Advancing precision variable rate irrigation technology to optimize crop water productivity and environmental sustainability in florida

The Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service awarded a $1,658,031 Project Grant to the University of Florida (UF) through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (CFDA 10.912) to advance precision variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology. This 4-year project aims to optimize crop water productivity and environmental sustainability in Florida, Georgia, and Minnesota. The project will evaluate VRI systems and multi-mode sensor technologies to improve on-farm irrigation scheduling and develop next-generation irrigation approaches. UF will collaborate with the University of Georgia Research Foundation and Regents of the University of Minnesota as sub-grantees to conduct field experiments, integrate remote sensing data, and develop an online tool to assess within-field variability. The goal is to provide stakeholders with research-backed data and information to facilitate better on-farm irrigation management decisions and adoption of VRI technologies.