March/April 2021 - 27

IRRIGATION
UNDERGROUND EYEGLASSES
Checking the water levels from one
field to another gives him peace of
mind in afternoons when he makes
decisions about irrigation and the rest
of the day's work.
" You can't really get a reading in the
morning, " he said. " You need to get a
reading on what that crop's drinking-
at least, somewhere closer to 4:00 in
the afternoon where it's done what it's
going to do throughout that day. "
Dips in moisture at a specific soil depth
can show whether or not plant roots can
reach the water, Barrett said, showing
graphs from one of DeWitt's farms.
" As you let that dry down, those
roots started digging down deeper
and deeper, and then you were able
to pick it back up, and these irrigation
events kept you stable, " Barrett said to
DeWitt. " And the thing I like is when
I look at your (graph), is how steady
these lines are. Throughout the whole
season, you're staying steady. "
DeWitt does find the information of
use for decision-making.
" It's like having a pair of glasses if you
A graph of moisture levels at DeWitt Farms in Georgia shows consistently-managed
irrigation without large fluctuations.
need a pair of glasses, " he said. " You
now understand what's going on down
there. You have something to measure it
by. You have some information to go by.
Fields that we were putting five hours
(of irrigation) a day on, we cut that back
to three hours a day. ... we didn't have to
do those two extra hours. "
Over the years, the farm operation
has increased the number of water
sensors it uses from one to five, and
DeWitt said they're " worth their
weight in gold " because of savings in
labor, wear and tear on the well and
a reduced need for plant nutrition.
Reduced irrigation means reduced salt
leaching or less loss of nutrients.
In closing, DeWitt offered a few
pointers to his fellow growers.
" I would suggest, too, as far as
getting a sensor, do your research. Just
don't go to the first one you see, " he
said. " If you do get a sensor, do your
best to understand it. "
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ORGANICGROWER.INFO 27
Dealers Welcome!
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March/April 2021

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