Blog Archives - BWTL

Episode 35 - Water Updates from ASABE and Capitol Hill

7/24/2017

Episode Highlights:

[1:48] Sharks and Shark Week update

[4:48] The Birthday Game - Play along:
- Matt LeBlanc
- Mick Jagger
- Kevin Spacey

[8:10] Smart Irrigation Month update - What does Smart Irrigation mean to Brent?

[9:04] Research from ASABE - Brent talks about presentations he heard at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers' Annual Meeting

[10:24] Future of technology in agriculture - Automation in specialty crops, especially in blueberry production

[13:16] Brent's highlight from ASABE - New research about irrigation in rice production
- Arkansas is responsible for 50% of the rice grown in the U.S.!

[16:08] Capitol Hill updates - Farm bill and WaterSense
- [16:33] Farm bill
  - The farm bill must be reauthorized in 2018. The reauthorization process is already underway, and members of the House Agriculture Committee will hold Listening Sessions in the coming weeks.
  - More information about Listening Sessions can be found by clicking the location of each event.
- [18:06] WaterSense
  - President Trump's proposed budget for FY 2018 eliminated the WaterSense program. Several different bills have been introduced in Congress that would authorize WaterSense.
  - The House Appropriations Committee has also introduced language that would suggest to the EPA that WaterSense should not be eliminated.
  - The irrigation industry will be prepared to support efficient irrigation technology whether WaterSense continues or not.

[25:48] John's article archive - John talks about two recent articles on water use
- Agencies Push Utahns to Conserve More Water
  - Utah faces a potential water gap in the near future.
- California is Going to use Toilet Water to Grow Your Vegetables
  - Reclaimed and recycled water use is very common, but provides only a fraction of the water needed for agriculture.

[32:02] Tip of the Day - Brent gives us a Tip of the Day
- Go out and adjust your sprinklers today!

Episode 34 - Smart Irrigation Month

7/12/2017

Episode Highlights:

[1:46] Happy Smart Irrigation Month! - John and Elizabeth introduce Smart Irrigation Month and Technology Tuesday.

[2:44] The Birthday Game - Play along:
- Lindsey Graham
- Richard Simmons
- Harrison Ford

[5:49] Irrigation technologies used in landscapes - Overview of landscape irrigation. Sometimes the best irrigation systems are the ones you never even notice working.
- [7:15] Drip and microspray - Often used for trees and shrubs, drip and microspray irrigation provides water directly to the root zone of plants.
- [9:56] Controllers - Technology that controls when an irrigation system operates. We discuss two types of irrigation controllers:
  - Smart controllers, which can take into account weather, rainfall and soil moisture data to irrigate only when necessary.
  - Clock and calendar controllers, which water based on a predetermined schedule.

[17:42] Irrigation technologies used in agriculture - Overview of agriculture irrigation.
- [18:42] Surface - The oldest form of irrigation, surface irrigation is still widely used today. There are both efficient and inefficient ways to use surface irrigation.
- [20:57] Sprinkler/pivot - Typically used for row crops, efficient sprinkler irrigation has played an important role in improving water supply in the Ogallala Aquifer. Technology now allows growers to control sprinkler irrigation systems from their smartphones!
- [25:16] Drip and microspray - Commonly used for permanent and high-value crops, drip irrigation can be very efficient because it releases water one drop at a time.

[27:02] Benefits of water saved through efficient irrigation - Water saved through efficient irrigation can have a variety of benefits. Environmental benefits can include improved stream flow and groundwater recharge. Growers may also use saved water to increase their yields.

[28:57] Resources for more information - For more information on irrigation technology and Smart Irrigation Month, visit irrigation.org or smartirrigationmonth.org.