A National Irrigation Management Survey for Greenhouse and Nursery Operations

Defining operational efficiencies within the nursery and greenhouse industry is challenging for a number of reasons.  Production practices are highly variable between field, container-nursery and greenhouse operations.  In addition, many individual growers produce hundreds of species and cultivars, and use a variety of production, irrigation, and fertilization methods and practices to minimize nutrient and sediment runoff.  Typically it is easy to assess the inherent efficiency of the major irrigation systems, including overhead, microsprinkler and drip systems, but the management of these systems is the key to real operational efficiency.  In order to gather specific management information about irrigation, runoff and containment practices, an extensive online survey was developed as part of a larger project focused on the development of wireless sensor irrigation networks for the ornamental industry.  Sensor networks have the potential to provide growers with real-time, site-specific information, which has been shown to reduce irrigation application rates through precision scheduling.  This in turn, may increase fertilizer uptake efficiency and reduce leaching and runoff, which can increase profit margins for growers by using resources more efficiently.  We conducted a survey that asked growers to share information about seven aspects of their operation: 1) General site information; 2) Irrigation and rainfall runoff and collection; 3) Sensor technology; 4) Cost and revenue information; 5) Greenhouse specific information; 6) Container-nursery specific information and 7) Field nursery specific information.  The survey was distributed to ornamental plant growers through a variety of methods including contact at tradeshows and through extension agents and grower organizations.  Preliminary results indicate that at least half of the growers who completed the survey believe that sensor networks can decrease product loss, increase plant quality and irrigation efficiency and reduce disease occurrence.  At least half of the same surveyed growers also were concerned that the cost of installing sensor networks would be too high, the sensors would not be reliable, and the sensors would not control irrigation correctly.  Data gathered from this survey are being used to define baseline water management practices currently used by the industry, estimate the perceived value and likely adoption of sensor technology, and help determine the potential economic and environmental impact of better irrigation management techniques.