Become an Expert on Sensor Technology with these Videos!
2 minute read
Think you're an expert on sensor technology? Test your skills with these videos!
UGA AgWet program
Do you really need to water your field? Or are you irrigating out of habit?
Growers spend a lot of time, money, and energy on water. UGA Extension's Agricultural Water Efficiency Team (AgWet) program used Trellis' soil moisture system to help local cotton farmers learn ways to conserve water and apply water to their fields more efficiently. You can also read more about the program in another blog post.
Another video discusses the AgWet program, as well as 4 other UGA Extension projects. Learn how UGA Extension helped growers use pesticides safely and taught kids in Atlanta about different kinds of crops grown in Georgia.
Sensor-Based Irrigation Scheduling
Think you know how much soil mapping & soil moisture sensors can improve yields? The answer may surprise you...
Research through the Alabama Cooperative Extension used sensor technology and soil mapping to show growers how to make better decisions on when and how much to irrigate. These three different types of data provide detail for a variable rate irrigation that previous maps were not providing.
Installing Watermark Sensors
Installing sensors doesn't have to be complicated. In fact - it only takes 5 minutes!
If you've ever wanted to use soil moisture sensors but have been intimidated by the installation (and removal) process, check out this video. It gives step-by-step instructions on how to properly install Watermark sensors and get back to what you'd rather be doing - managing your farm!
Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) for Agriculture
What is VRI and how can you use it to improve your bottom line? Find out here!
The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, with funding from the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), did research to help educate growers on the benefits of Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI). By collecting such data from the VRI technology this determines a custom plan of where water is needed and exactly how much. This has been proven to drastically reduce water use and help conserve this precious resource.
Along with Variable Rate Irrigation, the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District also created this video to provide more details on other tools and methods to get started with irrigation scheduling.
Using sensors to spoon-feed crops with extreme precision
Most growers use too much fertilizer - a costly problem for growers and a harmful problem for the environment.
PBS NewsHour shows different examples across the Midwest of how sensor technology helps growers determine exactly how much nitrogen the crops actually need, which means they use less fertilizer and are able to minimize the amount of water contaminated from runoff. Growers discuss how soil moisture data, together with weather and plant growth, helps them make better decisions on their farm.