The Precision Irrigation Story | by Andy Smith

I recently had the privilege of attending and participating in the Water for Food global conference in Seattle. As an irrigation professional for most of my adult life, I listen to the dialogue in such conferences with a tainted opinion. I know we will have the solutions it will take to feed and clothe the world's population in 2050. We will even have the luxury of being able to produce excess biomass for energy and other bio-based products. The question is, will the marketplace, public policy and society allow us to execute and meet the challenge?

I make the above statement based sheerly upon science. However, advancing and sustaining the global agricultural system requires a balanced, three-pronged approach, with equal regard for social, environmental and economic considerations. An environmental system will not work without supporting social and economic systems. A social system will fail without a healthy economic and environmental system, while the best economic system can cripple social and environmental systems. Finding a balance is key.

It is also important to recognize the need for sustainability strategies to be locally adaptable. In an extreme example, it is clear that farming in Arizona looks much different than it does in my home state of Michigan, and it should. Social, economic and environmental systems vary by field, farm, locale, region and country. Too often, public policy is written in one-size-fits-all mode and it is ineffective because it is irrelevant when applied locally. While global, national and regional agricultural policies are important, such policies have to be adaptable to harmonize with field-level, social, environmental and economic needs.

So why is any of this important? The readers of this blog represent a local piece of the global agricultural system. There are many voices being heard about what agriculture should be doing, or not doing, to meet the needs of a growing global population. Unfortunately, agriculture has become so productive; we need fewer people to feed the world. Our voices are often drowned out by uninformed opinions, or worse, absent from the discussions that decide what agriculture should look like in the future. 

In this age of non-stop news and viral social media, it is more important now than ever to participate in the dialogue and tell The Precision Irrigation Story to those involved in rule making and governance at all levels impacting agriculture.

Tip O'Neill once said, "All politics is local." I think this is particularly true with agriculture. Especially precision irrigated agriculture.

Speaking up should be easy. The irrigation industry, particularly Valley_®, has a great story to tell. We have developed the means to surgically apply precise amounts of water where it is needed, when it is needed, with variable rate application technology. We are developing mechanisms to empower growers to share and consume information across a variety of farm management systems (BaseStation3™ and Irrigation Exchange™), leading to a more holistic approach to water management in harmony with telematics, sensors, biotechnology, software and supporting infrastructure. The tools are there now and they are continuing to expand and get better every day. And the good news, it’s working!

In the U.S., we are using less water than we did in 1970. Things like this don't happen by accident. Improving the way we irrigate has been a big contributing factor. Agricultural output continues to increase while inputs decrease. We are also proving that land can be farmed and made better at the same time. Farming is not linear, it is cyclical, as is water. Each time we place that seed in the soil represents renewed opportunity. So too, the practice of precision irrigation can represent a regenerative step in the hydrologic cycle.

Trends in total water withdrawals by water-use category, 1950–2010. (® U.S. Geological Survey)

At the Water for Food conference I kept hearing a term I have grown very fond of over the last several weeks: "sustainable intensification." It provides opportunities for optimizing crop production per unit area, taking into consideration the range of sustainability aspects including potential and/or real social, political, economic and environmental impacts.

Our commitment is to continue to develop more and better precision irrigation tools to help fulfill that goal. Be proud of what you do in precision irrigated agriculture and thank you for making Valley your partner in precision irrigation. 

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Andrew Smith Director of Industry Relations Andy has spent more than 27 years involved in the irrigation industry as a farmer, contractor, designer, salesman, and trade representative. At Valley, he manages strategic relationships for mechanized irrigation technology across a broad range of applications. Andy lives in northern Michigan with his wife, Kim, and his daughter, Madison, and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities.

Investing in Agricultural Technology | by Andy Smith

It is hard to open any agricultural trade publication and not find reference to the topics of variable rate technology, positioning systems, and a multitude of software applications. For those of us who have been around awhile, it is amazing to see how technology has impacted every facet of our lives. In agriculture, this has certainly been the case. Imagine if 40 years ago, you told your dad that in the year 2014, we would be placing seed with sub-inch accuracy with no hands on the steering wheel? Times have certainly changed.

This rapid advancement has been very hard to keep up with, both mentally and financially. For every success story in precision ag, I hear an accompanying horror story. The path to adopting precision ag can be both frustrating and rewarding. Without a doubt, the tools are getting better, but it is still important to use caution when considering investments in ag technology. Here are a few things to consider:

1. What is the track record of the product? No matter what, it is important to ask how any product has performed during testing or deployment in the field. It is even better to get some references that can be consulted prior to purchase. With new products this can be tough, but there should be some proof available to suggest the product performs as promised.
2. What problem does the product solve? I have seen several technology offerings that are simply distractions. Let’s face it, there are a lot of neat things available and while the “cool factor” is indeed something to consider, technology is an investment. It has to improve yield, efficiency, and/or profit to be considered an investment.
3. Is the supplier/provider a good partner? Technology companies have come and gone. It seems like every day there is a new player entering the ag technology market. Trust and stability are still excellent qualities. Everyone has problems from time to time, but not everyone has solutions. Make sure you can get help when you need it.

Farming is one of the most challenging occupations. The insertion of technology in farming has created both opportunity and complexity. The challenge is turning complexity into opportunity. At Valley_® we are committed to the irrigation technology challenge and have been since 1954. The difference between then and now is the focus. The opportunities for improvement today are heavily influenced by data and electronics. But we haven’t forgotten that our core challenge is to use every available technology to deliver irrigation to the field where it is needed, when it is needed, as efficiently as possible.

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Andrew Smith Director of Industry Relations Andy has spent more than 27 years involved in the irrigation industry as a farmer, contractor, designer, salesman, and trade representative. At Valley, he manages strategic relationships for mechanized irrigation technology across a broad range of applications. Andy lives in northern Michigan with his wife, Kim, and his daughter, Madison, and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities.

Navigating the Data Frontier in Irrigated Agriculture | by Andy Smith

The use of data in farm management is a hot topic in all areas of agriculture these days. Precision ag tools are leading to strategies such as variable rate seeding, geo-referenced yield monitoring, and many platforms for machinery management. Each of these systems is capable of generating a great deal of data. 

Data science applied to irrigation is no exception. As technologies such as connected machines, soil moisture sensors, and variable rate irrigation are becoming more commonplace, the irrigation-specific data stream is expanding rapidly.

I am not sure who said it, but the quote comes to mind: "We are drowning in information, but starved for knowledge." Growers need tools that turn these endless streams of data into actionable information to help them take full advantage of opportunities to increase yield and optimize inputs.

At Valley_®, we are actively participating in a variety of consortiums focused specifically on the ag data arena. We know that the appropriate application of this mix of technology can significantly improve productivity and curtail waste. We also know that the inappropriate application of such technology can be a waste of time and resources, as well as a source of great frustration.

Another quote from an unknown author comes to mind, "Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should." Technology is a great enabler, but it can be nothing more than a distraction. This brings to mind another quote I heard from the late Stephen Covey, "Technology must be your servant, not your master."

Recently, we rolled out BaseStation3™. BaseStation3 represents the most powerful, yet flexible, irrigation management platform ever developed. BaseStation3 turns data from a variety of agronomic sources into relevant, understandable information that will aid irrigation management decisions.

BaseStation3 will continue to evolve and add features, but make no mistake, BaseStation3 will not be a distraction. This platform is focused on managing irrigation. That means helping growers make irrigation decisions based upon timely, accurate, and relevant information from a variety of sources; then turning those decisions into irrigation applications through connected Valley machines.

It sounds simple, but it's easy to get distracted. At Valley, we are focused on the science of irrigation. As far as BaseStation3 goes, your servant awaits.

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Andrew Smith Director of Industry Relations Andy has spent more than 27 years involved in the irrigation industry as a farmer, contractor, designer, salesman, and trade representative. At Valley, he manages strategic relationships for mechanized irrigation technology across a broad range of applications. Andy lives in northern Michigan with his wife, Kim, and his daughter, Madison, and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities.