Location: Soil and Water Management Research
Title: Modern irrigation management: Forget Nostradamus; Tesla had it right!Author
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Submitted to: Irrigation Today
Publication Type: Trade Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/2018 Publication Date: 7/20/2018 Citation: Colaizzi, P.D., O'Shaughnessy, S.A. 2018. Modern irrigation management: Forget Nostradamus; Tesla had it right. Irrigation Today. 3(1)21:22. Interpretive Summary: As water for irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer decreases, farmers will need to better match crop water needs with supply. Crops need certain amounts of water to make the most yield. Modern irrigation systems can apply precise amounts of water anywhere in a farmer’s field. This can save water and make it available for other uses. However, farmers need to know where and when water is needed, and where and when water was applied. High speed internet and cellular phone coverage are now available in many rural locations, and mobile devices such as smart phones are powerful and easy to use. Therefore, farmers are now adopting the internet and smart phones to manage their irrigation systems. Technical Abstract: The role of the internet and mobile devices in the control and feedback of irrigation systems is reviewed. This role is placed in the larger context of four distinct components required for irrigation management, including 1. the control panel; 2. remote control; 3. soil, plant, and weather (SPW) sensors and feedback; and 4. analytics. Ongoing research and development is making advances in all four component areas, but the most rapid advances and growth in commercial products are anticipated for sensors and analytics. |
