Phase 1: Pilot Project

Through the use of advanced irrigation scheduling tools, agricultural farm irrigators can increase water use efficiency and water conservation. These efficiency and conservation gains are important as there are in excess of 13,000 center pivot systems in these two regions of Georgia and forecasts in the Regional Water Plans predict by 2050 that agriculture will account for 79% and 78% of the total water demand in the LFO and UF regions, respectively.

In 2017, UGA Extension initiated a Phase 1 - Pilot Project (dubbed “AgWET”) to advance cotton irrigation scheduling tools on center pivot agricultural systems in an eleven (11) county area throughout southern Georgia (Fig 2).  The Phase 1 - Pilot Project was not restricted to specific regional water planning council areas. The irrigation scheduling tools deployed in the Phase 1 project included the SmartIrrigation Cotton App developed by UGA’s Dr. George Vellidis (Co-PI on this project) and soil moisture sensing systems (SMSS) from the Trellis company (Peachtree Corners, GA).