Nebraska farmers can carefully manage many factors that influence crop production, including seed placement, nutrient application and weed control. One critical variable, however, remains beyond their control: rainfall.
For fifth-generation farmer Andy Jobman, irrigation is essential to raising healthy crops in central Nebraska, where rainfall alone is often insufficient. Today, advances in agricultural technology are helping farmers like Jobman make more precise irrigation and water management decisions.
“Out here, you can’t always count on rain when the crop needs it most,” Jobman said. “Irrigation helps us fill in the gaps when conditions turn dry.”
While irrigation itself is not new, the tools farmers use to manage it continue to evolve. According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln irrigation specialist Dr. Abia Katimbo, technology has become one of the most valuable resources available to producers.
“Data is critical to making well-informed decisions, and with today’s technology, you don’t have to be an expert in irrigation,” Dr. Katimbo said. “The data helps guide you.”
From soil-moisture sensors to smartphone-enabled monitoring systems, modern tools allow farmers to see how much water remains in the soil and determine when irrigation is needed. That information can help producers avoid unnecessary irrigation, reduce pumping costs and make better use of fertilizer and other crop inputs.
“Water is the main driver,” Dr. Katimbo said. “If you’re not managing your water right, you’re also affecting nutrients, yields and profits.”
Jobman monitors many of his center pivots through smartphone apps that alert him when a system shuts down and allow him to make adjustments remotely.
“You don’t want to over-irrigate because you’re spending money you don’t need to, and you also don’t want to short your crop water,” Jobman said. “The more information you have, the better decisions you can make.”
Dr. Katimbo said data helps producers turn irrigation decisions into measurable gains in profitability and conservation.
“Many farmers have been making irrigation decisions based on observation and experience, and they know their fields well,” he said. “Technology gives them the ability to make even better decisions.”
The impact can be substantial. In one field where Dr. Katimbo worked with a producer to install soil-moisture sensors, the farmer was able to skip three irrigation cycles while maintaining crop performance, saving an estimated 8.8 million gallons of water on a single 160-acre field.
“That was one field and one producer,” Dr. Katimbo said. “Now imagine if hundreds or thousands of fields were making those same kinds of decisions.”
The benefits extend beyond water conservation. By avoiding unnecessary irrigation, farmers can lower energy costs while helping preserve groundwater resources for future use.
“Soil is a bank, and moisture is money,” Dr. Katimbo said. “You can’t manage what you don’t monitor.”
Despite the potential advantages, adoption remains a challenge. The cost of new equipment, along with uncertainty about which tools provide the greatest return on investment, can discourage some producers from adopting new systems.
“Some farmers know the technology exists, but it just hasn’t reached their farms,” Dr. Katimbo said. “That’s why resources through Nebraska Extension, Natural Resources Districts and cost-share programs are so important. We need to expose farmers to the technology and help them learn how to use it.”
For producers like Jobman, who have embraced these tools, the benefits go beyond reducing water use. More precise information can improve efficiency and strengthen yields.
“At the end of the day, we’re trying to grow the best crop we can with the resources we have,” Jobman said. “Technology helps us do that.”
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