An agricultural system comprising includes a support assembly having one or more support structures and one or more propulsion units coupled to the one or more support structures. The agricultural system includes one or more actuatable work tool assemblies having one or more measurement attachments configured to perform one or more measurements of at least one of one or more objects or one or more regions within an environment. The one or more actuatable work tool assemblies may be actuated by one or more actuation systems. The agricultural system may include a controller configured to cause one or more processors to direct the one or more actuation systems to actuate the one or more actuatable work tool assemblies position to perform one or more measurements of at least one of one or more objects or one or more regions within the environment.

The present invention provides a system and method for analyzing sensor data related to an irrigation system. According to a preferred embodiment, the system includes algorithms for analyzing real-time, near real-time and historical data acquired from sensors in communication with a mechanized irrigation machine. Further, the algorithms of the present invention system may analyze collected sensor data to determine if an event has occurred or is predicted to occur. Further, the algorithms of the present invention may provide commands to an irrigation machine and notifications to users. According to further aspects of the present invention, the algorithms of the present invention may preferably apply machine learning and other data analysis tools to detect maintenance patterns, geographic trends, environmental trends, and to provide predictive analysis for future events.

The technology described herein provides a dual machine irrigation system. The first machine is primarily an irrigation machine and the second machine is primarily a sensor machine, though it may also distribute liquids. The irrigation machine includes an irrigation span and can include multiple irrigation spans. The sensor machine includes a sensor span and can include multiple sensor spans. The sensor span gathers data that is used to optimize the liquid deployment from the irrigation span. In an aspect, both the irrigation span and the sensor span follow the same path of travel through a field, but at different times. The sensor span is separate from the irrigation span and includes a plurality of environmental sensors that gather data on the field, the field environment, and any crops that may be in the field. The ability of the sensor span to provide real-time data allows for optimization of liquid deployments.

A method of automatically managing a center pivot irrigation machine comprising steps of: (a) providing at least one center pivot irrigation machine and positioning said center pivot irrigation machine such that said center pivot irrigation machine is movable within an irrigated plot around a center thereof; (b) providing a ground penetration radar; (c) mounting said ground penetration radar on said center pivot irrigation machine; (d) moving said center pivot irrigation machine about said center of said irrigated plot; (e) scanning said irrigated by said ground penetration radar at frequencies ranging between 200-1200 MHz; (f) calculating a distribution of soil moisture over a depth from a soil surface; and (g) creating an irrigation plan according to said distribution.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for treating irrigation water by introducing a propagating electromagnetic field into the irrigation water as it flows through an irrigation system. The treatments described herein may have a variety of beneficial effects when applied to hydrophobic soils, including a significant increase in the percentage of the water that is maintained in the root zone of a given crop as plant-available water and the essential mineral, e.g. calcium and/or magnesium, uptake of that crop. The treatments described herein may also have beneficial effects when applied to hydrophilic soils, and particularly high salinity, hydrophilic soils, including a reduction in the soil salinity, including the amount of chlorates, within a root zone of a crop.

Monitoring systems for center pivot irrigation systems and methods of irrigating an agricultural crop using the irrigation systems are provided. The irrigation systems may comprise a plurality of in-canopy sprinklers. The monitoring systems are configured to detect an operational condition of the plurality of in-canopy sprinklers, including whether individual sprinkler heads have become detached from the irrigation system main line, or whether an individual sprinkler head has become clogged, and alert an operator with a time and/or location of the occurrence of an event associated with one or more of the sprinklers.

A ponding monitoring and detection system monitors, detects, and predicts ponding in an irrigated field in essentially real-time. The ponding monitoring and detection system also monitors and records locations of detected and predicted ponding.

An irrigation system having a pipeline supported by one or more towers includes an improved truss connection system having a means for readily adjusting a crown height of the pipeline. A pair of cooperating members define a joint which selectively couples headed ends of adjacent truss rods together to form a truss rail of a truss system that supports the pipeline. A single fastener may fasten the cooperating members, a strut, and a cross-member together at the joint. A length of the truss rail may be decreased by holding the truss rods closer together. In an aspect, the headed ends of the adjacent truss rods are held closer together by inserting a shim in one of the joints. Decreasing the length of the truss rail increases the deflection of the pipeline and raises the crown height.

A mobile tower for use with an irrigation system comprises a frame, first and second spindles, a first height adjustment assembly, and a second height adjustment assembly. The frame is configured to support a fluid-carrying conduit of the irrigation system. The first and second spindles each include a generally upright beam. The first height adjustment assembly is rigidly connected to a first side of the frame and movably coupled to the first spindle. The first height adjustment assembly includes a first mechanism configured to raise or lower the first side of the frame relative to the first spindle. The second height adjustment assembly is rigidly connected to a second side of the frame and movably coupled to the second spindle. The second height adjustment assembly includes a second mechanism configured to raise or lower the second side of the frame relative to the second spindle.

Systems and methods for determining optimal water capacity or distribution for each of a plurality of sections of a field to be irrigated by an ancillary span of an irrigation system are provided. A path is determined for a steering tower of the ancillary span that is comprised of a plurality of position-based coordinates. The position of the ancillary span steering tower (and thus the position of the ancillary span) relative to the determined path is always known and, accordingly, the optimal water capacity or distribution for the needs of its location can be readily determined based upon a calculated area factor percentage.