2008 Joint Annual Meeting (5-9 Oct. 2008): Grower Adoption of Granular Matrix Sensors.

Growers have successfully adopted granular matrix sensors (Watermark Soil Moisture Sensors, Irrometer Co. Inc., Riverside, CA) for irrigation scheduling.  While irrigation districts and environmental agencies often desire sensor adoption for water savings and reduction of off site effects of irrigation, growers have greater incentives if financial rewards are closely tied to sensor adoption.  Successful granular matrix sensor adoption has been related to a series of steps that provide a model for sensor adoption for irrigated crop production. 1. Crop production research has demonstrated that sensor readings as irrigation criteria can be closely related to crop yield and quality. 2. Clear instructions are available for sensor installation and reading interpretation. 3. Sensor readings can be easily logged and the data recovered and interpreted with a wide variety of low cost loggers. 4. Sensors have been incorporated by agriculture service providers who help to assure irrigation system performance.  Given this combination of steps, granular matrix sensors are being used successfully by growers to schedule irrigation with environmental protection and crop yield and quality benefits.