01.12.2024 | 3 min read

Five reasons why commercial growers need irrigation management software

grower using device to monitor drip irrigation station

By 2030, the global demand for freshwater is expected to exceed supply by 40%. Commercial growers worldwide are under pressure to make smarter, more informed decisions about water use, and to make every drop of water count as they strive to maintain healthy crops and achieving sustainable yields. 

Climate change only amplifies this problem, disrupting weather patterns and triggering more frequent and severe droughts and other weather extremes. For protected cropping growers, this means higher stakes and less room for error in managing their vital water resources. 

A smart approach to water management is the key to maximizing yields under these challenging conditions. While growers may rely on intuition and experience to guide decisions, those that also collect and utilize weather and climate data can make better-informed irrigation decisions. Irrigation management software, like FarmRoad, helps growers to easily visualize and analyse agronomy data to guide their irrigation plans and optimize their water usage. 

Here are five reasons why investing in irrigation management software can unlock enhanced water management on your farm: 

1. It takes the guesswork out of watering decisions

It’s a delicate balance to irrigate the right amount without wasting water and causing unwanted runoff. Apply too little water at the right time and your crops may face water stress, leading to stunted growth and lower yields. Overwatering, on the other hand, wastes precious resources and can leach essential nutrients from the root zone.  

For generations, farmers have relied on intuition to manage irrigation—feeling the soil, watching for plant signals, and following the trends of past seasons. But with water scarcity intensifying and weather patterns becoming more unpredictable from season to season, these traditional methods no longer cut it. 

Modern irrigation software gives growers the ability to accurately apply water based on the specific needs of their crops. AI-powered solutions like FarmRoad’s Irrigation Forecast Dashboard provide forecasted insights into climate conditions and evapotranspiration data, guiding growers on exactly when and how much to irrigate throughout the day—no more, no less.
FarmRaod Irrigation Forecast Dashboard

FarmRoad’s Irrigation Forecast Dashboard

2. It builds climate resilience

The climate crisis is bringing more severe droughts, unpredictable rainfall, and heat waves that contribute to ‘heatflation'. Having an adaptable irrigation strategy is crucial to maintaining crop resilience in the face of changing climate risks.  

To stay ahead, protected cropping growers need accurate weather information at their fingertips to make informed and timely irrigation decisions. Unlike generic weather apps, irrigation management software can deliver localized weather forecasts that reflect the true conditions on your farm, helping you better align irrigation with shifting weather patterns and crop needs. 
polytunnel farm in drought conditions

Growers can also set up real-time mobile alerts when climate conditions fall outside specified parameters, providing early warnings that enable timely adjustments and help reduce the risk of weather-related crop losses. 

3. It powers data-informed decision-making

Modern farming generates vast amounts of data from an array of sources, including sensors, satellites, and irrigation systems. However, this data has limited utility on its own unless it is effectively integrated, analyzed, and transformed into actionable insights.  

Crop management software that brings this information together for easy visualization and analysis makes it easier for growers to make informed irrigation decisions. It provides growers with the means to compare irrigation data alongside other key digital agronomy data which helps them gain a clearer, more comprehensive view of their growing conditions. Over time, this data-informed approach allows growers to anticipate irrigation needs with greater precision, reducing water waste and improving crop outcomes. 

4. It optimizes efficiency of your drip irrigation

Irrigation management software enhances the efficiency of your drip irrigation system, offering real-time insights into water usage after each irrigation event. Mobile apps like FarmRoad’s Drip and Drain Monitoring streamline irrigation monitoring by automating the collection and analysis of drip and drain measurements.  
 

While manual data entry into spreadsheets is still common, it’s slow and prone to errors, often taking hours or even days for agronomists to receive the information and delaying necessary interventions. With immediate feedback on the ground, digital data collection tools help growers to quickly identify trends in their water usage and uncover issues like uneven water distribution or gradual nutrient buildup in the root zone—problems that would otherwise be difficult to spot manually.  

5. It improves nutrient delivery through fertigation

Fertigation—the practice of delivering fertilizers through irrigation systems—is an increasingly common technique for maximizing nutrient efficiency and improving crop yields. However, the key to effective fertigation isn’t just combining water and fertilizer; it’s about ensuring the right balance at the right time.  

Crops absorb nutrients most efficiently when the soil or substrate maintains consistent moisture levels that are neither too dry nor overly saturated. Irrigation management software helps growers fine-tune this balance by providing real-time data on the root zone moisture, weather, and water demand of their crops. With these insights, growers can apply water and nutrients precisely when plants are best able to utilize them, minimizing resource waste and reducing the risk of runoff.  

Optimizing water management 

Irrigation management software that empowers protected cropping growers to optimize their water use will deliver multiple on-farm benefits, including water savings and improved crop productivity. 

In a time when all growers are asked to grow more with less resources, implementing this technology from the outset can give farms and agribusinesses a competitive advantage in irrigation decision-making and managing water in the long run.    

Ready to level-up your irrigation management? Discover how FarmRoad’s Irrigation module helps you optimize water use and make informed irrigation decisions to enhance crop yield and quality.

 

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