Potato Growers Provide Irrigation Insights

“We, as farmers, need to be better irrigators. Irrigation scheduling at different crop growth stages for different application depths needs to be practiced more. For this to occur, you need an accurate, measured flow.”

That’s just one of the responses to an online survey conducted by the editorial team at Spudman – a publication written for potato growers, packers, shippers and processors.

Here’s some of what Spudman’s readers had to say about irrigation:

What is your primary source of irrigation water?

• Groundwater – 48%
• Surface water – 38%
• Part of a water district – 11%
• Municipal water system – 2%
• Private irrigation company – 1%

Which irrigation system(s) do you use? (Respondents could pick multiple answers)

• Center pivot – 88%
• Above-ground piping and sprinklers (solid set) – 35%
• Lateral move (or linear move) – 23%
• Drip – 13%
• Below ground piping (permanent set) – 4%

When was the last time you made a significant change in your irrigation system?

• Within the past 3 years – 71%
• 4 to 10 years ago – 18%
• 10 – 15 years ago – 10%
• More than 15 years ago – 2%

What irrigation technologies are you using/have used? (Respondents could pick multiple answers)

• Soil moisture monitoring – 80%
• Variable rate – 39%
• Smart irrigation – 37%
• Weather sensors – 35%

For more results and reader comments, visit Spudman.

If you would like more information about our irrigation solutions, including FieldNET Advisor^®, the industry’s first irrigation scheduling and decision support tool, talk to your local Zimmatic dealer or visit Zimmatic online.