Field day helps farmers conserve water and fuel

Tag : Fuel Pressure System
Agriculture is going digital. And farmers whotoured 600 acres of research farmland on Spense Field in Moultiresaw firsthand how this technology can help them conserve water andfuel.
"Farmers from throughout the region can see this technology and seehow it might fit into their operation," said Executive Director,Chip Blaylock. A new Irrigator Pro system has been developed forcotton and corn fields using moisture sensors planted in the groundat eight, 16 and 24 inch depths.
"When you have a rainfall event, we can know for sure how long thatmoisture is staying in the ground and how deep it actually wentinstead of just taking a guess," said Technology TransfersSpecialist with the National Peanut Research Laboratory, StaciIngrem. "So you know what is going on out there in the fields."
These readings tell farmers how often they need to irrigate toprevent over-watering. And using the newer irrigation system modelswill allow them to water fields using less pressure. "If you cutyour pressure in half, you cut your operating cost in half," saidDoyle Medders of Medders Irrigation, LLC.
With irrigation systems also going digital, farmers can spend lesstime in the fields because they can access their systems from cellphones or anything allowing them internet access. "At that time youmade circles in the field, and you go hands on to start and stop.And today you are doing this from miles away with communication,"said Medders.
"These are the sort of things that you may make one trip across thefield when you used to make four or five trips across the field,"said Colquitt farmer, Louie Perry.
Precision farming is also help improve the efficiency of theirfields. "We plant straighter rows which is all powered by GPSgiving us more rows to the acre. And we are getting more seed tothe ground," said Blaylock.
Which will in turn increase production at a time where risingdiesel and fertilizer costs are hitting farmers hard. The SunbeltAg Expo is set for October 14th through the 16th.