EQUIPMENT Going underground
ROI =
value gained ÷ cost of implementation
Irrigation is a difficult thing to manage because — outside of the challenge of just keeping a well or pump running and a sprinkler or drip system working — once water is applied you can no longer see it and have little idea of how effective an application of water was for the crop. This often leads to overwatering.
That is why soil moisture sensors, usually called probes, are one of the most effective technologies for providing positive ROI. The most advanced soil moisture probes have sensors at multiple depths to monitor moisture content at each depth. This allows us to see not only how much plant-available water is in the soil but where the crop is using it based on root activity, along with how deep an irrigation or rainfall event infiltrates the profile. It, in a sense, becomes our eyes underground.
Plant-available water in the profile, crop water use and a weather forecast can be very effective tools for scheduling irrigation. Cost will vary depending on the hardware and service used, but keep in mind the hardware is usually a long-term investment.
So, do sensors provide an ROI? Local
research shows energy cost, depending on the source, will range from $3-$6 per acre inch. If a $10-$15 per acre service can save an average of 3 inches of irrigation ($9-$18 savings) it will likely be a positive ROI whenhen factoring in reduced labor and equipmentent cost. And, believe it or not, a yield increase can often be seen because overwatering causes yield loss just like drought can.
18 g Making life easier
Telemetry easily has the highest adoption rate of technology. With monitoring devices that send information about a sprinkler or
on vices or
10 Irrigation TODAY | Winter 2020
irrigationtoday.org
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