Irrigation Audit
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Spectrum – “To Measure Is To Know” Irrigation Audit “The ability to know what’s going on in a root zone is very, very important to a turfgrass manager.” Photo co urtesy of The Motz Group Dr. Michael Hurdzan Hurdzan/Fry Golf Course Design, Inc. Intelligent Irrigation What is your root zone telling you? The current drought conditions across the country, brought on by past years of below-average precipitation, will certainly dictate continued irrigation restrictions. Efficient irrigation is one of the most important aspects of proper turf management. It is essential that managers know their water requirements, application rates and the problem spots of their irrigation systems. Proper irrigation produces strong root zones and the highest turf quality. Improper irrigation can increase water consumption, soil erosion, disease pressure and lead to a loss of vital nutrients in the root zone. All of these factors contribute to higher maintenance costs for the property owner and cause headaches for the turf manager. INTELLIGENT IRRIGATION BEGINS WITH THE RIGHT DATA 4CURRENT NATIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS The ability to anticipate and efficiently prepare for future drought conditions is essential. Detecting soil moisture problems farther in advance with greater accuracy and improved geo-referenced detail will be the crucial factor in making irrigation management decisions.

Irrigation System Data: Fast, Easy, and Accurate! TDR 300 SOIL MOISTURE METER When precision irrigation decisions count, the Field Scout® TDR 300 is your tool to eliminate the guesswork! Based on proven time-domain measurement technology, these portable units accurately measure soil moisture across the full range of soil moisture conditions. The Field Scout TDR 300 Soil Moisture Meter gives you the flexibility to measure the soil moisture content directly, anywhere in the field. With the internal data logger connected to a user-supplied GPS receiver, The TDR 300 captures geo-referenced data...

Spectrum – “To Measure Is To Know” Irrigation and Soil Moisture Solutions Cutting Edge Technology... The Garmin GPS 72H WAAS-enabled for accuracy to within 10 feet (3 meters). The unit is waterproof, rugged and fieldready. The GPS 72H runs for 16 hours on just two AA batteries. (Other GPS units may achieve submeter accuracy) Approx. $120.00 - $180.00 (not sold by Spectrum Technologies) Volumetric Water Content (VWC) Mode Converts a measured electrical signal into percent soil moisture content using an equation valid over a wide range of soils. The LCD screen on the TDR 300 displays the...

Spectrum - "To Measure Is To Know" Comparison of Irrigation Data Collection Methods Traditional Method: Limitations of a traditional irrigation audit: The traditional process of collecting irrigation data is time consuming: setting up catch cans, drawing out diagrams, and waiting for the watering cycle to be completed. Re-testing areas and going through the whole process again is tedious and not very flexible. Lastly, the traditional audit only measures the water applied but gives no information from the root zone. The spatial distribution efficiency of a sprinkler system can be checked for...