Flood irrigation for example has environmental impacts that are really really good. So we looked at the impact of stopping flood irrigation and switching to center pivot irrigation.
It could rob the groundwater it would evaporate off the soil and it wouldn't go back into the river
and increasing population pressure requires the development of methods to produce more food with fewer irrigation resources.
Asia accounts for the majority of the worldâ##s reuse of wastewater in irrigation and given that China is the worldâ##s most populous country millions of people may be exposed to health risks from contamination.
and then used a statistical model to estimate rotavirus disease burdens associated with wastewater irrigation. Rotavirus is associated with diarrheal disease in children
Considering the global increase in wastewater use for agricultural irrigation assessing the health risks from reuse schemes is necessary to develop better wastewater management policies to protect public health.
In areas where water is in short supply irrigation infrastructure can be expensive and the model could help to determine its economic cost effectiveness.
and the amount of irrigation needed to produce a given weight of grain. Researchers begin by using satellite derived evapotranspiration estimates at thermal infrared bands to deduce the amount of moisture being transpired by plants.
Then you can determine just how much irrigation and other inputs you might need to get a given result.
If irrigation in the Central Valley of California was reduced due to climate change could other regions make up for that drop in production?
Challenged to find ways to manage irrigation needs while recognizing the limitations of freshwater resources many commercial horticulture operations are showing increased interest in the use of wireless sensor networks (WSN)--technology designed to both monitor and control irrigation events.
A review published in Horttechnology highlights the recent advances in specific WSN technology and discusses implications for its use in commercial horticulture settings.
Previous studies have demonstrated the utility of sensor-controlled irrigation explained Matthew Chappell lead author of the report.
The subsequent step in facilitating adoption of this technology has been the on-farm implementation of soil moisture-based irrigation hardware
soil moisture sensors to both monitor and control irrigation events. Since on-farm testing of these wireless sensor networks (WSNS) to monitor
and control irrigation scheduling began in 2010 WSNS have been deployed in a diverse assortment of commercial horticulture operations the authors said.
Some growers use WSNS as fully functional irrigation controllers. Other growers use components of WSNS specifically the web-based graphical user interface (GUI) to monitor grower-controlled irrigation schedules.
The case studies we documented exemplify the advancements that can be made in product development deployment and implementation when researchers work together with commercial growers said Chappell.
but also to control irrigation. Based on the positive experiences and comments from our grower collaborators other growers have been eager to try WSNS in their operations.
Sensor-based irrigation systems show potential to increase greenhouse profitabilitywireless sensor-based irrigation systems can offer significant benefits to greenhouse operators.
Advances in sensor technology and increased understanding of plant physiology have made it possible for greenhouse growers to use water content sensors to accurately determine irrigation timing and application rates in soilless substrates.
and can save irrigation water labor energy and fertilizer. The authors of a report published in Horttechnology said that the use of sensor-based irrigation technology can also accelerate container and greenhouse plant production time.
Erik Lichtenberg John Majsztrik and Monica Saavoss reported on a study they designed to determine an optimal formula for ascertaining the true profitability of precision irrigation systems.
Sensor-based irrigation systems substitute capital for water and associated inputs such as energy labor and fertilizer the authors explained.
When benefits and costs accrue at different points in time calculating profit --or indeed comparing them in any way--requires putting benefits and costs on a common time footing.
The scientists found that controlling irrigation using data from moisture sensors led to substantial reductions in both production time and crop losses.
even if efficiency gains are not as high as those in the study controlling irrigation using wireless sensor systems is likely to increase profitability substantially.
and Earth System Sciences journal intensive organic matter using composted manure prior to planting resulted in significantly higher groundwater pollution rates compared with liquid fertilization techniques through drip irrigation.
Flushing a field is a form of irrigation where the field is brought to a shallow flood and then drained.
or for irrigation during hot and dry conditions he said. Adams tested zero one and two flushes with water across a rice field to check the efficacy of three different seed treatments.
and looked at the effects of different planting depths and irrigation frequencies on the three aromatics.
The team applied two irrigation frequencies throughout the study: sparse (5 or 7 days in shallow and deep substrate respectively) and normal (3 or 5 days in shallow and deep substrate respectively) and recorded plant growth from May to October.
and normal irrigation produced taller plants compared with sparse irrigation the researchers said. In both Helichrysum species we found there were interactions of the main factors in almost all growth parameters;
therefore the only conclusion we drew concerning factor effects was that irrigation frequency did not affect the diameter and the dry weight of H. italicum plants.
The researchers noted that a remarkable result was that shallow compost-amended substrate with sparse irrigation resulted in similar
or even bigger plant growth of all plant species compared with deep peat-amended substrate with normal irrigation.
Growers must rely on irrigation to sustain citrus crops through dry winters so understanding how to determine citrus irrigation needs is critical for successful operations.
Authors of a study published in Hortscience noted that current methods used to determine moisture needs for citrus are limited in that they do not account for effects of cold acclimation on water requirements.
The authors added that the study findings could have implications for commercial citrus growers who currently use traditional measures of determining irrigation scheduling during winter months.
Tatiana Borisova and Pilar Useche from the University of Florida conducted a study published in Horttechnology to determine the effectiveness of free 2-hour irrigation management workshops conducted by the Florida Cooperative Extension service in cooperation with a local water provider
and other organizations to encourage more efficient irrigation water use and residential water conservation explained lead author Borisova.
The overall objective of the workshop was to improve the irrigation efficiency by reducing water wastes.
and workshop attendance cannot reduce their irrigation water use further without negatively affecting the yard aesthetics
because it requires dry climates with significant irrigation and is less resistant to pathogens and pests. â#oefor a long time cotton breeders have been trying to develop upland cotton with the fiber qualities of barbadense cottonâ#Pepper said. â#oeglobally everybodyâ##s trying to do it.
The necessary adaptations include improving irrigation efficiency changing the mix of cultivated crops to include more winter crops such as winter rape seed
Everything in Israel has irrigation--80 percent of the country. Not because it saves water;
Metaphorically speaking, he's betting the farm that the next revolution in agriculture will be more about software and machines than soil and irrigation.
New irrigation system helps farmers conserve water Infographic: What is the water footprint in the U s
while decreasing the amount of water needed for irrigation. That's just one of the high-level takeaways shared by Ian Hope-Johnstone, director of agricultural sustainability for Pepsico global operations, with whom
and better manage irrigation needs. An infographic (below) created by Float Mobile Learning suggests that a growing number of North american farmers are now using smartphones
including public supply (water towers), domestic use (showers, faucets), irrigation, livestock, aquaculture, industrial use, mining, and thermoelectric power generation.
1 percent Irrigation: 31 percent Livestock: less than 1 percent Aquaculture: 2 percent Industrial use: 4 percent Mining:
irrigation and power generation. As such, the study attributes the decline since the 1970s to the increased use of more efficient irrigation systems and alternative technologies at power plants.
Meanwhile, water withdrawals for the public supply--water towers, etc. --have increased steadily since 1950 along with increases in population,
Not surprisingly, the states with the most power generation and irrigation applications used the most fresh surface water:
California, Texas, Idaho and Illinois. Similarly, the states with the most irrigation used the most fresh groundwater:
a urinal for girls Invention uses sunlight to produce clean water New irrigation system helps farmers conserve water
Smarter home irrigation technologiescontributor s Note: This is an ongoing column in water sustainability, consumption and management issues.
I received in the past week from two companies seeking to provide smarter home irrigation technologies. These companies, Cyber-Rain and ET Water, have released both recently cloud services that provide guidance about
What we are providing is smart irrigation in the palm of your hand. XCI Cloud gives property owners
ET Water's GNOME Smart Irrigation Calculator, which is billed as ET Water's first consumer application doesn't rely on any particular sensor technology.
Plant types Soil composition Slope of the soil Sun exposure The type of irrigation you're using (hose versus sprinkler versus drip lines, etc.
there are many smart irrigation technologies, but these cloud-based services will probably become more ubiquitous.
Testing an irrigation treadle Well, she did the same thing that the medical students, engineers and other non-designers in d. school courses do:
The solutions--everything from irrigation systems to grain grinders to medical braces--used design innovations to reduce the cost of current solutions.
For example, Jessi's team devised a foot-pump irrigation system for Burmese farmers that could be made with locally-sourced materials
and manufacturing systems and would cost the farmers 50 percent less than current mechanized irrigation pumps.
Biomimetic irrigation system wins James Dyson Awarda concept for efficiently harvesting water to irrigate crops by condensing water underground
Linacre has said that his design for the Airdrop Irrigation system, which uses a turbine to gather
Here's a video of Linacre discussing the Airdrop Irrigation system: The James Dyson Foundation, an educational charity created by The british designer James Dyson to support science,
Linacre will now use the award as funding to further develop the Airdrop Irrigation system into a real product
IBM analytics technology helps Sun World use drip irrigation to decrease its water usage by 8. 5%.That difference is readily apparent in a new agribusiness case study that was brought to my attention by the IBM mid-market group.
The company has been acting on its water consumption to change irrigation techniques, a practice that has helped now it reduce water usage by 8. 5 percent per unit since 2006.
Crops planted in the water-saving soil live off this reserved moisture instead of irrigation. Water stress concentrates sugar
and fertilizer and irrigation canals and be outraged that fashionable elitists back home were trying to deny them these things.
running irrigation sources, heat buildings and crop dryers and, of course, transportation. This means it needs more in the way of resources than the earth can replenish.
The bioswales also act as a rainwater filtration system retaining excess water for irrigation of the gardens and parks within the development...
This makes innovation in crop irrigation, as well as diversification of crops, even more dire. In a study released earlier this year by the Polytechnic University of Cartegena
With 70 percent of the world's water supply going to irrigation, the cheapest source of water is going to our farmers.
With low-flow irrigation and other off-the-shelf devices, we're reducing it by 50 to 70 percent.
A lot of what we're starting to see is pickup of much more efficient irrigation. They need the financial incentive.
The enormous amount of food grain production in the state has been made possible due to irrigation, chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
which provides an energy-saving irrigation system--still a work in progress â for its vegetables and fish.
Ravindranath from the Rural Volunteer Centre, explained that mining activity has made the river water so heavy that farmers can't use it for irrigation.
for irrigation and industry, doesn't need to be nearly as clean as the stuff we drink.
Homes have to be outfitted with a different sort of equipment to allow reuse of greywater for landscape irrigation and other purposes,
and maintain the irrigation system. One of the things that people don t talk about when they talk about the food system is who is working,
The first outdoor technologies to be labeled under the effort will be irrigation controllers, which control the frequency
Watersense-blessed irrigation controllers will be tied into local weather data, so that plants and grass will be watered only when conditions call for it.
The new irrigation controllers could hit the market by spring 2012, just in time for next year's landscaping season.
the value of wastewater Greenpeace challenges apparel industry to come clean Pushing for more disclosure Smarter home irrigation technologies Smart grid gains ground with water managers 3 water
New irrigation system helps farmers conserve waterthe world is getting undeniably thirstier. Recent studies project that water demand in many countries will exceed supply by 40 percent by the year 2030.
the drought-prone nation has been exploring potential solutions to wasteful irrigation practices that have threatened to impede industrial growth.
The company has developed an irrigation system for farmers that may help to shore up the problem of excessive water use.
Compared to expensive large-scale pressurized irrigation systems that require the complete flooding of large plots of farmland
The treated water can be reused to flush the toilet or for irrigation. Loughborough University in the UK won the $60,
and can be used for washing or irrigation. Eram Scientific Solutions Private Limited received $450, 000 grant to make public toilets more accessible to the urban poor via the eco-friendly and hygienic etoilet.
If successful, the smart irrigation system would give the tubers precisely the amount of water they require for optimal growth,
fertilizers, biofuels, irrigation equipment, management and infrastructure development. The second study is published in the June 2009 AMBIO:
They did it by designing radically affordable irrigation equipment in the beginning. I started by interviewing at great depth $1 a day small farmers.
 We applied that model to other products like low-cost drip irrigation. You can't donate people out of poverty.
Despommier says that scaling  aeroponics, hydroponics and drip irrigation to the size of a 30-story,
Linacre stole this year's competition with his Airdrop irrigation concept that collects water from thin air.
The Swinburne University of Technology design graduate was driven to transform an ancient cooling technique into a new subsurface irrigation system, following the enduring Australian drought that saw high levels of farmer suicide
The Airdrop irrigation concept is a low-tech design that uses the simple process of conden...
James Dyson Award) Airdrop is a new subsurface irrigation system (image: James Dyson Award) The Airdrop irrigation concept is a low-tech design that uses the simple process of condensation to harvest water from the air.
Utilizing a turbine intake system, air is channeled underground through a network of piping that quickly cools the air to soil temperature.
ready to be pumped out via subsurface drip irrigation hosing. The Airdrop design also features an LCD screen displaying water levels, pressure strength, solar battery life and system health.
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