The Irrigation Water Management Lab at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center is helping western Nebraska farmers make more informed irrigation decisions through on-farm testing of emerging technology. Its Mobile Irrigation Testing (MIT) Lab works directly with producers to evaluate tools such as soil moisture sensors, satellite-based crop monitoring and irrigation scheduling platforms under real-world field conditions.
With support from Nebraska Extension, the Twin Platte Natural Resources District and irrigation technology companies, the lab helps farmers determine when to irrigate based on data from technology rather than guesswork. Participating farmers have reduced irrigation frequency while maintaining productivity, saving approximately 2.5 inches of water during the growing season through more efficient irrigation management.
Nebraska producers have access to the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the nation's most important groundwater resources, allowing them to irrigate crops when needed. However, as groundwater supplies face increasing challenges in states such as Texas and Kansas, Nebraska producers have an opportunity to demonstrate proactive management of their water resources.
“Seeing the decline in other states emphasizes the importance of being good stewards of our own groundwater resources as we irrigate our crops,” said Abia Katimbo, Nebraska Extension irrigation specialist and Irrigation Water Management Lab lead.
The MIT Lab serves as a next step for farmers wanting to strengthen their irrigation practices. The mobile, on-farm Extension program brings irrigation technology directly to producers in the field while focusing on return on investment and providing a hands-on, real-world learning experience.
One challenge producers face is determining when to irrigate their crops. Traditional methods producers have used have included assessments of the weather, experiences from past growing seasons, and producer intuition.
However, those methods often lack the data now available through technology, including soil moisture measurements, crop temperature data, evapotranspiration (ET)-based water-use estimates and crop stress monitoring.
“Farmers are not always ready to invest in and implement technology on their operations,” said Katimbo. “They need to see the numbers and data behind why it would work for them.”
By collaborating with the MIT lab and having access to this information, irrigators can replace the guesswork with measurable data and improve irrigation timing and efficiency.
Participation in the MIT Lab begins with an initial field visit and consultation to assess a producer's needs and preferences for data collection. Following the consultation, the technology is installed in the field with assistance from the MIT Lab team.
The lab continues to support producers through field check-ins, technology troubleshooting and data interpretation assistance.
Data collected through the technology can help determine how much water the crop has used, the amount of moisture available in the soil, the risk of nitrate leaching, and crop water stress.
By understanding what is happening in their fields, farmers can have more confidence when they schedule their next irrigation event and be a better steward of the groundwater resources available to them.
“The data is essential to helping farmers become more efficient irrigators in the way they use groundwater,” Katimbo said.
With current drought challenges and groundwater concerns in other states, Nebraska benefits from the vast resource provided by the Ogallala Aquifer. However, long-term sustainability depends on strategic irrigation decisions today.
The Mobile Irrigation Testing Lab bridges the gap between research and current irrigation management practices with the goal of making data-driven irrigation the future standard to support stewardship of the state’s groundwater resources.
“You do not have to be an expert in irrigation,” Katimbo said, “but the data helps you become one.”
To participate in this program, contact Abia Katimbo at abia.katimbo@unl.edu to start the field-based consultation process and technology selection and installation.
