisco-limited photosynthetic capacity (Vcmax25) by 42%.,CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of cover crops and residue retention into a cropping system improved soybean productivity because of differences in water use, phenology timing, and photosynthetic capacity.,IMPLICATIONS: These results suggest that farmers can improve soybean productivity and yield stability by incorporating cover crops and residue retention into their management practices because these practices allow soybean plants to shift to a more aggressive water uptake strategy.,Data Half_Hourly.csv: Half hour data from eddy covariance towers,Management.csv: data about field management,Phenocamdata.csv: The output of 1_phenocam.Rmd code,Predicted_Height_LAI.csv: The output of 3_Inferring_LAI_and_Height.Rmd,Vegetation.csv: biomass and yield data,Code 1_phenocam.rmd: Code to download Phenocam data and identify phenophase transition dates.,2_Daily_CO2_Water_Fluxes.Rmd: Code to analyze daily carbon and water fluxes (Figure 1, 2 3 and Table 2).,3_Inferring_LAI_and_Height.Rmd: Code to calculate the predicted LAI and height for each day. The output is used in the big-leaf framework.,4_Big_Leaf.Rmd: Code for the big-leaf ecophysiology estimates (Figure 4, 5 and 6; Table 3 and 4).,4_Data_Dictionary_Variables: Code to identify the data dictionary variables.,