By Scout Nelson
Irrigation management continues to play an important role in corn and soybean production across Nebraska and other growing regions. Rising energy costs, labor expenses, and concerns about water conservation are encouraging many farmers to explore new technology that can improve irrigation decisions and reduce unnecessary water use.
Haishun Yang, associate professor in the UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, highlighted the benefits of CropSmart irrigation scheduling technology and explained how the service helps producers improve irrigation efficiency and crop management decisions.
CropSmart is a science-based irrigation scheduling service designed to help producers manage irrigation more efficiently. The digital tool was developed through funding from the National Science Foundation with leadership from George Mason University and contributions from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
Traditional irrigation scheduling often requires frequent crop scouting, field monitoring, and personal experience to estimate when crops need water. These methods can be time-consuming and difficult for producers who are new to irrigation management. CropSmart aims to simplify the process by using digital technology and real-time data.
The service creates a digital twin of a producer’s field to monitor crop water use, soil moisture, and water movement within the crop root zone. The system combines rainfall information, weather conditions, and one-week weather forecasts to help determine when irrigation may be needed.
CropSmart recommends irrigation when soil moisture drops below preset levels that may lead to crop stress or lower yields. Users can adjust important settings such as irrigation type and water depletion thresholds during different crop growth stages. The system can also send irrigation scheduling notifications through email to help producers stay informed daily.
The basic irrigation scheduling service is available free of charge, although users must create an online account to access the program. After creating an account, producers can enter field information, irrigation settings, crop details, and irrigation records to begin using the service.
The platform includes sections for field information, irrigation settings, and irrigation records. Users can also customize how they receive irrigation recommendations. Some producers may choose instant results, while others may prefer scheduled email notifications.
Agricultural specialists believe tools like CropSmart can help improve irrigation efficiency, support water conservation, reduce production costs, and improve crop management decisions for corn and soybean operations. Producers seeking additional information are encouraged to contact Haishun Yang, associate professor in the UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, at hyang2@unl.edu.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-dietermeyrl
Categories: Nebraska, Crops, Corn, Soybeans, Sustainable Agriculture