Smart Irrigation at Work

My name is Adam McLendon and I manage McLendon Acres in Leary, GA. We are an 8000 + acre row crop farm utilizing over 80 center pivot irrigation systems.

On McLendon Acres, we utilize smart irrigation through the use of soil moisture sensors, pivot monitoring and control applications like Valley AgSense and irrigation scheduling programs.  All farmers are stewards of their land and water resources. We understand the need to conserve in order to sustain our resources and in doing so sustain our jobs and our way of life while producing crops that feed and clothe the world.  Smart irrigation allows us to better achieve this.

Everything associated with successfully growing a crop is about timing.  Timing of planting, timing of applying fertilizers and crop protectants, and of course timing of irrigation.  Smart irrigation scheduling allows us to incorporate proven scientific methods into our irrigation programs.  We collect data in the fields either through remote sensors or manually and input that data into the scheduling programs and use the feedback as a tool to help us make the best decision on when to irrigate and how much to apply. 

I will add that I am extremely grateful to all the researchers that have invested in the development of smart irrigation technologies.  It is truly amazing how advanced it has become.