Irrigation Scheduling "Software" Available

Jerry Wright, Extension Engineer, University of Minnesota, Morris, Minn.

A simple user friend spreadsheet style software is now available to assist you in planning your next irrigation event and keeping a daily record of your precipitation and irrigations amounts along with a daily estimation daily soil water status throughout the growing season. The software can be used to monitor daily soil water status for alfalfa, corn, soybeans, potatoes, dry beans, wheat and sugar beets.

The software creates a spreadsheet like working file for each field that reflects the actual field's soil type and depth, available water holding capacity, crop type and emergence date.

The software generates a 30-day soil water depletion graph similar to the graph presented below for each field for any date. It is also easily printed for taking to the field or filing with other annual information pieces on performance and input records.

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After initial file setup, user needs to enter the daily max air temperature, rainfall amounts and irrigation depths for each respective event. If the day's air temperature is not entered, a historical max temperature is already assigned based on the nearest historical weather site that is incorporated into the software. The software lists several regional weather stations around Minnesota and North Dakota.

Once the daily inputs are updated in the spreadsheet for the specific field, a new estimated soil water depletion status is calculated for each day (expressed in inches of water depleted and also percent deficit). This estimated soil water deficit should be crossed check every 5 to 10 days with an in-field soil water assessment by the operator using a soil probe or another type of sensor. If found different, a correction should be made on the spreadsheet to the respective's daily estimate entry.

The program is designed to run on an IBM-compatible computer with Windows 3.1 or higher operating systems. The software requires 5 MB of memory and 5 MB of free hard drive space. The program works the best on the faster processors like a Pentium 1 or higher.

Irrigation engineers, Tom Scherer and Dean Steele, from North Dakota State University teamed up with Jerry Wright, University of Minnesota Extension Engineer, and developed a spreadsheet software program that estimates daily soil water status for individual irrigated fields for several conventional crops. The software was field tested with about dozen farmers and crop consultants in Minnesota during the summer of 1999 and revised for release in early 2000.

A copy of the software and operating manual can be obtained by sending a $30 check (marked payable to University of Minnesota) to:
West Central Research & Outreach Center
University of Minnesota
Attn: Jerry Wright, Extension Engineer
PO Box 471
Morris, MN 56267

For more information contact Jerry Wright, Extension Engineer at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, MN (320) 589 -1711 or jwright@umn.edu.

Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, hutch002@tc.umn.edu
Jeanne Ciborowski, IPM Program, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us
Cindy Tong, Department of Horticulture, University of Minnesota, ctong@extension.umn.edu
Production Editor: Suzanne Wold, Research Assistant, University of Minnesota, woldx018@tc.umn.edu

Disclaimer
Reference to products in this publication is not intended to be an endorsement to the exclusion of others which may have similar uses. Any person using products listed in this publication assumes full responsibility for their use in accordance with current directions of the manufacturer

Last Revised May 30, 2002.
The University, including the Minnesota Extension Service, is an equal opportunity educator and employer.©2002 Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Contact copyright@extension.umn.edu for information on reproduction or use of this material.