Technology Ushers In Next Wave Of Irrigation Efficiency

Jan 03, 2017

Precision agriculture powered by GPS technology-at first a novelty-has now become the norm, driven in part by economic necessity. Putting fertilizer where it is most needed, in the precise amounts required, improves both input utilization and final yields.

That variable-rate technology, first applied to dry fertilizer application, is now beginning to revolutionize the irrigation industry. A new world where a network of sensors constantly monitors soil moisture conditions and directs systems capable of variable-rate irrigation is rapidly becoming a reality.

This next-generation approach to irrigation is also creating opportunities for more precise and effective application of liquid fertilizer and crop protection products through those systems. Retailers specializing in fluid injection technology, like Agri-Inject of Yuma, Colorado, believe the timing is perfect for this precision revolution.

"Water is an increasingly precious resource," notes Agri-Inject CEO Erik Tribelhorn. "Couple that with the growing regulatory focus on minimizing nutrient leaching and runoff, and the stage is set for systems that manage both water and nutrients with greater precision."

Close to home

The engineers at Agri-Inject don't have to look far to find a real-world scenario in which to develop their variable-rate fluid injection control systems. Farmers in the irrigated western U.S. are increasingly facing regulatory pumping restrictions which limit the amount of water that can be drawn from high-capacity wells each year. Consequently, farmers in their area are very interested in ways to use water more efficiently.

One answer is variable-rate irrigation, which uses sprinklers that can be turned on and off to match the water needs of a growing crop. That also makes the system a perfect vehicle for variable-rate chemigation/fertigation. The challenge-developing a system that can monitor water flow in the irrigation system and adjust fertilizer or chemical rates on the fly.

"That's exactly what our reflex proportional injection system was designed to do," says Tribelhorn. "Irrigation applications now vary based on crop, soil type, moisture probe input, sprinkler speed and other variables. The reflex system senses changing water flows and immediately adjusts injection rates to ensure consistent coverage."

Putting it together

All the elements-variable-rate irrigation systems, fluid injection controllers and soil moisture sensors-take irrigation, fertigation and chemigation where they have never gone before. What does it look like when all these tools come together? Look no further than the Irrigation Research Foundation farm north of Yuma.

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Video: Moving Ag Research Forward Through Collaboration

BY: Ashley Robinson

It may seem that public and private researchers have different goals when it comes to agricultural research. However, their different strategies can work in tandem to drive agricultural research forward. Public research may focus more on high-risk and applied research with federal or outside funding, while private sector researchers focus more on research application.

“For me, the sweet spot for public private sector research is when we identify problems and collaborate and can use that diverse perspective to address the different aspects of the challenge. Public sector researchers can work on basic science high risk solutions as tools and technologies are developed. They then can work with their private sector partners who prototype solutions,” Mitch Tuinstra, professor of plant breeding and genetics in Purdue University’s Department of Agronomy, said during the Jan. 10 episode of Seed Speaks.

Public researchers they have the flexibility to be more curiosity driven in their work and do discovery research. This is complimentary to private research, which focuses on delivering a product, explained Jed Christianson, canola product design lead for Bayer CropScience, explained during the episode.

“As a seed developer, we worry about things like new crop diseases emerging. Having strong public sector research where people can look into how a disease lifecycle cycle works, how widespread is it and what damage it causes really helps inform our product development strategies,” he added.

It’s not always easy though to develop these partnerships. For Christianson, it’s simple to call up a colleague at Bayer and start working on a research project. Working with someone outside of his company requires approvals from more people and potential contracts.

“Partnerships take time, and you always need to be careful when you're establishing those contracts. For discoveries made within the agreement, there need to be clear mechanisms for sharing credits and guidelines for anything brought into the research to be used in ways that both parties are comfortable with,” Christianson said.

Kamil Witek, group leader of 2Blades, a non-profit that works with public and private ag researchers, pointed out there can be limitations and challenges to these partnerships. While private researchers are driven by being able to make profits and stay ahead of competitors, public researchers may be focused on information sharing and making it accessible to all.

“The way we deal with this, we work in this unique dual market model. Where on one hand we work with business collaborators, with companies to deliver value to perform projects for them. And at the same time, we return the rights to our discoveries to the IP to use for the public good in developing countries,” Witek said during the episode.

At the end of the day, the focus for all researchers is to drive agricultural research forward through combining the knowledge, skills and specializations of the whole innovation chain, Witek added.

“If there's a win in it for me, and there's a win in it for my private sector colleagues in my case, because I'm on the public side, it’s very likely to succeed, because there's something in it for all of us and everyone's motivated to move forward,” Tuinstra said.