SYSTEM INTEGRATION & AUTOMATION
set durations based on the recent crop water use.
But, if labor constraints limit the system, those set durations can be difficult or impossible to implement. For example, if the irrigator needs eight hours to visit all the valves on the farm, then the farm can’t change sets more than three times a day (assuming they are running 24/7) and can’t run sets longer than eight hours without scrambling their labor schedule. The consequence is that the set durations are tuned to the labor constraint rather than the crop water use, and irrigation efficiency suffers. With a fully automated system, the farm can change set durations as needed, and the farm can change sets as frequently (or infrequently) as the farm’s water supply allows.
Energy savings The second example involves energy savings. Many power companies have variable rate energy pricing where prices vary seasonally, weekly and by the time of day. Taking advantage of these programs requires shutting down or reducing pumping during the peak periods of the day. When labor limitations constrain a farm’s irrigation schedule, the farm may not be able to implement the additional
One of the electrical junctions used to automate valve controls on the Fresno State Farm Photo: Geoff Thurner
shutdown and startups or adjust set durations to accommodate the times when prices are lower.
Another typical energy program is one where farms are asked to shut down pumping when the power provider expects high power demand, so-called demand response programs. For labor- constrained systems, it may be impossible to participate in these programs because the unplanned shutdown will disrupt the irrigation schedule and cause cascading disruptions that can last for days or weeks. Full system automation can make both of these energy programs easier to implement because the automation makes it easier to adjust the irrigation schedule.
In 1982, the Center for Irrigation Technology installed a partially automated solar pumping plant at the Fresno State Vineyards. (L to R) David Zoldoske, EdD, CID, and Ed Norum
are shown inspecting the system during operation. Photo: Center for Irrigation Technology
12 Irrigation TODAY | Winter 2022
One key obstacle to drip automation that must be considered is cost. The capital cost of whole system automation is a significant investment and can be discouraging. However, there is some help available to growers that want to adopt automation. The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental
Quality Incentives Program-Conservation Incentives Contracts programs have some support for automation in certain circumstances. Contact your state NRCS about how it can assist with automation using information from irrigation water management sensor data.
Turning data into recommendations The final and perhaps most impactful feature of a fully integrated system is the automated translation of sensor data into irrigation recommendations that the control system can implement. This critical feature has only recently started to appear in manufacturer’s products, but it can have a profound impact on irrigation management. One of the obstacles to using advanced sensor systems is the laborious cost of data integration: collecting all the data and turning it into actionable information. A fully automated and integrated system will (or should) substantially reduce this data integration burden and thus make precision management easier. With many manufacturers now offering fully automated solutions that are turnkey or nearly so, hopefully adoption will also be more common.
Charles Hillyer, PhD State University, Fresno.
1 Langford, Gary Oliver. Toward a general theory of systems integration: Research in the context of systems engineering. University of South Australia, 2012.
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