TECH CORNER
Integration of pivot control technologies offers automation & cost-effective water-use efficiency By Kay Ledbetter
A
The team designed a system utilizing off-the-shelf sensors and components to create a cost-effective and platform- independent system.
dvancing agricultural irrigation management and efficiency through cost-effective integration of data,
machine learning and automation with commercially available center pivot technology is the goal of a Texas A&M AgriLife-led team.
The team designed a system utilizing off- the-shelf sensors and components to create a cost-effective and platform-independent system that will allow producers to realize benefits of irrigation technologies by integrating and automating information and decision support tools.
The novel, next-generation center pivot automation and control system, or CPACS, integrates three important components:
Center pivot control system: High accuracy GPS data guides the center pivot speed and location controls.
Weather, crop & soil moisture data: This information allows the computer software to best prescribe the right amount of water at the right time. It integrates real-time soil moisture monitoring, near real-time and short-term evapotranspiration rates, and precipitation forecasting. Crop models with crop type and growth stage also help the system know how much water the plants need at different times during the growing season.
Soil moisture sensor placement: Though soil moisture sensing is not a new technique in the agricultural world, the technology has not always been optimized on a location- specific basis. This methodology recommends sensor placement based on local soil conditions and crop root zone depth, as well as sensor and communications reliability. This assists in balancing data reliability and cost- effectiveness.
Thomas Marek makes adjustments to the
CPACS sprinkler system. Photo: Kay Ledbetter
36 Irrigation TODAY | Summer 2021
irrigationtoday.org
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