February 2024 - 13

Most of the systems are low-pressure
varieties that require minimal pumping
capacity, Crose said.
PIVOT POTENTIAL
Crose said the potential of that new
tech to affect potato production is vast,
with growers turning to innovations
such as mobile drip irrigation.
" The technology of the pivot irrigation
systems with nozzle configuration is the
best, " he said. " A pivot system can be
retrofitted and given the ability to act as
a drip system, dragging lines. This can
push water efficiency up to about 95%,
which is incredible.
" We have a couple systems out here now
that we are looking at, and they are proving
to be very efficient and very effective. "
Embracing the new technology
can have many benefits for farmers,
Crose said.
" Number one, they can reduce the
cost of inputs to the farm, which helps
their bottom line. They are using less
energy and less water, both of which are
expensive, " he said. " Then you get into
nutrient management, which is fertilizer
for the crops. Farmers are now using
drone technology to monitor fields. They
also have yield monitors on all their
equipment that shows what the crop
yields are across the fields.
" If they are getting lower yields in
some areas they can focus on those areas
and do spot applications of fertilizer with
A center pivot retrofitted with a mobile drip system is an example of innovation spurred by water
shortages in the central/eastern Washington region. Photo courtesy of Harold Crose.
more strategic prescriptive applications. "
Grid sampling is an important tool
in measuring effectiveness as well as
improving crop production and reducing
waste, Crose said.
" They can break the field up into grids,
based on soil types, past performance
and production. It isn't one size fits
all; they are very prescriptive in their
approach to nutrient management
because it saves money and improves
soil health, " he said. " If they are using
nitrogen, for instance, if they are overapplying
both water and nutrients, the
excess gets into the groundwater. "
Farmers can spot-apply nutrients
throughout the year through the pivot
system, Crose said, and pinpoint zones
" where they can speed the system up or
slow it down and do more prescriptive
application. "
PEST MANAGEMENT
Technological advances can also help
farmers find the most efficient ways to
control weeds and insect damage.
" They can fly the field with drones and
spot areas that are having a problem, "
Crose said. " These drones are configured
with applicators and can act as miniature
crop-dusters. They can find the spot in
the field with weeds or insects, using
photos that look at spectrometry.
Those areas have a different reflective
characteristic. They can fly over those
and spot-apply the necessary herbicide
or insecticide. "
This new technology can reduce
pesticide use by limiting it to only
the areas where needed, he said,
which in turn, affects water quality,
crop productivity, disease and overall
environmental health.
Spudman.com 13

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February 2024

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