Abstract
Center pivot irrigation systems usually apply a relatively uniform amount of water to fields that are often inherently variable, which could lead to significant waste of water and energy. To address this issue, our team is now developing an Intelligent Center Pivot (ICP) by integrating sensor-based irrigation scheduling with variable rate irrigation technology. However, before this technology can be applied in commercial production, it is necessary to educate growers about its practicality and potential benefits. The objective of this study was to develop a portable tabletop intelligent center pivot model (ICPDemo) to demonstrate and promote adoption of the ICP technology. This paper describes an ICPDemo constructed in 2014, including the design specifications, electro-mechanical design, control strategy, and performance. The ICPDemo has performed according to design specifications and is successfully being used to demonstrate the benefits and effectiveness of ICP technology for irrigation scheduling.
Highlights
Center pivot irrigation systems are predominantly designed to apply a relatively uniform amount of water to fields that are often inherently variable due to factors such as different soil types, topography, or multiple crops
Current efforts are being directed towards developing an Intelligent Center Pivot (ICP), which will integrate sensor-based irrigation scheduling with variable rate irrigation technology
This paper describes the design and construction of the intelligent center pivot demonstration model (ICPDemo), including the design specifications, electro-mechanical design, control strategy, and performance
Summary
Center pivot irrigation systems are predominantly designed to apply a relatively uniform amount of water to fields that are often inherently variable due to factors such as different soil types, topography, or multiple crops. This field variability can result in significant waste of water and energy, runoff, chemical leaching, and reductions in yields and farm profits. The Precision Farming Team at Clemson University has developed a variable-rate lateral move irrigation system that has been successfully deployed by growers in commercial production in South Carolina [3]-[5]. Current efforts are being directed towards developing an Intelligent Center Pivot (ICP), which will integrate sensor-based irrigation scheduling with variable rate irrigation technology
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