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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #323936
Title: Development of a sensor based software to improve irrigation management of center pivot systems

Author
item ANDRADE, MANUEL - Orise Fellow
item Oshaughnessy, Susan
item Evett, Steven

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/16/2016
Publication Date: 1/16/2015
Citation: Andrade, M.A., Oshaughnessy, S.A., Evett, S.R. 2015. Development of a sensor based software to improve irrigation management of center pivot systems. China-USA. Water Technologies Conference, Long Beach, CA., November 9, 2015

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Experiments carried out at Bushland, TX, by scientists with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS), have shown that canopy temperature based irrigation scheduling methods can be effectively used on a commercial scale for site-specific irrigation management using a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and a center pivot variable rate irrigation (VRI) system. Due to the complexity of operating these systems, scientists at Bushland have developed a user friendly software, named ARSmartPivot (ARSP), to simplify their management. ARSP automates the collection of data from wireless sensor networks required to gather canopy temperature and microclimate data, incorporates site-specific irrigation scheduling methods based on plant stress, and provides tools for the remote operation of center pivot systems. ARSP seeks to be accessible to users without in-depth knowledge of sensing systems or irrigation scheduling methods. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) concepts were implemented in ARSP's Graphical User Interface (GUI) to facilitate the simultaneous monitoring and operation of multiple center pivots, as well as the spatial and temporal analysis of information collected by the plant feedback system. Future versions of ARSP will provide additional tools that enhance user interaction and control of the system, such as a self-diagnostic tool that alerts users when a critical component of the system is not working as expected.