Seminar Series: 27 Index Fresh, Irrigation Automation Recap

In October, the Index Fresh team took its show on the road, bringing experts in automated irrigation and Integrated Pest Management (IMP) to California growers. We held our annual seminar in San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Temecula, providing over 150 growers with an opportunity to learn about new tools to improve their growing practices and ultimately increase yield and revenue.

Read on for a taste of the irrigation automation presentations at Seminar 27. To learn more about Pest Control Advisor Tom Roberts’ detailed presentation on Avocado 1PM and for additional information about automated irrigation, watch the video recording at indexfresh.com/seminar/seminar-27/

Automated irrigation, why bother? “In my mind the number one reason to consider automation is to save time and money,” California avocado grower John Cornell told an audience of avocado growers at the Index Fresh Grower Seminar on Oct. 24.

Technology gains in agriculture in recent years have reduced the cost of installing and implementing automated irrigation. A number of companies offer automated systems, and the products range from relatively straightforward to highly sophisticated. What they all have in common is the ability to improve precision and reduce labor – both of which benefit the grower’s bottom-line.

Research conducted by Andre Biscaro, Irrigation and Water Resources Advisor with U.C. Cooperative Extension, demonstrates that most growers over-irrigate early in the season and under-irrigate late in the season. This trend is a product of guesswork related to how much and how often to irrigate. Sensors and automation help to reduce the guesswork and allow for application of the proper amount of water and fertigation at the proper time. As a result, stress is reduced, health improves, and yield increases.

Labor savings can be significant when irrigation is automated. By programming and remotely monitoring irrigation with a smartphone, growers can tailor timing and volume of water applications to parts of their grove with different needs. “An automated system saves a tremendous amount of time compared to having workers running around turning water off and on,” Cornell noted.

Automation doesn’t mean full time farming from your phone, but its two-way communication can prevent costs associated with some of the unpredictable aspects of farming. Cornell relies on a system that shuts down immediately when there’s a break in a line. “You’re not going to wake up surprised at 5 a.m. to find that 10,000 gallons of water have washed away,” he said.

Climatic data from weather stations can be programmed into many of the automated systems available to growers, and Biscaro pointed out that weather stations inform irrigation rates specific to climate and soil conditions across various avocado growing areas. Soil type is also taken into account to ensure that transpiration rate and water holding capacity are both factored into irrigation rates.

By assisting growers in finding the sweet spot for irrigation- not too much and not too little – automated systems conserve water and reduce fertigation costs. When the tree is provided the right amount of fertigation, wasteful fertilizer run-off becomes a non-issue.

Along with improved yield and lower costs, a major benefit of automated systems is enhanced record keeping. Abundant data is available through many of the systems on the market today, and this information, particularly when captured over time, can instruct decisions that further benefit tree health and productivity.

Technological improvements have made irrigation automation more affordable, and Cornell stressed that the benefits quickly outpace the cost. “I’m a bit of a penny pincher,” he said, “so I really do my research.”