scholarly journals Evaluating Florida Homeowner Response to Smart Irrigation Controllers

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Morera ◽  
Paul F. Monaghan ◽  
Michael D. Dukes ◽  
Ondine Wells ◽  
Stacia L. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Successful Operation ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Moisture Sensor

Smart irrigation controllers are capable of substantially decreasing landscape water applications under residential high water-use conditions in Florida. Their implementation has been incentivized by governmental agencies and water utilities in an effort to reduce public-supply water demand and conserve water resources. However, the bulk of the research on smart controllers for urban landscapes has focused on performance dimensions. To successfully promote them, feedback from end-users is critical. This paper provides an evaluation of homeowner response to evapotranspiration (ET)-based and soil moisture sensor (SMS)-based smart controllers installed as part of a pilot project conducted in Orange County, FL. The objectives of the study were to collect demographic information, assess conservation attitudes and irrigation system knowledge, and gather feedback on the use of smart controllers from the pilot project’s residential cooperators. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using relative frequency distributions, text analysis, independent means t tests, and logistic regression. Results indicated that a majority of survey participants were satisfied with their controllers and planned to continue using them. Both ET and SMS controllers were consistently praised for saving money and irrigating efficiently. However, the likelihood that participants would continue using their controllers after the completion of the project was only significantly predicted by their levels of technical knowledge regarding the workings of the devices and whether they had experienced any challenges operating them. Efforts to promote both initial and long-term adoption may be most effective by emphasizing the economic benefits of investing in smart irrigation controllers and by disseminating best management practices that facilitate their understanding and successful operation.

Best Management Practices for Irrigating Lawns and Urban Green Spaces with Reclaimed Water

EDIS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary G. Lusk ◽  
Don Rainey
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Home Lawns ◽  
Soil And Water

The purpose of this article is to present some sound recommendations, known as best management practices (BMPs), for irrigating lawns and other green spaces with reclaimed water (RW). These BMPs are for homeowners and landscaping professionals who use RW to irrigate home lawns or other irrigated green spaces in urban landscapes. Written by Mary G. Lusk and Don Rainey and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil and Water Sciences; 4 pages.

scholarly journals Review of the leading challenges in maintaining reclaimed water quality during storage and distribution

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Jjemba ◽  
William Johnson ◽  
Zia Bukhari ◽  
Mark LeChevallier
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Operational Cost ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Perishable Product ◽  
Treated Effluent

Reclaimed water quality has largely focused on meeting standards in the treated effluent. While the focus is well placed, reclaimed water may change before it is used at dispersed locations. Reclaimed water is a perishable product with a shelf life requiring packaging (i.e., piping) and preserving (with a disinfectant) during storage to minimize deterioration in quality. It typically contains higher nutrient levels compared to potable water. Based on an online survey, the challenges were characterized into nine categories in order of importance: infrastructure, water quality, customer relations, operational, cost (pricing), capacity/supply, regulation, workforce, and miscellaneous. The first five categories accounted for 80% of the challenges raised by the industry. A review of the literature provided various remedies to these challenges which can be incorporated into best management practices for controlling potential health and aesthetic issues associated with storage and distribution of reclaimed water.

scholarly journals Petunia Growth and Maintenance in the Landscape as Influenced by Alternative Irrigation Strategies

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 771B-771
Author(s):  
Sloane M. Scheiber* ◽  
Richard C. Beeson
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Leaf Gas Exchange ◽  
Human Perception ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Controlled Irrigation ◽  
Alternative Irrigation

Petunia `Midnight' were grown in drainage lysimeters in an open-sided clear polyethylene covered shelter to evaluate growth responses in response to alternative irrigation strategies. Three irrigation methods were evaluated: tensiometer-controlled automatic irrigation system, regularly scheduled irrigation utilizing an automated controller, and human perception of plant irrigation need. Drainage lysimeters (250 L) were backfilled with native sand field soil to simulate landscape conditions and managed with Best Management Practices. Following establishment, lysimeters irrigated by an automated controller were irrigated 1.3 cm daily. Tensiometer-controlled lysimeters were irrigated when plant available water (2.5 kPa to 1.5 MPa) had declined to 70% or less, and were irrigated back to field capacity. Canopy growth indices and leaf gas exchange measurements were evaluated relative to irrigation strategies. Actual evapotranspiration was calculated for each replication. Daily irrigation resulted in significantly higher assimilation rates, transpiration rates, and final shoot dry weights than the other treatments tested. Assimilation rates and transpiration rates were significantly higher for tensiometer-controlled irrigation than the human judged treatment, but no differences were found in final shoot dry mass.

Restoration of estuarine wetlands using thin cover placement: A pilot application in Brunswick, Georgia

Shore & Beach ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 62-72
Author(s):  
Ram Mohan ◽  
Mark Reemts ◽  
Prashant Gupta ◽  
Richard Galloway ◽  
Tim Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Fiddler Crab ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Organic Content ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Optimal Placement ◽  
Environmental Controls ◽  
Marsh Area ◽  
Access Road

This paper presents the design concepts and basis for using a thin layer cover (TLC) of sand to restore historically impacted wetlands in Georgia’s Brunswick estuary. The project site is a mix of tidal creeks, marshes, brackish estuary, and an adjacent upland area that has been affected by historical industrial operations. A pilot project to test cover placement methodology and performance in advance of future full-scale TLC implementation was completed in 2018. It involved placing 6-9 inches of material in a 2/3-acre marsh area. Two material types — sand and higher organic content fines — were tested. The contractor, Sevenson Environmental Services, identified the appropriate equipment, means, and methods to hydraulically convey and place the TLC material within the pilot area in accordance with stated performance objectives. A mat-based access road was installed to enable equipment to move the pipeline and spray nozzle for fine placement control within the pilot marsh area. The thin cover placed in the field ranged from 6-12 inches thick (versus the design thickness of 6-9 inches) to meet the minimum required thickness and account for over placement. A 30- to 45-degree spray yielded the best distribution of materials for the equipment used. Placement of sandy material was faster and more uniform than fines due to the material’s enhanced settling characteristics and ease of distribution. A modified topsoil-fines mix with a baffle plate eventually permitted optimal placement of fines within the study area while maintaining the target organic content. Turbidity in the water discharged from the pilot area was minimized by environmental controls (e.g. perimeter hay bales) installed by the contractor. The mat-based access road initially experienced some settlement due to loading on the soft sediments and marsh root mat; the road required restoration following project completion. Physical and vegetative monitoring conducted in six-month increments over a two-year period indicated strong natural recolonization of vegetation and the re-establishment of benthic species including fiddler crab. This paper presents lessons learned, design implications, and best management practices for future thin cover placement projects in estuarine settings.

scholarly journals Equine Transport-Related Problem Behaviors and Injuries: A Survey of Italian Horse Industry Members

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 223
Author(s):  
Francesca Dai ◽  
Martina Zappaterra ◽  
Michela Minero ◽  
Francesca Bocchini ◽  
Christopher B. Riley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Related Problem ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Transport Management

An online survey was conducted to determine associations between equine transport management and transport-related injuries and problem behaviors in Italy. The survey was composed of four sections: respondents’ demographic information and background, transport management practices, journey details and vehicle design, and transport injuries experienced by the horse in the previous two-year period. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression with a binary outcome variable was performed to explore associations between variables (respondents’ and journeys’ details and transport practices) and equine transport-related problem behaviors (TRPBs) and injuries. TRPBs were also considered an explanatory variable for injuries. The survey generated 201 responses; only 148 were complete and analyzed. TRPBs were reported by 14.45% of the respondents and the odds of TRPBs was linked to the respondent gender (p = 0.034), the use of tranquilizers prior to transport (p = 0.002), the use of a whip for loading (p = 0.049), the lack of protection equipment (p = 0.050), and shavings (p = 0.025) on the vehicle floor. Horse injuries (11.49%) were reported by more respondents who did not check the brakes of their transport vehicle before traveling (p = 0.043), had vehicles with padding on the chest bar (p = 0.038), and for horses reported to display TRPBs (p = 0.001). Finally, 10 respondents reported they were injured during horse transport (10/140; 7.14%), 50% simultaneously with their horses. The study findings should be interpreted with caution due to small sample size bias and participants’ recall bias. Nevertheless, the results are in concordance with the literature, confirming that horse transport is a risk for the horse’s and handler’s health and well-being. Further studies are needed to identify best management practices to educate equine industry members on how to minimize transport-related problems.

scholarly journals (225) Challenges and Opportunities with Vegetable BMPs in Southwest Florida

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1075A-1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Ozores-Hampton ◽  
Eric Simonne ◽  
Eugene McAvoy ◽  
Phil Stansly ◽  
Sanjay Shukla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Fertilization Rate ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Size Category ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Southwest Florida ◽  
Fertilizer Rates

About 10,000 ha of staked tomato are grown each year in the winter–spring season in southwest Florida. Tomatoes are produced with transplants, raised beds, polyethylene mulch, drip or seepage irrigation, and intensive fertilization. With the development of nutrient best management practices (BMPs) for vegetable crops and increased competition among water users, N recommendations must ensure economical yields, but still minimize the environmental impact of tomato production. The current University of Florida–IFAS (UF–IFAS) N fertilization rate of 224 kg·ha-1 (with supplemental fertilizer applications under specified conditions) may require adjustment based on soil type and irrigation system. Because growers should be involved in the development and implementation of BMPs, this project established partnerships with southwest Florida tomato growers. Studies evaluated the effects of N application rates on yield, plant growth, petiole N sap, pests, and diseases. Nine on-farm trials were conducted during the dry winter 2004–05 season. Treatments consisted of N fertilizer rates ranging from 224 to 448 kg·ha-1, with each trial including at least the UF–IFAS rate and the traditional rate. Although total yields were comparable among N rates, there were differences in size category. Nitrogen rates had little effect on tomato biomass 30 and 60 days after transplanting. Changes in petiole sap NO3-N and K concentrations were different between seepage and drip irrigation, but usually above the sufficiency threshold. It is important to consider the type of irrigation when managing tomato and determining optimum N fertilizer rates.

scholarly journals Survey of Container Nursery Irrigation Practices in West-central Florida: An Educational Opportunity

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 682-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele Schoene ◽  
Thomas Yeager ◽  
Dorota Haman
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Educational Opportunity ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
West Central ◽  
Container Nurseries ◽  
Irrigation Requirements

A survey was conducted of nursery operators participating in workshops in west-central Florida. The purpose of the survey was to identify the irrigation best management practices (BMPs) adopted by container nurseries in west-central Florida and obtain information regarding emphasis of future extension educational programs. Workshops were conducted in Hillsborough County, Fla., and Manatee County, Fla., and participation was voluntary. Respondents were asked about BMPs used in the nurseries according to the irrigation system used and it was found that the majority of the nurseries relied on well water as the primary source for irrigation. While 69% of the nurseries monitored uniformity of microirrigation systems, only 35% monitored uniformity of overhead irrigation systems. Thirty-four percent of the nurseries collected irrigation or rain runoff and 9% knew the water holding capacity of their substrate. Most of the nurseries grouped plants by irrigation requirements (74%) and grouped container sizes by irrigation requirements (69%). The survey indicates that many BMPs are not widely adopted by nurseries in west-central Florida. The information from this survey can be used as a guide to focus the efforts of university extension educational programs to achieve greater adoption of BMPs.

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