November 30, 2007

Workshop to teach basic irrigation concepts

"This is a really exciting time for irrigation in this area," said Lyndon Kelley, who shares an Extension appointment with both Purdue and Michigan State universities. "We have the water resources, and we can increase yield by making up that one limiting factor - moisture.

"If you don't have enough water, it doesn't matter how much you invest in equipment. You are not going to be able to supply what the plant needs."

Before adding irrigation to the farm, however, growers need to have a solid background and understanding of concepts such as how irrigation works and how to design an irrigation system.

The Overhead Irrigation Basics workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time on Dec. 13 at the Marshall County Office Building in Plymouth, Ind. The meeting room is located on the third floor at the Purdue Extension office in Room 304.

The workshop flyer and registration form can be downloaded online at https://www.ces.purdue.edu/anr/documents/2007/
IrrBasicsWorkshop%2012-13-07.pdf. To register by phone, contact the Purdue Extension office in Marshall County at (574) 935-8545. The registration fee is $10 per person, which includes materials, refreshments and lunch, and is due by Dec. 11.

Certified crop advisers can earn four continuing education units (CEUs) in soil and water management by attending this workshop.

"The workshop will start out with a few basics, like looking at the factors that lead into whether irrigation is a good investment," Kelley said.

Program topics and speakers include:

* 9:45 a.m. Irrigation water requirements and water source options, Kelley.

* 10:30 a.m. Indiana water use regulations, Mark Basch, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Water.

* 11 a.m. Energy options for irrigation and irrigation energy use, Kelley.

* 11:15 a.m. Overhead irrigation application equipment options, Kelley.

* 11:45 a.m. Irrigation system design project, Purdue Extension educator Bob Yoder.

* Noon. Lunch.

* 1 p.m. Irrigation system design reports, Yoder.

* 1:30 p.m. Irrigation system design and dealer bid example, Tom Frank of Chester Inc.

* 2 p.m. Overview and considerations of sprinkler options, Kelley.

* 2:15 p.m. Calculating irrigation equipment and operating costs, Kelley.

* 2:45 p.m. Irrigation economics, Purdue Extension educator Gene Matzat.

* 3:15 p.m. Irrigation tools for stewardship and program wrap-up, Kelley.

Kelley said that irrigating is like having a bank account.

"When irrigating a crop, we are replacing water the plant used and took out of the soil profile," Kelley said. "When we talk about that, we are actually using our soil as though it's a bank to hold the water over the winter and the early spring.

"As we get into summer, our crop starts using more water than our bank has and that's when we want to use irrigation to replace the water and make up for the deficit that's there."

The equipment chosen needs to be able to replace that water. For corn the amount of water that needs to be replaced is typically five gallons per minute per acre, Kelley said.

"In order to irrigate 100 acres, it would require a 500-gallon pump," Kelley said.  "That pump should operate six and a half days a week and replace all the water the crop would use during the hottest part of the summer at peak water use."

For questions and more information, contact Kelley at (269) 467-5511, kelleyl@msu.edu. A map can be downloaded at https://www.ces.purdue.edu/Marshall/.

Those interested in similar meetings who cannot attend this workshop should contact Deanna Mumby in St. Joseph County at (269) 467-5511.

Writer:  Julie Douglas, (765) 496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu

Sources: Gene Matzat, (219) 324-9407, ematzat@purdue.edu

Lyndon Kelley, (269) 467-5511, kelleyl@msu.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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