Ongoing research at UC Riverside could reshape the way California’s growers water their trees.
In dry climates, irrigation couldn’t be more important — or, if improperly handled, more expensive. That’s why the University of California has developed a system that creates detailed, tree-by-tree maps of soil moisture levels. Under this new system, a mobile robot travels through an orchard to measure the soil’s electrical conductivity. Those readings are combined with data sourced from the in-ground moisture sensors that many growers have been using for years. By pairing these measurements together, growers can see a tree-by-tree picture of water distribution in their orchards. In other words, they’ll know how much water each tree has, how much water it needs, and which trees need to be irrigated.
The result? More crop per drop. Instead of watering entire blocks of trees uniformly, growers can identity dry zones and avoid overwatering trees that are already properly irrigated. As groundwater regulations continue to tighten across California, new technologies like the UC Riverside system can help keep orchards healthy while cutting back on water use.
Fruit Growers can help, too. Our irrigation department can design a customized system for your growing operation, and our in-house irrigation crew can install it. That means your crops will receive targeted irrigation while your costs remain low. To talk with an expert, give us a call today.