2003, Las Vegas, NV July 27-30, 2003 · 2003 · 33 citations · 0 references
EngineeringAgricultural EngineeringWater Resources ManagementAgricultural AutomationIrrigation EngineeringIrrigation ManagementIrrigationIrrigation AutomationIrrigation ControlIrrigation SchedulingIrrigation System DesignIrrigation SystemsAutomated Water AllocationIrrigation Control SystemsPriority SchedulingPriority Scheduling DisciplinesPriority Scheduling PoliciesSoil Moisture-based Irrigation ControlSoil Water Potential SensingWater Potential
The development and testing of a low-cost, low-power, closed-loop, distributedirrigation control system for site-specific irrigation is presented. The system used soil waterpotential measurements to control the amount of water applied to each specific zone of a field.Hydraulic pressure measurements and priority scheduling were used to allocate waterresources among irrigation controllers. The controller hardware consisted of a microcontroller,time keeping and data storage devices, and an A/D converter. The controller was autonomouslypowered by a solar panel and a battery, minimizing maintenance and eliminating inter-wireconnections.<br><br>The irrigation control system proved to be effective in maintaining the soil water potential in theroot zone close to a predetermined set point, and within an adequate range for cropdevelopment during the evaluation period. Performance of the priority scheduling approach forwater allocation among irrigation controllers was satisfactory, with irrigation of specific zonesalways occurring according to the preset priority rank, and under adequate operating pressure.