Mobilizing Access to Low-cost Irrigation Scheduling Technology and Tools in the Lower Flint River Basin of Georgia

With GPS-guided variable rate irrigation systems that are able to adapt application rates to field conditions in real-time, and new advanced irrigation scheduling tools that are cost-effective and built for both conservation and crop performance, irrigation management on the modern farm is set to make a quantum leap forward in water use efficiency. The next step in the evolution of on-farm irrigation water management is to reduce the cost of advanced irrigation scheduling from thousands of dollars to hundreds of dollars per site to make the approach accessible to all producers. The goals of the project are to develop and deploy a new low-cost tool, help up to 50 agricultural producers optimize irrigation scheduling, and build a conservation model for the future of agricultural water use in the United States.