Jul 6, 2010

Variable Rate Irrigation provides precision application

VRI can be mapped out to provide the right amount of water to each section of a field. Photo: Valley Irrigation

By Derrek Sigler, Assistant Editor

Valley Irrigation entered into an agreement with Computronics Holdings Ltd. for use of the patented Farmscan Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) technology. This agreement allows for the development and distribution of VRI controls through more than 460 dealers worldwide.

Combining Valley technology with Farmscan technology could be the next progression in mechanized irrigation, said Jake LaRue, Valley product manager. Pivot irrigation allows growers to control how much water is applied to a field. The combined technology allows control of not only how much water is applied, but also fertilizer and other crop management products for areas down to 1 square meter in size, according to Valley.

The “how” part of this can be explained by looking at the VRI controls.

“First, producers can use this control to program the pivot to automatically turn water on and off for different zones within a circle. For example, water applied over a drainage ditch is wasted water,” LaRue said. “With VRI, producers can make sure the pivot automatically shuts off different zones as it goes over a drainage ditch, and automatically turns back on when it reaches the crop.”

The second benefit of VRI allows producers to apply different amounts of water and crop inputs on a site-specific basis. LaRue explained why such precision is important.

“Not all sections of a field have the same soil. Some soil types in a field may have different water and fertilizer needs than the rest of the field,” LaRue said. “Without VRI, a producer might apply water and other inputs to maximize yield on one type of soil, which ultimately compromises yield on any other soil type in the same field. With VRI, a producer can program irrigation areas as small as one square meter, thereby maximizing yields on all soil types within the same field.”

“Not only do the different soil types require varying amounts of water and fertilizer, but so do different seed populations,” said Rick Heard, president and founder, Advanced Ag Systems Inc. “And with the high-tech equipment available today, producers increasingly incorporate variable rate planting. This means there can be multiple types of seed and population within the same field, and these will have different water and nutrient requirements. VRI allows producers to match the water and fertilizer application with varying soil and seed within the same field.”

Heard has been working with Computronics Holdings Ltd. and the University of Georgia in varying capacities for more than eight years to make Farmscan VRI controls available to a broad producer market.

“What it comes down to is not wasting water,” Heard said.

For more information, visit www.ValleyIrrigation.com.