Water Conservation Project (DWR)
Goal
To increase the adoption of irrigation Best Management Practices (BMPs) by winegrape growers resulting in irrigation water conservation.
Project Highlights
Funded through the Department of Water Resources, Vineyard Team staff implemented a mobile irrigation lab program throughout the Central Coast. Not only did staff measure distribution uniformity at the beginning and end of the project, but staff evaluated other factors to determine the "people" aspect of behavior and performance:
- Does a nudge (intermittent checkins) from project staff influence changed behavior?
- Do values, beliefs, and attitudes influence behavior and/or irrigation system performance?
Resources
How can values, beliefs, and attitudes around irrigation improve water efficiency? That is exactly what a recent California Department of Water Resources (DWR) grant project aimed to discover. Grant recipient, Vineyard Team, worked with 59 growers over three years to conduct irrigation-related behavior interviews, Distribution Uniformity evaluations, and determine if continued interaction (nudges) with the grower would increase the adoption of irrigation best management practices in vineyards.
Spring 2020 Update: Agricultural Water BMP Adoption Project
Handy guide for pre, during and after season.
Mantenimiento del sistema de irrigacion. Previo, durante y despues de la estacion.
Literature Review 2018. Describes typical irrigation system components and layout, concepts of Irrigation Efficiency and Uniformity, DU Evaluation and Methodology, common irrigation system problems and solutions.
Jim Anshutz, Partner, AgH2O talks about irrigation system maintenance, technology, and efficiency.
Mark Greenspan, Ph.D., President and Viticulturist, Advanced Viticulture, Inc. shares his insights on irrigation scheduling, technology in the vineyard, and more.
In winegrowing regions with insufficient rainfall, the importance of a well-functioning irrigation system cannot be overstated. Here are some of the most common problems found with drip irrigation systems in vineyards and some practical solutions.
This meeting brought together experts, boots-in-the-field irrigators, and vineyard managers to share their knowledge and experience with drip irrigation system maintenance and repair.
Irrigation is just one of many things on a grower’s mind on any given day. To help growers conserve irrigation water in vineyards, Vineyard Team has launched a project to investigate how growers make decisions to adopt agricultural water BMPs.
Paul Crout, Vineyard Manager and Viticulturist at Vineyard Professional Services explains why keeping records of water and Nitrogen use in the vineyard is important and how to use that information to best manage your crop.
A list of questions you should discuss with your irrigation dealer before purchasing an irrigation system. This will help you make better decisions about system design options. You will also understand the obligations of both yourself and the dealer when designing your irrigation system.
To make sure your drip irrigation system is going to operate as your expect it to, follow these steps before the irrigation season arrives.