Tag: California

July is Smart Irrigation Month

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Smart Irrigation MonthAlthough we should be mindful of our water use every month, July is the official “Smart Irrigation Month” because it is a peak month for outdoor water use. An initiative of the Irrigation Association (a non-profit industry organization dedicated to promoting efficient irrigation), Smart Irrigation Month is a public awareness campaign that seeks to promote effective practices and innovative technologies to:

  • Increase crop yield per acre
  • Apply water and nutrient inputs more precisely for improved results with no waste
  • Minimize runoff and top soil erosion
  • Help protect and preserve water supplies for today and the future
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Good Water Management: A Wise Business Decision

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Increasing water costs and water scarcity are becoming critical issues that are affecting the bottom lines for growers’ businesses. Whether these issues are the result of droughts, environmental concerns, or water regulations, the fact is that growers need to improve their water management techniques.

In a recent online article in Growing Produce, Michael Cahn highlights how growers in California are utilizing drip irrigation to improve their water management and crop quality. In one paragraph, Cahn writes, “In the Central Valley where surface water allocations can be limited during drought years, drip has allowed growers to farm more acres with less water. Besides saving water, drip provides more management options for growers. Under drip, tractor operations are less likely to be hampered by saturated furrows and application uniformity under drip is not affected by wind, which is common in the afternoon along the coast. Additionally, drip can reduce foliar disease pressure in crops by keeping leaves dry.”

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