2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Agriculture comprises 70% of the total fresh water use in the world. Irrigation management is very important due to limited water resources available and the competition for those resources for human and industrial uses. Proper irrigation scheduling is based on the crop water requirement at various developmental stages, optimizing crop water use and possibly increasing yield. Georgia is known for peach production but irrigation management guidelines specific to this region are limited to none. In general, peach trees are not irrigated until they start bearing fruits in their third or fourth year after planting. Irrigating young peach trees since establishment has shown to have a positive effect in vegetative growth and yield. However, specific irrigation recommendations are yet to be developed. SmartIrrigation apps have been created for many crops like citrus, avocado, cotton, and vegetables. They are used to schedule a crop’s irrigation based on either their evapotranspiration or soil water balance method using real-time weather data. These apps are getting popular because of their efficiency and ease to use. Our objective was to develop a simple, handy, and free to use smart-phone irrigation app for peaches based on crop evapotranspiration (ET_c). ET_c estimation is a product of reference evapotranspiration (ET_o) and crop coefficient (K_c). ET_o was calculated using the FAO Penman-Monteith equation. K_c values for peaches at various growth stages were compiled by comparing literature published for peaches around the world. A demo app for peach has been developed. This app estimates crop water loss and provides an efficient real-time irrigation schedule. It requires basic information about the field area, crop age, soil type, and irrigation system (type, rate, and efficiency) used. Considering the data provided by the user, the system customizes and generates specific irrigation scheduling (irrigation amount and duration). For any expressive changes observed due to weather conditions, irrigation recommendations are promptly sent to the user via push notifications. Besides notifications, the user can also access a full schedule report that includes accumulated precipitation, irrigation amount, duration, and events. As a result, the app allows growers to have a better understanding of the irrigation requirements of their peach orchards by simply accessing their smartphone.

Keywords: Horticulture, Smart-phone app, Fruit crops