The 2012 drought that covered about 65 percent of the U.S. and which was a continuation of drought that began more than a year earlier in the Southwest has brought concern about water availability to the forefront more than ever before.
More companies than ever are putting together programs to assist growers who irrigate and to help ag retailers assist their customers grow crops as efficiently as possible with as little water as possible. Continuous improvement in water delivery and efficient use in crop production is a necessity. Improvements can be economically viable for growers, and initial investments must be offset in the long run.
Syngenta has jumped into offering the Water+ Intelligent Irrigation Platform working in partnership with Lindsay Corporation to assist growers. The concept and research for the platform program began three years ago, prior to the extreme drought. Working with a limited number of growers, the program is in limited launch in Kansas, Nebraska and portions of Colorado during 2013, explained Chris Tingle, Syngenta, business portfolio manager irrigated crops.
SOURCE: Rich Keller, Ag Professional
http://www.agprofessional.com/agprofessional-magazine/Water-Efficiency-Key-to-Irrigating-206974241.html