WORLD AG EXPO PRESENTS IRRIGATION SEMINARS
World Ag Expo sent via AgPR--the news distribution service for agriculture
World Ag Expo will present three days of seminars, in the newly expanded Expo Seminar Center, with a different emphasis each day. The expanded seminar, located in the southeast area of the grounds, seats 90 attendees. All of World Ag Expo's seminars are provided free of charge with a paid admission.
A full day of seminars related to new technologies and innovations in crop irrigation will help farmers incorporate new tools and strategies for maximizing productivity with a limited water supply.
Crop Irrigation Seminar Schedule
February 11, 2010
10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Determining Irrigation Requirements for Every Plant Growth Stage
Careful considerations of irrigation strategy and target moisture levels at every crop growth stage are key to promoting plant health and securing optimal yield and quality. Tools will be presented for calculating and managing the delivery of irrigation water that help better meet plant-water needs at all crop growth stages and that easily can be incorporated into a grower's irrigation decision-making. Studies have shown that a crop's potential is closely tied to managing plant-available water in the soil at each crop growth stage. Failing to meet plant-water requirements at every growth stage, from dormancy through bloom and all the way to post-harvest, can compromise results not only in this year's harvest but in future years as well. For example, refilling the deep moisture bank during dormancy and pre-bloom will help impact the success of fruit development and resulting crop quality and yield.
This presentation will look at tools for simplifying management of plant-water requirements. These include annual water budgets capable of identifying plant-water requirements at each growth stage as well as scheduling and reporting tools that simplify the process of making daily irrigation decisions.
Speaker:
Matt Angell, PureSense
10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. Getting More from Less-Scheduling Irrigation Based on Crop Demand
Limited availability of water for agricultural irrigation is foremost for many growers in the West. Strain on the water conveyance infrastructure has brought public scrutiny to irrigation practices that have been employed for decades. Political pressures, environmental concerns, water rights, and other issues combined with record drought conditions have made it increasingly more important to manage every drop of water very carefully. However, in order to manage this precious resource, growers must have an accurate and reliable method of measuring soil moisture status in order to improve irrigation-scheduling practices. The most efficient irrigation schedule will provide only what the crop demands to replenish the depleted soil moisture. In some cases growers may apply more than this amount for deep leaching, which requires even more diligence to ensure water is not wasted.
The seminar will present several methods of monitoring soil moisture status for maximum irrigation efficiency as well as improved crop yield. The principle of soil tension measurement and how it relates to various crop types will be discussed. Methods of manual and automatic data collection will be explained. Various options for remotely accessing the data will also be covered. Most importantly will be sharing how monitoring soil moisture can improve irrigation efficiency and reduce associated costs such as fuel and electric power consumption, labor, nutrient application, and wear and tear on irrigation equipment.
Speaker:
Lanny Sowell, Irrometer
11 a.m. -11:30 a.m. Increasing Yields While Reducing Inputs Using Wireless Ranch Control
Today's farmers need new approaches to increasing their yields to stay competitive, while at the same time dealing with more limited inputs, such as water and labor. This presentation describes the concept of "Wireless Ranch Control- a comprehensive approach to gaining complete control of a farm operation by monitoring a wide range of environmental and operational factors affecting yield, as well as implementing automation of critical functions. The factors that can be monitored include temperature (e.g. frost and heat waves); relative humidity (e.g. disease); wind (ETo and spraying); solar radiation (Eto); soil moisture; water resource levels (ponds, tanks); water pressure (irrigation system performance); pH (acid injection performance); water flow (irrigation records); and crop imagery (cameras). The factors that can be controlled include irrigation valves; pumps; and work flow. The presentation will discuss these various factors, how they can drive yield while minimizing input, as well as the challenges to implementation. The practical benefits will be demonstrated through customer case stories.
Speaker:
Jacob Christfort, Ranch Systems
11:30 a.m. - Noon A Case Study in Utilizing UgMO Wireless Soil Sensors for Soil, Plant and Irrigation Management Scheduling Irrigation Based on Crop Demand
The presentation will discuss an innovative wireless soil monitoring system, UgMO, for tracking in real time soil moisture, salinity and temperature. It allows the user access to this data anywhere and anytime through a stationary or mobile internet browser, which displays the data in an easy to understand yet informative live interface. Case studies using the UgMO system, including alfalfa and potatoes in Colorado and a golf course and sports complex in California, will be presented briefly along with sample data and observations. The UgMO system has been shown to sensitively track changes in soil moisture, salinity, and temperature and has, in practice, been used by irrigation managers to significantly modify their practices to reduce water consumption and improve the crop and turf quality. The UgMO system has the potential to greatly change agricultural irrigation practices both to reduce water consumption and improve crop quality and to help eliminate fertilizer leaching into groundwater while allowing for precise management of salinity issues.
Speaker:
Carmen Magro, Advanced Sensor Technology
Noon - 1 p.m. Solar and Irrigation From a Farmer's Perspective
The increase of solar-energy use for irrigation and other agricultural purposes has soared in recent years. During this session, a farmer who implemented solar will discuss the pros and cons.
Speaker:
To be determined
1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Irrigation Pump Efficiency Testing
Twenty percent of the energy consumed in California is used to move water. Pumps move water for municipal, agricultural, wastewater and other applications. This energy usage is a large portion of the connected load. Energy- efficient pumps moving water properly can save huge amounts of electricity and fossil fuels consumed to power them.
An example of a pump test will be shown and explained during this seminar. Following is a brief explanation on how pumps work and how to determine their efficiency. A pump-efficiency test can be performed to determine the Overall Pumping Plant Efficiency (OPE) of an individual pump. The test compares the energy into the plant (in the form of electricity, diesel, natural gas, gasoline, etc.) versus the energy out in the form of water flow and pressure being developed by the pump. The OPE is a percentage of that energy in versus energy out. Thousands of pumps have been tested over the last few years in California, and a significant percentage have room for improvement based on the OPE measurement. There are many reasons an OPE can change over time. Pump wear, groundwater level changes (water table lowering in dry years), irrigation or water delivery system changes, poor maintenance or design, and well plugging are the main problems that contribute to pump efficiency decreases. The pump test is the first step to determine a baseline OPE. The pump manager can then make informed business decisions regarding the retrofit/repair of individual pumps and use this information wisely. Other measurements are also determined on the pump efficiency test that can aid in proper management of the pump system.
Speaker:
Bill Green, Center for Irrigation Technology, Fresno State
1:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. The Advantages of Closely Spaced Emitters
There are many advantages in using drip irrigation with closely spaced emitters. In fruit and vegetable row crop production, many producers successfully use drip tape systems to germinate seed and set transplants without the traditional use of sprinklers. A technique common to their success is the use of drip tape with closely spaced emitters to achieve desired wetting patterns. This seminar will address the specific techniques of three producers growing strawberries and celery in California and onions in Oregon.
Speaker:
Inge Bisconer, Toro Micro-Irrigation
2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Center Pivot Irrigation Systems
What are the advantages and disadvantages of center pivot irrigation systems? Geared to those who are interested in more information about the technology or who may want to install a system, the seminar will provide detailed information about the Valmont center pivot system.
Speaker:
Ray Batten, Valmont Industries
2:30 - 3 p.m. Irrigating Rice With Mechanized Irrigation
This seminar will focus on the information and data that has been collected over the last three years in research and field scale production sites in Brazil, U.S. and Pakistan using center pivots and linears for irrigating rice. Data will be presented on water and energy savings, changes to traditional rice production techniques used, general economics and irrigation management schemes. The discussion will close with a review of parameters believed to be required for successful rice production using mechanized irrigation.
Speaker:
Jake L LaRue, Valmont Industries
The 43rd annual World Ag Expo 2010, powering global agriculture, will run February 9-11 at the International Agri-Center show grounds in Tulare, CA. An estimated 100,000 attendees from 67 countries are expected to attend World Ag Expo this year. The expo is the largest annual agricultural show of its kind with 1,600 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show grounds.
Online attendee registration is now open at WorldAgExpo. Those who register online through Feb. 1 will save time at the gate, $2 off daily admission, and be automatically entered to win a Yamaha Rhino and other registration prizes. World Ag Expo tickets are $10 online if purchased before Feb. 1, or $12 at the gate. Attendees who pick up their badges at the onsite registration center also will receive a complimentary admission to West Coast Nationals on the same day. For more information about West Coast Nationals, go to westcoastnationals.com.