SMS text delivers irrigation information to growers It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that nearly everyone over the age of 10 in Australia now has a mobile phone. A trial being conducted at present by the CRCIF is showing that the mobile has great potential for more than phoning home. Irrigators around Australia are participating in a trial where they subscribe to an SMS (text message) service that helps them schedule irrigation times. Irrigation Technology: Agriculture, Irrigation Australia Journal, Winter 2008, Volume 23 No. 2.

1. IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY: AGRICULTURE
IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY:
AGRICULTURE
SMS TEXT DELIVERS IRRIGATION INFORMATION TO GROWERS
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to Suited to drip irrigation
say that nearly everyone over the Pascal Guertin, a grape grower at
age of 10 in Australia now has a Bilbul, NSW, says the text messaging
mobile phone. A trial being system is an extra tool to help
conducted at present by the CRCIF growers know how much water is
is showing that the mobile has needed for their crop, and how long
great potential for more than to irrigate.
phoning home. Irrigators around
“I get an SMS message each
Australia are participating in a trial
morning telling me how long my
where they subscribe to an SMS
drip irrigation run time should be.”
(text message) service that helps
them schedule irrigation times. Pascal, who has farmed
chardonnay, shiraz and semillon
grapes in the district since 1984, says
How the system works the system is well suited to drip
The message service collects irrigators because its easier to
evaporation and rainfall readings measure exact flow volume to the
from a local weather station. vineyard.
Computer technology analyses the
“The technology takes into account
data and sends a short message about
temperature, evaporation and crop
irrigation for the crop by mobile
type so information is customised to
phone. For example, it tells you how
each farmer.”
long to run a drip irrigation system
for a vineyard. “I can reply by phone and send
The computer system applies a crop back data to build up a profile of
factor for low, medium or high irrigation for my farm. It’s as simple
watering over a season and calculates as pressing I (for irrigation), Q (to
dripper run times, based on the identify farm) and 250 (meaning how
individual irrigation system’s output. many minutes the pump ran for).
A short message is automatically sent Pascal says he would certainly
to a mobile phone by SMS each subscribe to the system once the trial
morning. finished and the technology becomes Yet another use for a mobile phone!
For evaporation text message commercialised. Irrigators are participating in a trial where
advice, cumulative evaporation “Farmers need all the help they can they subscribe to an SMS service that
readings for the past week are get to save water and be profitable. helps then schedule irrigation times.
collected and sent by mobile phone.
The project is funded and
supported by the Cooperative
Research Centre for Irrigation Futures
and involves researchers from CSIRO
and Melbourne University.
To reach the decision-makers in the
irrigation field, you should consider
advertising in Irrigation Australia
Journal, the official journal of Irrigation
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Grape grower, Pascal Guertin (l), shows Nik Car how he accesses the scheduling information.
8 IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA

2. IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY: AGRICULTURE
This tool is simple and easy to use, “I send a short SMS message back that helps an irrigator to become
saving me time and money.” each day with any rainfall data and my more efficient and productive is a
irrigation run time. This is analysed good one.
Saves time and water costs and subtracted from the next incoming Currently, David uses evaporation
Bob Belatto, Vice President of the Wine SMS message, so it’s all pretty information together with plant
Grapes Marketing Board, sees great accurate.” growth information from Growcom
potential of the SMS irrigation message “I’d definitely subscribe to the service to calculate the optimum irrigation
system for other regions of Australia. once it becomes commercially times for his 90-hectare farm, which
“It’s a really useful guide that could be
available. While soil moisture probes grows a mix of melons, potatoes,
set up anywhere. As it develops, more
are now the benchmark for growers to carrots and green beans.
farmers will save money in water
determine how much water is needed “If we could combine all our
monitoring and irrigation costs.”
for their crop, they can be quite regional data such as temperature,
Bob also owns a 30-hectare vineyard
expensive to buy. Hopefully, the SMS rainfall and soil type for specific
near Griffith and grows semillon,
message system will become cheaper crops – geared for specific
shiraz, merlot and chardonnay wine
and just as good in the future.” allotments – then this system
grapes.
would be a real goer.”
“At present, the SMS message service
technology is [more] suited to drip Planning for the future “Currently, we use EnviroSCAN
irrigation than flood irrigation. David Keller, a mixed-crop farmer from for soil water monitoring.
Drippers are very accurate in the the Lockyer Valley in southeast Combined with regular inspections
amount of water getting to plants.” Queensland, believes any new tool of our vegetables and of soil
moisture, we can adjust our
overhead spray times to get the best
results from the least amount of
The computer system applies a crop factor for low, medium water.”
or high watering over a season and calculates dripper run “But an automated system that
combines these all variables and
times, based on the individual irrigation system’s output.
then sends an SMS message out
A short message is automatically sent to a mobile phone saying exactly how long to irrigate
by SMS each morning. would be even better.”
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