Project Activities

This project was active from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2021 (including a 6-month No-Cost Extension). In 2019, the following counties were part of the project (Fig 3): Colquitt, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Miller, Mitchell, Sumter, Terrell, and Thomas. In 2020, Crisp County was not included in the project.

2018

• Obtained social science-related data from growers by including work by UGA colleagues in partnership with the MARS Wrigley Confectionery group on water use sustainability in Georgia - a multi-year initiative with UGA focused on improving agricultural WUE in crop production by testing the effectiveness and increasing adoption of soil sensors and irrigation scheduling tools.
• Worked with Trellis to add a rain gauge sensor to their in-field soil moisture sensing systems (SMSS). This was needed as the SmartIrrigation Cotton App requires local rainfall data for optimal performance.

2019

• Conducted preseason ‘social science’ surveys of UGA Extension county agents.
• Worked with App developer and Trellis to implement API linkage between cloud-based App and Trellis server hosting rainfall data from in-field rain gauges.
• Conducted two workshops (Bainbridge and Plains) to train 8 county agents and 1 crop consultant on use of soil moisture sensing systems (SMSS) and SmartIrrigation Cotton App. Worked with agents and consultant to identify farmer participants and cotton fields.
• Met with LFO and UF regional water councils to provide update on project.
• Purchased SMSS (including rain gauges) from Trellis. Worked with agents and consultant to install and implement SMSS and train farmers (Figs 4-7).
• Worked with agents and consultant to get App installed on agent and farmer smartphones (Fig 8).
• Worked with agents and farmers to use SMSS and App as they irrigated the cotton crop. Encouraged farmers to use App to schedule irrigation events and utilize SMSS data as verification of irrigation decisions and App performance.
• Performed trouble-shooting and reinstalls/repairs in conjunction with Trellis personnel and with App programmer.
• Carried out cotton irrigation scheduling research studies at SIRP (Fig 9).
• Worked with agents and farmers to remove SMSS equipment prior to cotton harvest (Fig 10). Stored equipment for use in 2020. Requested that agents and farmers complete surveys.
• Requested that agents and farmers complete postseason surveys.

2020 and 2021

• Worked with App developer and Trellis to improve the API linkage between cloud-based App and Trellis server hosting rainfall data from in-field rain gauges.
• Conducted a (virtual) pre-season workshop to update training of 8 county agents on use of soil moisture sensing systems (SMSS) and SmartIrrigation Cotton App. Worked with agents to identify farmer participants and cotton fields.
• SMSS (including rain gauges) refurbished by Trellis prior to upcoming growing season. Worked with agents and consultant to install and implement SMSS and train farmers. Worked with agents to install App on agent and farmer smartphones.
• Worked with agents and farmers to use SMSS and App as they irrigated the cotton crop. Encouraged farmers to use App to schedule irrigation events and utilize SMSS data as verification of irrigation decisions and App performance.
• Performed trouble-shooting and reinstalls/repairs in conjunction with Trellis personnel and with App programmer.
• Carried out cotton irrigation scheduling research studies at SIRP.
• Worked with agents and farmers to remove SMSS gear prior to cotton harvest. Had agents and farmers complete surveys.
• Met with LFO and UF regional water councils to provide update on project.
• Requested agents and farmers complete postseason surveys.