Irrigation field day showcases water conservation research

by Jennifer Whittaker, Editor

Dave Eigenberg, Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission, explains the benefits of having a water meter installed on an irrigation system. Knowing how much water is applied to a crop and identifying pumping problems are just some of the benefits the meters will provide farmers.

Farmers attending a field day August 5, at the Multi-Crop Irrigation Research Facility located in Shellman, got a glimpse of research being conducted to improve their bottom line through a more efficient use of irrigation. This was the first field day to be held at the research facility established in 2001 by the USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory to coordinate research projects in cooperation with various ag organizations. Research at the irrigation center is intended to maximize every drop of water used to irrigate a crop.

The impact of limited irrigation on crop yields is one of the many issues being addressed by research at the facility. Using an irrigation system that distributes varying amounts of water to different sections of a research plot, researchers are attempting to find the irrigation rate that will give farmers the most yield at the lowest cost so they net the most profit.

“This type of work is important for policy makers. This research has highlighted the importance of irrigation for farmers,” Mark Masters, an economist with the Flint River Water Planning Policy Center, said.

Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of irrigation systems used by farmers has become crucial given the scrutiny that farmers are being placed under for their water use as urban areas in North Georgia continue to need more water.

Following the successful development of Irrigator Pro, a software program that helps peanut farmers efficiently irrigate their crops, cotton researchers are now working to adopt this technology to develop an Irrigator Pro system for cotton.

“As a plant goes into wilt, the amount of light it reflects changes. We’re looking at canopy reflectance as a way to schedule irrigation. We feel like we’re getting really close. The plan is to release software to crop consultants and county agents next year to get feedback,” Craig Bednarz, a UGA cotton physiologist said.

Representatives of the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) were also on hand to give farmers an update on the installation of water meters on irrigation systems required by state law. A cost-share program is currently helping farmers in the Flint River Basin install the meters that are intended to provide the state with an accurate measure of how much water Georgia’s farmers use. By July 1, 2009, no one will be able to use an

“House Bill 579, passed by the Georgia General Assembly two years ago, mandates the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission to be the lead agency in getting accurate records on water use,” Dave Eigenberg, with the GSWCC, explained.

The GSWCC is working to install water meters on all of the irrigation systems in the Flint River Basin first because the state has placed a high priority on having accurate records of water used by agriculture in this basin because of the Georgia/Alabama/Florida water negotiations over the Flint and Chattahochee Rivers. After meters are installed on all

“By placing these meters out there we’re going to get some accurate water usage readings,” Eigenberg said. “Farmers will get an individual report from the Soil and Water Commission on how much water they used. However, for public purposes, data will only be released as a group on a basin wide point of reference.”

State law requires that water meters installed on irrigation systems permitted before July 1, 2003 be purchased, installed and maintained by the GSWCC at no cost to the farmer. Systems permitted after that date may be charged for initial purchase and installation. There is an exception to the latter for backlogged permit applications submitted to EPD before Dec. 31, 2002. The water meters are being funded by the state of Georgia through the One Georgia Fund established with tobacco settlement money. Eigenberg said the GSWCC is trying to use local irrigation dealers to install the meters. For more information about the installation of water meters you may contact Eigenberg at (229) 995-6001.