Using Smart Irrigation Apps to Show the Value of Extension to Local Government

Extension needs to show that they have value to local county government who funds much of local extension services. One way that the UF/IFAS Manatee County Extension Service is showing its value is by helping Manatee County save irrigation water on county owned properties.  Using the Urban Lawn SmartIrrigation App, property site managers with the help of Extension are setting up the SmartIrrigation App on smart phones and tablets.  By programing the soil type and unique zone characteristics, such as sprinkler type and number of sprinklers in the zone, an irrigation schedule is generated.  Extension provides detailed zone information to the site managers for app set up as well as completing a full irrigation evaluation on the site to correct inefficiencies in the system. The app then provides site managers with an estimate of irrigation run times needed to meet current turf water demand using a simplified approach for automated irrigation systems. Temperatures will also be monitored by the model to determine if they are above the minimum temperature required for growth to occur. App users receive notifications if more than 0.4 inches of rain occurs 24 hours prior to irrigation, rain is expected, or temperatures are too low for growth. Using the app instead of a set time-based schedule for irrigation, county site managers can provide irrigation amounts to turf that more closely match water needs. The Smartirrigation Turf app provides an easy way to determine your irrigation schedule for better management of turf. The irrigation schedule it generates is based on real-time ET_o data at a weather station near the system location. Using this app for irrigation is expected to reduce irrigation amounts annually by 25% to 30% if the app-suggested schedules are followed. More information can be found on the Smartirrigation Apps website at http://smartirrigationapps.org.