TECHNOLOGY Figure 1
A) Contour levees constructed to maintain a particular slope in each rice paddy
B) Straight levee method for growing rice
Irrigation design validation Matthew Morris, an early drone adopter in Arkansas, utilized his RGB-equipped drone to evaluate the the performance of the irrigation design tools and applications used. After implementing the irrigation design, Morris flew the drone to assess the uniformity of his irrigation system. After inspecting the drone imagery, he realized the irrigation design needed to be adjusted to ensure equal distribution of the irrigation water across the field. Morris readjusted the blue irrigation gates installed on the polypipe, and the images in figure 2 (pg. 14) show the irrigation design performance before and after the adjustments. This drone imagery solution for his field helped Morris win first place in an Arkansas irrigation contest.
C) Drone imagery was used in this field to trace each contour and straight rice paddy
for irrigation design and management purposes. Sources: a: Sustainable Rice Best Management Practices, b: P&P Consulting, c: Mike Hamilton
Arkansas producers are making incredible strides in increasing irrigation efficiency to sustain water resources for future generations.
12 Irrigation TODAY | Summer 2020
Drainage canals & ditches With unpredictable precipitation events, ditches and drainage canals need to be maintained to clear debris or other problems caused by such events. Figure 3 (pg. 14) shows where a drone was utilized to fly over the ditches and drainage canal, and a map was created to guide the excavator driver to the debris location. This method has advantages for ditch cleaning over driving along the drainage canal, including potential time savings, cost savings and efficient flood control.
irrigationtoday.org
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