North Florida Watermelon Farms Adopt Smart Irrigation Tech
May marks peak watermelon season in North Florida, and farmers are hard at work preparing for harvest around Memorial Day.
Increasingly, many are turning to automated irrigation systems instead of manually adjusting water valves a shift that’s making a significant impact.
A recent UF/IFAS study of nine Suwannee Valley watermelon growers managing 1,883 acres showed they collectively saved 164 million gallons of water in one year through automation.
“We're flirting with saving more than 696 million gallons of water each year if the farmers of all 8,000 acres of watermelon in the region adopt this technology,” said Tyler Pittman, a UF/IFAS agriculture and natural resources agent who led the study.
With support from Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) grants, Pittman has spent years promoting automation.
Pittman outreach includes 110 acres of demonstration plots, Extension programs attended by hundreds, and one-on-one consultations with interested farmers.
Efficient irrigation is critical for watermelon farming. UF/IFAS recommends short, frequent watering to enhance absorption and reduce nutrient loss.
Traditional systems require farmers to travel between fields to operate valves manually. In contrast, wireless automation lets growers control irrigation remotely via smartphone apps.
“Farmers can irrigate their fields while sitting on a beach on an island somewhere,” Pittman said. “All they need is an internet connection.”
Eighty-nine percent of surveyed farmers said automation saved them time on average, 1.7 fewer hours in the field daily. They also cut irrigation run times by 1.4 hours per day, a 24% reduction.
Adam Whitehurst, a grower in Alachua and Levy counties, said, “The system allows me to monitor fertilizer run times and measure exactly how much I put out. The crop just grows better.”
Cost-share programs have been key. Two-thirds of surveyed farmers said they wouldn’t have invested without financial help.