Sensors guide growers on water decisions
These days, water conservation agencies and University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors are advocating adding soil-moisture sensors to create precision irrigation management in drought-prone California agricultural areas. They say the technology has come a long way in the past 50 years and continues to evolve with Wi-Fi connectivity and digital readings. Tate obtained her soil-moisture sensor through a grant from the Ventura County Resource Conservation District, which received state funding to make the technology available for regional avocado, strawberry and vegetable growers. … The value of a soil sensor is twofold, according to Jamie Whiteford, a conservation scientist who manages grants for the Ventura district. It can prevent overwatering of tree crops or indicate that the root zone is drying up and in need of irrigation to avoid stressing the tree.