1. Precision Irrigation By Steven Calhoun

2. Irrigated cropland Water is the most limiting resource for most producers in many regions. The law of minimum – Limiting factor

3. Irrigated acreage In 2008 US farmers and ranchers irrigated 54.9 million acres of farmland.

4. Irrigation types Surface Drip/micro Pivot

5. Flood/Furrow Uses gravity to transport water management practices to consider include precision land leveling Auto steer rows/channels Hard to control

6. Flood/Furrow Water lost to runoff/evaporation Soil erosion Conventional tillage

7. Surface Irrigation

8. Drip/Micro High efficiency Well suited to automation Less labor intensive Precise application

9. Drip/Micro Problems Water quality is very important Limited from deep tillage Initial cost

10. Drip/mirco

11. Drip/Micro

12. Pivot Even application over field More efficient application Less runoff/evaporation

13. Pivot Maintenance Tracks Move for field operations

14. Variable Rate Irrigation provides precision control of all sprinklers on a pivot individually pulsing sprinklers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es_yv- NevTo&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es_yv- NevTo&feature=player_embedded

15. Variable Rate Software Rate management – Soil type – Dual crops Arial photo/Soil map Soil samples GPS recordings

16. Variable Rate Irrigation Central controller Node Valve Easy to apply

17. Variable Rate Irrigation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXhB6A- p3R8&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXhB6A- p3R8&feature=player_embedded

18. Questions?