U.S. Water News Online
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Researchers at Kansas State University say they're ready to start using a mobile irrigation laboratory that can help farmers save money and water.
The beauty of the project, said irrigation engineer Danny Rogers, is that K-State Research and Extension personnel can take the lab where it is needed -- anywhere in Kansas. In addition to helping farmers become more efficient irrigators, the lab will help them use computers to make field evaluations, cut their farm's energy bills, conduct an economic analysis, make cropping decisions, and more.
"Everybody knows energy prices are up and crop prices are still down," Rogers said. "We really need to be sure that we make good decisions so that producers can be productive and have an economic return. [Kansas farmers] typically don't have any problem on the production side, [but] we really have to help them look for those 'edges.' This is something that we think can help them."
The mobile lab essentially is a truck and trailer with a bank of computers and software, plus equipment for in-field data collection.
"The computers can be used for hands-on training for small groups either in the mobile irrigation lab itself or in any available room," Roger said. "No high-tech computer lab is required."
Rogers' main interest is a program that helps farmers set an irrigation schedule based on field characteristics and weather, among other factors.
"We are emphasizing the irrigation scheduling part of this program," Rogers said, "but this is also a management software that can help farmers in making [other] decisions about irrigating their fields."
Rogers added that the "back one-third" of the trailer is dedicated to helping farmers conduct performance evaluations on center-pivot sprinklers -- by far the most popular irrigation system used in western Kansas. The computer processes information on-site and gives an immediate analysis.
All of the software programs have been available to farmers previously, but haven't been widely adopted because farmers have not had the time to learn how to run them, Rogers said.
"By providing hands-on experience, we can help make farmers more comfortable [with the technology]," Rogers said. "[A mobile unit] greatly enhances our ability to help producers get familiar with the technology and software that are available to them."
This is a "pilot year" for the project, Rogers said. The K-State research group hopes to improve the mobile lab and eventually make several labs available throughout the state.
The program was developed by K-State Research and Extension personnel in partnership with the Kansas Water Office, using state water plan funds.
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