Irrigating for quality crops while conserving water requires technology — and the knowledge that powers it.
Farmers are in it for the long haul, six generations deep in the case of Grant Anderson and family of Belgrade.
The Anderson farm in the Bonanza Valley sits on a sand plain that reaches out from the shores of the Mississippi River.
The speed with which water drains through sandy soils makes watering crops in a sand plain both an agronomic necessity and a conservation challenge.
Testing technology
Vasudha Sharma, University of Minnesota Extension irrigation specialist, addresses this need for balance in the sand plain through research, collaboration with innovative agricultural equipment companies and a lot of engagement.
Sharma’s current research focuses on variable rate irrigation, which involves using sensors deep in the ground to detect and communicate water availability and other data. She is testing sensors from a company called EarthScout at the Anderson farm as a complement to the research conducted at dedicated crop research plots.
A day on the Anderson family’s farm
Anderson’s family was on the team that developed the Bonanza Valley Groundwater Management Area plan, and he serves on the Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council.
Not only does Anderson understand the issues — and even his young son listens in as he discusses them — but Anderson shared his own perspective with participants at an educational field day hosted on the family farm about variable rate irrigation.
“With my farmer hat on, I’m ready to push the (irrigation system) button when I go by and see the corn on the hilltop curling up a little bit, and I see that the next three days are 90 degrees and sunny,” Anderson told visitors. “But with the help of Vasudha, combined with other data and seven-day forecasts, we will save on irrigation expense and use precisely the amount of water that we need.”
Studying nutrients and water together
Nitrogen fertilizer and water are related; it makes sense to study them together to learn how to have a profitable crop while conserving water and reducing environmental impact.
Fabián Fernández, Extension nutrient management specialist, has studied irrigation timing and nitrogen sources, and conducts long-term studies — between 10 and 15 years in duration — that result in recommendations capable of producing real savings for farmers.
One of those recommendations has been to focus more on split fertilizer applications during the growing season instead of a single application before planting. It gets more specific from there, depending on many factors.
“Sandy soils are not a good nitrogen savings account,” Fernández said. “Don’t put your nitrogen there and expect it to be there later.”
Source: wctrib.com
Photo Credit: science photo library-igor-stevanovic
Categories: Minnesota, Crops, Corn, General