Explore the importance of Irrigation Efficiency, and how it works with Distribution Uniformity, also from the experts at UF/IFAS.
We recently shared a blog about the importance of Distribution Uniformity from a UF/IFAS blog article; that blog article also discussed Irrigation Efficiency. It’s an important topic for Florida crops in general due to Florida’s traditionally dry winters, and Florida citrus in particular due to the need to reduce tree stress in HLB-infected citrus. See the details below.
Irrigation Efficiency Defined
The UF/IFAS blog article defines Irrigation Efficiency as “how much of the water you applied is beneficially used by the crop.” It can be put into an equation as below:
Efficiency = Water Beneficially Used / Total Water Applied
The blog shares that “Efficiency can be challenging to measure accurately because it depends on how much water reaches crop roots for uptake. In practice, soil moisture sensors can help measure how much water reaches the root zone, providing insight into your irrigation scheduling and system efficiency.”
The Importance of Soil Moisture Sensors
The article maintains that “Soil moisture sensors are valuable tools for assessing the efficiency of your irrigation scheduling and system performance. To ensure accurate data, placing these sensors in representative areas of the field is crucial. Placing sensors in locations with poor DU can result in data that does not accurately reflect the field’s overall water distribution. This can lead to incorrect conclusions about irrigation scheduling and system efficiency.”
Need Help?
The article advises that “For growers in Florida, mobile irrigation labs are an excellent resource that can help you evaluate the performance of your center pivot and linear move irrigation systems, providing valuable information on DU and efficiency.”
Find information about mobile irrigation labs in Florida here: https://www.fdacs.gov/Water/Mobile-Irrigation-Labs.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions -or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.
