PROSSER, Wash. Timely irrigation information customized to user needs is available on the free Irrigated Agriculture Information Service website just launched by Washington State University Extension irrigation and agronomy experts.
Users can define their interests and then will receive email alerts and other information based on those preferences.
“We want to provide members of the irrigated agriculture industry with only the information they want, when and where they need it,” said Andy McGuire, a WSU Extension educator based in Grant County. “We want to get research results and other information out as quickly as possible to those who use it on a daily basis.”
Water management is a key issue faced by agricultural producers, he said. Properly managing the resource affects producers’ economic bottom line. Good irrigation practices help reduce dust in cities and the loss of valuable soil.
The WSU system is equipped with more than 35 topic areas, from apples and cattle production to drip irrigation and wine grape growing.
Alerts will be topic specific, McGuire said. For instance, WSU’s pest-monitoring team will quickly notify potato growers if crop-damaging insects have been spotted in potato fields.
“Timely information helps growers manage pests and be judicious about pesticide use, thus improving overall water quality,” he said.
The system replaces an older print-based information delivery system.
“That not only saves money,” McGuire said, “but it expedites the delivery of specific information to specific audiences. Email gives users the ability to receive timely water-management information at home, in the office or on a smart phone.”