A riser for a surface irrigation system has a housing and an outlet valve. The housing has an open upper portion and an outlet defining an orifice. The valve includes an upper closure, a valve member, and an actuating lever. The upper closure is securable to the riser. The valve member is coupled to the closure and mountable within a flow path of the fluid, the valve member operable for opening and closing the valve, and configured to seat against a valve seat of the housing, and on an upstream side of the orifice, whereby the pressure of fluid within the valve urges the valve member against the seat when the valve is closed. The pivotable actuating lever having one end extending through the orifice and coupled to the valve member, and an operable end for operating the valve member to open and close the valve.

A riser for a surface irrigation system has a housing and an outlet valve. The housing has an open upper portion and an outlet defining an orifice. The valve includes an upper closure, a valve member, and an actuating lever. The upper closure is securable to the riser. The valve member is coupled to the closure and mountable within a flow path of the fluid, the valve member operable for opening and closing the valve, and configured to seat against a valve seat of the housing, and on an upstream side of the orifice, whereby the pressure of fluid within the valve urges the valve member against the seat when the valve is closed. The pivotable actuating lever having one end extending through the orifice and coupled to the valve member, and an operable end for operating the valve member to open and close the valve.

A mobile sensory platform includes a propulsion system configured to move the platform within a growing area, a vertically-extending support, and sensors in or on the support. Different sensors are positioned at different heights along the support. The sensors are configured to capture data associated with plants in the growing area. The platform also includes a communication interface configured to support two-way wireless communication, a power supply, and a control system configured to control movement of the platform and operation of the sensors. The sensors include microclimate sensors configured to sense microclimates around individual ones of the plants and stereo imaging sensors configured to capture images of the plants. The sensors are configured to non-invasively capture multi-dimensional data points for the individual ones of the plants. At least some of the multi-dimensional data points are associated with a 3D structure of a canopy of the individual ones of the plants.

A mobile sensory platform includes a propulsion system configured to move the platform within a growing area, a vertically-extending support, and sensors in or on the support. Different sensors are positioned at different heights along the support. The sensors are configured to capture data associated with plants in the growing area. The platform also includes a communication interface configured to support two-way wireless communication, a power supply, and a control system configured to control movement of the platform and operation of the sensors. The sensors include microclimate sensors configured to sense microclimates around individual ones of the plants and stereo imaging sensors configured to capture images of the plants. The sensors are configured to non-invasively capture multi-dimensional data points for the individual ones of the plants. At least some of the multi-dimensional data points are associated with a 3D structure of a canopy of the individual ones of the plants.

A garden watering assembly includes a plurality of sensing units and each of the sensing units has a probe which is insertable into soil in a garden to determine moisture content of the soil in the garden. The sensing units broadcast a sensing signal comprising moisture content of the soil in the garden. A controller module broadcasts an irrigation signal when the controller module receives a sensing signal from any of the sensing units which communicates a moisture level that is below the pre-determined moisture threshold. A pump unit is in remote communication with the controller module and the pump unit irrigates the soil in the garden when the controller module broadcasts the irrigation signal.

An Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method/system for irrigating a field using a pump comprising an outlet supplying water to the field and an inlet connected to a water source is disclosed. The method/system comprises a sensor placed at a location in the field for sensing a water depth below a surface of the field and transmitting the water depth to a controller located remotely from the sensing location using a wireless connection. The controller enables the pump when the sensed water depth is below a threshold depth and disables the pump when the sensed water depth is above a threshold depth.

An Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method/system for irrigating a field using a pump comprising an outlet supplying water to the field and an inlet connected to a water source is disclosed. The method/system comprises a sensor placed at a location in the field for sensing a water depth below a surface of the field and transmitting the water depth to a controller located remotely from the sensing location using a wireless connection. The controller enables the pump when the sensed water depth is below a threshold depth and disables the pump when the sensed water depth is above a threshold depth.

The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus for irrigation control and data management. According to a preferred embodiment, an irrigation control system may include a data collection module which receives and stores system data generated by sensors and supporting systems including irrigation, drive, weather, sensor and electrical systems of a mechanized irrigation system. According to preferred embodiments, the system preferably also includes a system control module which transmits system control instructions to system components. Additionally, the present invention also includes a display module which provides a display of graphical user interfaces embedded with system data and selectable control instructions.

Disclosed here are systems and methods for controlling an irrigation system using a two-wire electrical path. The system includes a controller, decoders, and sensors all connected by a two-wire wired connection. The controller controls the decoders and provides parameters to the sensors in an open-loop operation mode. The sensors may control one or more of the decoders in a closed-loop operation mode. The system may further operate in a hybrid operation mode providing both open- and closed-loop operation. The various components of the system communicate using a power line communication protocol which places data on a frequency or bandwidth separate from the power signal.

Automated fertigation systems and methods determine crop N status from a vegetation index calculated from acquired image data of indicator blocks having at least two plots, one with a reduced N application rate (canary) and one with an increased N application rate (reference) versus a bulk area N application rate. In a preferred method, sub-regions are defined in a field being managed. In each sub-region, N (nitrogen) is applied to create adjacent canary and reference plots, wherein a canary plot is given less than a designated N amount and a reference plot. The sub-regions are subsequently imaged. A fertigation decision is made for each sub-region based upon automatic analysis of the vegetation indices of the canary and reference plots in each sub-region.