Smartphone Apps for Irrigation Scheduling

Abstract

Abstract. SmartIrrigation apps were developed to provide real-time irrigations schedules for selected crops (i.e., avocado, citrus, cotton, peanut, strawberry, vegetables). Irrigation schedules in the smartphone apps are based on evapotranspiration (ET) or a water balance methodology using real-time weather data from the Florida Automated Weather Network and the Georgia Environmental Monitoring Network. The FAO Penman Monteith method is used for calculating reference ET and crop coefficients (Kc) are applied based on time after planting, calendar month, or a crop‘s phenological stage. The functionality of each app was customized for each user group considering the most common irrigation systems used. Custom features include water conservation options, splitting irrigation events, spreadsheet output emails, and the use of notifications. App inputs varied by crop (primarily due to the irrigation system used); however, all apps required root depth, irrigation rate, and soil type except the strawberry app. App outputs also varied and included estimated reference ET, days between irrigation events, irrigation depth and duration, accumulated rain for previous 7 days, and growing degree days. National Weather Service forecast data are also provided in the apps. The apps are available in Android and iOS stores. A limitation to the app irrigation schedules is the spatial variation in rainfall given the finite set of weather station; future efforts will focus on more accurate inclusion of rainfall into the irrigation schedules generated by the SmartIrrigation apps.