Tools and Techniques for Improving Irrigation Efficiency

With water becoming increasingly scarce and expensive, farmers are learning how to increase the efficiency of their water management by using modern monitoring equipment and techniques. Jacob will detail the use of tensiometers to determine the available water potential in the root zone. As water is pulled out of the soil by plants and evaporation, the tensiometer indicates when plant stress is likely to occur. Tom will discuss the Automated Irrigation Advisor, which monitors actual crop Evapotranspiration (ET), measuring how much water the plants actually use day to day. When farmers are able to irrigate using just the amount they need at the time they need it, they can get higher quality crops and reduce their water use, too.