Soil Moisture Sensor Field Days in MS Demonstrate Value & Available Funding for Smarter Water Management

Memphis, TN, July 15, 2015 (Newswire.com) - We are facing a critical need to conserve natural resources. Agriculture uses 80% of available US water resources.  Efficient water management practices can help farm profitability, improve water quality & quantity, and conserve water. Today’s farmers are adopting efficient technology and adapting to new farming practices. There are many ways to improve irrigation options. Farmers, researchers, and crop consultants should explore available tools and resources that can help monitor, measure, and adjust irrigation management.

Experts and manufacturers are developing various tools and platforms to fill the need for better irrigation management technology.

Mississippi State University Extension is holding two soil moisture sensor field days. The first event will be July 16th at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, MS. The other is August 6th at Coahoma County Extension Building in Clarksdale, MS. Both events begin at 1:30 PM. Dr. Jason Krutz, MSU Irrigation Specialist, will provide presentations of the agronomic advantages of utilizing soil moisture sensors to trigger row crop irrigation.

Manufacturers and providers will demonstrate types of sensors available, the advantages, and costs of their sensing platforms. The goal of these events is to help local farmers and consultants learn about the available tools for better irrigation management.

The Mississippi Water Conservation Management Project (MWCMP) qualifies for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) of the USDA National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The IWM is part of a plan for the NRCS to ensure better practices, environmental stewardship, and conservation efforts. Farmers can apply for financial assistance from NRCS funding to adopt irrigation technology.

Sensor vendors, distributors, and consultants in attendance include AgSmarts, Aquacheck, Aquaspy, Decagon, John Deere Field Connect, HydroSCOUT, Sentek, and WaterMark.

About AgSmarts: Based in Memphis, TN, AgSmarts is a Precision Ag technology company that offers remote wireless sensing, predictive irrigation and crop management analytics, and equipment automation that collectively represent a revolution in data-driven agriculture. AgSmarts’ platform combines hardware and software solutions into a versatile, powerful and cost effective suite of tools that producers, researchers and agronomic consultants can use today in the struggle to conserve natural resources, control operational costs and maximize crop yields. For more information about AgSmarts, please visit www.agsmarts.com