| Sit back in your chair. Take a drink of your | | | | used in row crops and turf. Data loggers are |
| coffee and take a look at the soil moisture level | | | | attached to these probes that can upload data to |
| of your almond orchard. Then pick up the data | | | | the Internet by using a cell phone, which is |
| from your weather station. No it's not too good | | | | designed into the logger box. You can be miles |
| to be true. Today's technology enables farmers | | | | away and see how dry your field is. This |
| to gain important knowledge about their fields | | | | technology really benefits growers that have |
| right from their personal computer. Never before | | | | several fields in different locations. This data is |
| have farmers had this kind of information that | | | | updated every few minutes. You can actually see |
| can be stored and evaluated. | | | | what time an irrigation started. Did your field man |
| Aquaspy Inc. has been designing products that | | | | start the water when you asked him to? |
| farmers can use to really make a difference. | | | | The best part about these soil moisture probes is |
| They are a company that believes that every | | | | the software. All of your data is stored on your |
| drop of water that a farmer uses should be | | | | computer for future reference. View the graph |
| backed by the intelligence of good decision-making. | | | | from last year to see where you can improve. I |
| As an agricultural consultant I can understand | | | | always look to see if there is any areas where |
| exactly what they mean by that statement. | | | | we wasted water or got a little too dry. Usually |
| Good water management starts at the field level. | | | | we try to keep it right on to maximize yield but |
| A farmer cannot accurately decide to irrigate a | | | | also save water. This software allows the user to |
| field without first knowing the moisture level that | | | | add management lines and colors to the graphs. |
| is in the active root zone. Find out how wet the | | | | Management lines help you to set a low point or a |
| soil profile is and then schedule your irrigation | | | | high point acting as a guide to the grower. The |
| based upon what the crop is telling you. Install a | | | | lines are saved and really help year after year. |
| soil moisture probe to see just how valuable they | | | | Irrigation scheduling of crops is a science that |
| are to your operation. The probes are sold in 20, | | | | needs constant precise inputs to make good |
| 40 and 60inch lengths. The 60inch length is usually | | | | decisions. Accurate soil moisture and weather |
| the best choice for permanent crops like trees | | | | information for the grower and consultant is a |
| and vines. The shorter lengths are most often | | | | must. |