By Jamie Martin
May marks the peak of watermelon season in North Florida, and growers are preparing for the busy harvest period around Memorial Day.
Many are now embracing automated irrigation systems, moving away from manual valve operations. This shift is making a notable impact on water conservation and farm efficiency.
A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assessment of nine watermelon producers covering 1,883 acres in the Suwannee Valley showed a total water savings of 164 million gallons in one year due to automation.
“If the farmers of all 8,000 acres of watermelon in the region adopt this technology, we're flirting with saving more than 696 million gallons of water each year,” said Tyler Pittman, a UF/IFAS agriculture and natural resources agent who led the study.
With support from Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Pittman has spent years promoting irrigation automation.
Pittman outreach includes 110 acres of demonstration fields, educational programs, and personal consultations with local growers.
According to UF/IFAS guidelines, short, frequent irrigation sessions improve water and nutrient uptake in watermelon plants.
However, manual systems demand travel between fields to operate valves, making the process labor-intensive. Wireless automation simplifies this, allowing farmers to monitor and control irrigation through smartphone apps.
“Farmers can irrigate their fields while sitting on a beach on an island somewhere,” Pittman said. “All they need is an internet connection.”
Eighty-nine percent of surveyed farmers said automation reduced their time in the field, saving an average of 1.7 hours daily. Additionally, all participants reported lower water usage, with irrigation run times reduced by 1.4 hours per day or about 24%.
Grower Adam Whitehurst, who farms in Alachua and Levy counties, appreciates the precision the system provides. “The system allows me to monitor fertilizer run times and measure exactly how much I put out,” he said. “The crop just grows better.”
Though installation costs can range from $10,000 to $20,000 per field, cost-share programs have helped ease the burden. Garrett Beach, who irrigated 600 acres with automation in 2023, noted, “If it wasn’t for cost share, there’s no way I would have thought about trying automation."
Photo Credit: gettyimages-dmytro-diedov
Categories: National