The Oklahoma Mesonet, a network of environmental monitoring stations, is offering farmers a new irrigation tool to get "the most from the water. It helps determine 'which and how much,'" said Al Sutherland, Oklahoma State University Mesonet Agriculture Coordinator, in a recent interview with South West Farm Press.
"Often in hot, dry summers, farmers simply turn on irrigation systems and let them run,' Sutherland said. "But with subsurface drip irrigation systems and in years with more rain, producers need to make decisions on when to irrigate."
The system uses multiple factors including soil type, temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation to determine the evaporation rate. An irrigation planner is also included to help farmers determine when and how much water to apply.
The Oklahoma Mesonet consists of 120 automated stations covering Oklahoma. There is at least one Mesonet station in every Oklahoma county.
To view a video of the system, go to South West Farm Press.
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