Smart irrigation utilizes technology in food production
Adequate water is essential in food production. Like people, crops have water requirements to sustain life. Without adequate water, crops would be unable to produce food and meet the growing needs of the population.
Irrigation is the process of applying controlled amounts of water to crops to ensure their healthy growth. Irrigation isn’t a choice for growers as every crop requires a certain amount of water to produce. In most cases, crops are grown during the warm, dry, summer months, and adequate rainfall isn’t always possible. When rainfall fails to meet the water requirements, growers utilize irrigation to supplement crop water requirements.
Smart irrigation systems allow growers to minimize water use while optimizing food production efforts. Smart irrigation utilizes technology to analyze weather and field data and provide individual irrigation plans. Several factors including weather, soil type and sprinkler application rates are considered, and smart systems automatically adjust watering cycles based on needs.
There are two common types of smart irrigation systems: weather-based and sensor-based.
Weather-based smart irrigation systems analyze geographical weather data including temperature, wind, solar radiation and humidity levels to calculate needed water. Weather-based systems measure evapotranspiration, which is the combined amount of evaporation from soil surface and transpiration from plants, to adjust watering cycles based on scientific calculations.
Sensor-based smart irrigation systems measure the actual moisture in the soil and adjust watering cycles on the data collected. Sensors are buried in the root zone to analyze moisture and relay the irrigation controller.
July is Smart Irrigation Month. Join us throughout the month as we introduce various smart irrigation technologies used in the agricultural industry.