Dr. Drew Gholson

Assistant Professor/Extension Irrigation Specialist|Delta Research & Extension Center

2023 Abstract - ON-FARM IRRIGATION WATER MANAGEMENT AUTOMATION EVALUATION : Water levels in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer continue to drop in the Mississippi Delta while irrigation acreage continues to increase. Adoption of irrigation conservation practices or Best Management Practices (BMPs) is imperative to help sustain our groundwater supplies. The Row-crop Irrigation Science Extension and Research (RISER) is an on-farm program that demonstrates to growers how irrigation water management (IWM) practices reduce irrigation water use up to 40% while improving profitability by $40/acre. Starting in 2020, the RISER program began identifying and evaluating innovative sensor and automation technologies that can assist producers with improving their on-farm irrigation management strategies and scheduling.----------------------------- 2023 Abstract - ROUNDTABLE SESSION - USING SOIL MOISTURE SENSORS ACROSS THE ENTIRE FARMING ENTERPRISE: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THOSE WHO ARE DOING IT: Utilizing Soil Moisture Sensors across the entire farming enterprise is challenging and is potentially a capital-intensive process. Lessons learned from utilizing soil moisture monitoring, the successes and pitfalls will be shared in this farmer panel session.