scholarly journals Variable Rate Irrigation of Maize and Soybean in West-Central Nebraska Under Full and Deficit Irrigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Burdette Barker ◽  
Sandeep Bhatti ◽  
Derek M. Heeren ◽  
Christopher M. U. Neale ◽  
Daran R. Rudnick
Keyword(s):  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
West Central ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

scholarly journals A Path Model of the Intention to Adopt Variable Rate Irrigation in Northeast Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1879
Author(s):  
Maurizio Canavari ◽  
Marco Medici ◽  
Rungsaran Wongprawmas ◽  
Vilma Xhakollari ◽  
Silvia Russo
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Intention To Adopt ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

Irrigated agriculture determines large blue water withdrawals, and it is considered a key intervention area to reach sustainable development objectives. Precision agriculture technologies have the potential to mitigate water resource depletion that often characterises conventional agricultural approaches. This study investigates the factors influencing farmers’ intentions to adopt variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM-3) was employed as a theoretical framework to design a survey to identify the factors influencing farmers’ decision-making process when adopting VRI. Data were gathered through quantitative face-to-face interviews with a sample of 138 fruit and grapevine producers from the Northeast of Italy (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia). Data were analysed using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). The results highlight that personal attitudes, such as perceived usefulness and subjective norm, positively influence the intention to adopt VRI. Additionally, the perceived ease of use positively affects intention, but it is moderated by subject experience.

Technological and agronomic assessment of a Variable Rate Irrigation system integrated with soil sensor technologies

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 564-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Martello ◽  
A. Berti ◽  
G. Lusiani ◽  
A. Lorigiola ◽  
F. Morari
Keyword(s):  
Irrigation System ◽  
Irrigation Performance ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Management Zones ◽  
Soil Moisture Sensors ◽  
First Results ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Noticeable Reduction ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

The main goal of this study was assessing the technological and agronomic performances of a centre pivot Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) system. The study was conducted in 2015 on a 16-ha field cultivated with maize. Irrigation was scheduled in three Management Zones according to data provided by a real-time monitoring system based on an array of soil moisture sensors. First results demonstrated the potential benefits of the VRI system on irrigation performance however a multiyear comparison is requested for evaluating the response to climate variability. VRI resulted in yields comparable to the business-as-usual regime but through a noticeable reduction in irrigation volumes.

Development and Evaluation of a Variable-Rate Irrigation Management Method in the Mississippi Delta

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 287-298
Author(s):  
Ruixiu Sui ◽  
Jonnie Baggard
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Mississippi Delta ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water Productivity ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

HighlightsWe developed and evaluated a variable-rate irrigation (VRI) management method for five crop years in the Mississippi Delta.VRI management significantly reduced irrigation water use in comparison with uniform-rate irrigation (URI). There was no significant difference in grain yield and irrigation water productivity between VRI and URI management.Soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) was used to delineate irrigation management zones and generate VRI prescriptions.Sensor-measured soil water content was used in irrigation scheduling.Abstract. Variable-rate irrigation (VRI) allows producers to site-specifically apply irrigation water at variable rates within a field to account for the temporal and spatial variability in soil and plant characteristics. Developing practical VRI methods and documenting the benefits of VRI application are critical to accelerate the adoption of VRI technologies. Using apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) and soil moisture sensors, a VRI method was developed and evaluated with corn and soybean for five crop years in the Mississippi Delta. Soil ECa of the study fields was mapped and used to delineate VRI management zones and create VRI prescriptions. Irrigation was scheduled using soil volumetric water content measured by soil moisture sensors. A center pivot VRI system was employed to deliver irrigation water according to the VRI prescription. Grain yield, irrigation water use, and irrigation water productivity in the VRI treatment were determined and compared with that in a uniform-rate irrigation (URI) treatment. Results showed that the grain yield and irrigation water productivity between the VRI and URI treatments were not statistically different with both corn and soybean crops. The VRI management significantly reduced the amount of irrigation water by 22% in corn and by 11% in soybean (p = 0.05). Adoption of VRI management could improve irrigation water use efficiency in the Mississippi Delta. Keywords: Soil electrical conductivity, Soil moisture sensor, Variable rate irrigation, Water management.

scholarly journals ARSPivot, A Sensor-Based Decision Support Software for Variable-Rate Irrigation Center Pivot Systems: Part A. Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1521-1533
Author(s):  
Manuel A. Andrade ◽  
Susan A. O’Shaughnessy ◽  
Steven R. Evett
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Supervisory Control ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Sensing Systems ◽  
Center Pivot ◽  
Water Sensing ◽  
Friendly Graphical User Interface ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

HighlightsThe ARSPivot software seamlessly integrates site-specific irrigation scheduling methods with weather, plant, and soil water sensing systems in the operation of variable-rate irrigation (VRI) center pivot systems.ARSPivot embodies an Irrigation Scheduling Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (ISSCADA) system that incorporates site-specific irrigation scheduling methods and automates the collection and processing of data obtained from sensing systems supporting them.ARSPivot incorporates a friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that assists in the process of setting up a computerized representation of a coupled ISSCADA VRI center pivot system and simplifies the review of irrigation prescriptions automatically generated based on sensor feedback.ARSPivot’s GUI includes a geographic information system (GIS) that relates sensed data and imported GIS data to specific field control zones.Abstract. The commercial availability of variable-rate irrigation (VRI) systems gives farmers access to unprecedented control of the irrigation water applied to their fields. To take full advantage of these systems, their operations must integrate site-specific irrigation scheduling methods that in turn should be supported by a network of sensing systems. An Irrigation Scheduling Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (ISSCADA) system patented by scientists with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at Bushland, Texas, incorporates site-specific irrigation scheduling methods informed by weather, plant, and soil water sensing systems. This article introduces a software package, ARSPivot, developed to integrate the ISSCADA system into the operation of VRI center pivot systems. ARSPivot assists the operation and integration of a complex network of sensing systems, irrigation scheduling methods, and irrigation machinery to achieve this end. ARSPivot consists of two independent programs interacting through a client-server architecture. The client program is focused on automatically collecting and processing georeferenced data from sensing systems and communicating with a center pivot control panel, while the server program is focused on communicating with users through a friendly graphical user interface (GUI) involving a geographic information system (GIS). The GUI allows users to visualize and modify site-specific prescription maps automatically generated based on sensor-based irrigation scheduling methods, and to control and monitor the application of irrigation amounts specified in these recommended prescription maps using center pivots equipped for VRI zone control or VRI speed control. This article discusses the principles and design considerations followed in the development of ARSPivot and presents tools implemented in the software for the virtual design and physical operation of a coupled ISSCADA VRI center pivot system. This article also illustrates how the ISSCADA system and ARSPivot constitute a comprehensive sensor-based decision support system (DSS) for VRI management that is accessible to users without in-depth knowledge of sensing systems or irrigation scheduling methods. Keywords: Center pivot irrigation, Decision support system, Precision agriculture, Sensors, Site-specific irrigation scheduling, Software, Variable rate irrigation.n

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