The present invention relates generally to a system and method for detecting and adjusting the position of an irrigation span. More particularly, the present invention provides a system and method for detecting and removing deflection stresses from irrigation spans caused by corner arm positioning.

Systems and methods for scheduling and coordinating applications of fertilizers, pesticides, and water to fields while avoiding interferences between vehicles and other equipment may be implemented with a mobile irrigation system, a fertilizer applicator, a pesticide applicator, and a processing system. The processing system schedules and coordinates applications of fertilizers, pesticides, and water and prevents interferences between the machines primarily with data received from an irrigation schedule implemented by the irrigation system and data received from the fertilizer and pesticide applicators.

A system and method for providing irrigation management services is disclosed. The system may include a plurality of controllers, where each controller controls application of water by an irrigation system associated with the controller. A central computer that is remote from each of the controllers may be configured to implement an irrigation management plan that is individualized to each location and based, at least in part, upon one or more characteristics of the location as determined by an on-site visit. The irrigation manager may guarantee that the system will provide a return on investment within a predefined period of time. The system may also detect faults in the irrigation systems using water usage data from the controllers and diagnose the faults. A technician may be notified and dispatched to repair the faults.

Some embodiments provide systems and methods of controlling irrigation, comprising: communicating an assumption broadcast from a first irrigation controller to each of a plurality of other irrigation controllers defining assumed states of control elements, wherein the control elements are shared with one or more of the first irrigation controller and the other irrigation controllers; determining whether a reply is received from one or more of the other irrigation controllers in reply to the assumption broadcast; identifying, from the reply, a correction to a state corresponding to a first control element; updating state information corresponding to the first control element in response to the identifying the correction; and communicating a subsequent notification from the first irrigation controller to each of the plurality of other irrigation controllers of the irrigation system, where the subsequent notification comprises the updated state information corresponding to the first control element.

An irrigation device is provided with an indicator that may be converted to indicate a condition, such as use with non-potable fluid. The irrigation device includes an inlet, and outlet, and a body defining a flow path from the inlet to the outlet. It further includes a cover with a removable section, and an indicator at least partially under the removable cover. The indicia indicate a condition of the irrigation device, such as being used with non-potable fluid. In one state, the cover is intact and the indicia are not exposed. In another state, the removable section has been removed and the indicia are at least partially exposed.

Aeration and drying of subsurface soils with a subsurface irrigation system. An air inlet and bypass pressure regulator allow pressurized gas to be introduced into a zone of the system to aerate and dry a field. Pressurized gas or aerosolized agrochemicals are delivered through emitters integrated into the driplines within the system. Emitters integrated into the driplines allow aeration and drying of subsurface soils during times of season when high amounts of precipitation or localized flooding interfere with the systems use for irrigation.

In a flow system, a flow sensor conducts fluid between a source and a distributor. The flow sensor outputs to a processor an electrical signal related to a velocity or volume of fluid flowing by, proximate to, or through the flow sensor. A fluid valve is connected to conduct a fluid between the flow sensor and the fluid distributor The processor determines, based on the electrical signal: the volume of fluid flowing by, proximate to, or through the flow sensor; and a second electrical signal, and outputs the second electrical signal to an irrigation controller. The processor includes a radio for wirelessly communicating the determined volume to a remote server via a smart device that includes a first radio for receiving the determined volume from the processor and a second radio for uploaded or transmitting the determined volume received by the smart device to the remote server.

Crops for human and animal consumption of many types are well known by their respective growers. Years of experience in the field provide the grower knowledge about a range of conditions that lead to the full spectrum of crop yields and crop quality, and each grower creates a store of knowledge which they can combine with the available measures of those conditions. This disclosure provides a method for indicating the onset of water stress in one or more plants located in a soil the roots of which are within the measurement zone of a soil moisture sensor located in the soil, by determining if there was no recorded water into soil event in the prior 24 hour period of a respective one 24 hour period; determining from representative data whether there are two respective 24 hour periods of the prior seven consecutive 24 hour periods also have evapotranspiration values within a predetermined range; determining from representative data the rate of soil moisture depletion during the plant moisture uptake period within each respective 24 hour period adjusted for drainage; determining whether the rate of soil moisture depletion during the plant moisture uptake period within each respective 24 hour period reduces by a pre-determined level compared to the other of the respective 24 hour period; and indicating the most recent of the respective two 24 hour periods as a period of water stress of the one or more plants.

Systems, user interfaces, and methods related to irrigation control systems are provided herein. In some embodiments, an irrigation control system includes an irrigation management application which, when executed by an electronic device, causes a user interface to be displayed to a user. The user interface includes features that permit a user to do one or more of configure, monitor, program, control, adjust various components and/or operations of the irrigation management system.

System and method for controlling an irrigation system using feedback from flow meters installed in an irrigation system are described. The system and method allows for automatic detection of the number of flow meters and their relation to controls valves attached to an irrigation system and for precise and reliable fluid flow measurements. Typical water flows for the system are learned and then compared to current water flows to detect water leaks (i.e., high water flow), malfunctioning control valves and/or low water flow and subsequently trigger electronic alerts to the user when system malfunctions are detected.