University of Florida Researchers Work to Automate Water-Saving Irrigation

In partnership with: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Researchers in Florida are always looking for new ways to make ag production more efficient, sustainable and less labor intensive. Drain tile irrigation is an innovative irrigation method with boundless potential for water conservation in Florida’s fields.

The system, which employs perforated pipes buried beneath a field, can reduce the water needed for a crop by roughly half compared to seepage irrigation, the most common practice in Florida crop production.

Because drain tile irrigation doesn’t require furrows for water to enter the field, farmers using it gain 12% more planting space in the same area.

“We’re seeing great potential for water conservation, and we expect that nutrient loads are going to be reduced as well,” says Lincoln Zotarelli, Professor of Horticultural Sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

See more: Florida Researchers Explore Water-Efficient Ways When Growing Strawberries

From Drain to Gain

In addition to initial installation costs, one of the main barriers to adoption by Florida farmers is that drain tile irrigation currently requires regular management and decision making. Instead of the one water outlet used to drain a seepage system, drain tile irrigation can have five or more water level structures for the same field, all of which must be adjusted separately to ensure optimal soil moisture for a crop.

Zotarelli says these factors have historically led to farmers settling for less efficient seepage systems. However, he believes they can expand the adoption of drain tile irrigation by making it more user-friendly, benefiting producers throughout the state.

“When you have better control, efficiency increases,” Zotarelli says. “So, we can grow the same crop but have a better yield with less water.”

With the help of a grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Zotarelli and his colleagues are developing ways to automate the irrigation system, removing the labor barrier while keeping its agricultural and environmental benefits.

Drain tile irrigation is popular with producers in the Midwest, but those growers mostly use the pipes to take excess water out of their clay-rich soils, instead of pumping water into sandy fields the way Florida farmers would be, Zotarelli explains. His team is conducting Florida-specific research on how the system responds to irrigation and rainfall common in the region.

The project’s study field of potatoes in Hastings is studded with sensors measuring soil moisture and water table levels dozens of times each day. By feeding the granular, quickly responsive data into a machine learning model, Zotarelli hopes to develop an algorithm that can automatically control irrigation and drainage. For instance, the system could start draining the field before a storm to compensate for the rising water table due to increased groundwater. This would reduce stress on the crop and improve harvest outcomes.

“The crop is our client, and once we figure out its ideal water level, we can get the automation to mimic those levels in the field,” Zotarelli says. “We’re assuring that we’re keeping the water table in the field the way that the plant needs.”

Watering the Future

As the study continues through the data collection stage, more measurements are needed to customize drain tile irrigation control for specific soil types. One of Zotarelli’s graduate students, Judyson Oliveira, received a grant from the UF Water Institute to study how soil texture impacts moisture distribution in the soil profile and plants’ ability to take up water. Such efforts could further refine the model and help create a statewide subirrigation recommendation tool for growers.

“Our objective here at the lab is to provide growers with a toolbox for all the different conditions that they’ll face in the future,” Zotarelli says.

Going forward, Zotarelli believes automated drain tile could be a labor-saving, water-conserving option for Florida farmers for high-value vegetable crops and sod.

“We’re very enthusiastic about the potential for water conservation and this work,” Zotarelli says.

See more: Florida Farmers, Ranchers and Fishermen Contribute to Environmentally Conscious Agriculture