Mobile Irrigation Lab

Irrigated row crop acres across Georgia are predominately watered by center pivots. These systems use vast amounts of water, especially in times of drought. The UGA Extension Mobile Irrigation Lab team is assisting with irrigation audits and educational events across south Georgia. The audit is performed at no cost to the farmer and is done by request. Pivots are audited to show where water can be saved with end gun shut-off by using maps and computer programs to figure acreage. Water uniformity dispersed by the pivot is evaluated to see if water is being applied equally across the field. A percent uniformity is supplied to the farmer showing where areas on the pivot can be improved. Educational programs were shared at production meetings and scheduled field days. The water educator visited and audited 42 center pivot systems in the Southeast District. Irrigated acreage that was covered from these systems totaled 2,811 acres. By aerial maps created, it was shown by using end gun shut off on non-crop areas, over 20.9 million gallons of water could be saved on that particular crop. By producing graphs showing farmers where they were over and under watering, the educator delivered a better understanding of where they can correct issues on their system. This correction will lead to better profits in the future.