A method and system for irrigating a field adjacent a watercourse is disclosed comprising a plurality of pumps along the watercourse and measuring from time to time at a plurality of measuring locations the salinity, the pH, the temperature and the turbidity of the water. The measuring locations are different from the pumping locations. A real time salinity, pH, temperature and turbidity at the pumping locations is predicted from the measured values and the pumps selectively disabled or enabled on the predicted salinity, pH, temperature and/or the turbidity.

A plant grow unit (10) includes a body (12) that bounds an interior area (14). Access to the interior area is controlled by a door (18). The interior area houses a plurality of grow lights (50) which are selectively operated in response to at least one control circuit (96) to provide suitable illumination and radiation for growing selected plants. Shelves (46, 48) are selectively positionable for supporting plants thereon. A plurality of sensors and devices in the interior area are operated responsive to the control circuit to maintain desired conditions for plant growth within the interior area and to indicate detected conditions.

A plant growing system has a number of modular units arranged together on a flat surface in side of a growing room. The modular units have rigid boxes therein with vertical holes therethrough inside of which is located a growing soil. Water and nutrients are pumped from a reservoir to a distributor located in a growing soil of the rigid boxes as called for by moisture sensors, which activates a controller to turn ON a delivery pump. When moisture and nutrients need to be removed from an impermeable flexible liner located below the modular units, the controller turns ON a return pump, which pumps the excess water and nutrients back to the reservoir.

The present application is directed to an autonomous system for managing crops, the system being configured to record and utilises data indicative of both above and below ground conditions at the same location to provide an output that incorporates data derived from soil conditions and land use activity. The system combines data reflective of each of above and below ground parameters as measured concurrently from in-soil sensors, imaging devices and activity trackers, and analyses the data to provide data outputs based on accurate and consistent soil and crop management measurement parameters.

Described are various embodiments of a method for managing crop irrigation, and system using same.

Some embodiments provide a system and method for interfacing with an irrigation controller based on rainfall, the system comprising: an interface unit including a housing and a control unit within the housing and configured to: cause an interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by the irrigation controller, which is separate from the interface unit, based on signaling received from a rain sensor including hygroscopic material, when a sensed expansion of the hygroscopic material is above a set rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, the rain sensor being separate from the interface unit and the hygroscopic material being configured to expand in response to being contacted by the rainfall and to contract in response to an absence of the rainfall; and remove the interruption after a completion of a predetermined interval of time after a sensed contraction of the hygroscopic material indicative of a rainfall stop.

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to providing power and data to an irrigation device. In some embodiments, encoder for an irrigation control unit that provides power and data to an irrigation device over a multi-wire path comprises: an AC to DC converter to convert an input AC signal into a DC voltage; an AC signal generator to generate an output AC signal modulated with data; a control circuit to provide a modulation control signal to the AC signal generator to control generation and modulation of the output AC signal, the data modulated on the output AC signal comprising commands in accordance with irrigation programming; and a multi-wire interface coupled to the AC signal generator to electrically couple to a multi-wire path extending into a landscape and to which irrigation devices may be connected.

The present disclosure relates to a method for avoiding high temperature and maintaining yield of rice. The method prevents high temperature and builds a comprehensive disaster prevention and mitigation system by screening high-temperature resistant varieties, sowing at suitable time, cultivating strong seedlings, irrigating, applying silicon fertilizer and adjusting density, and chemically regulating; the method can avoid or attenuate heat injury, and be conducive to maintaining yield in disasters. The present disclosure is appropriate for areas prone to high temperature in China, especially for rice regions in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and Southwest China, for example, Fuyang, Zhejiang Province, Lujiang, Anhui Province, Jingzhou, Hubei Province, and Luzhou, Sichuan Province.

An information map is obtained by an agricultural system. The information map maps values of a topographic characteristic to different geographic locations in a field. An in-situ sensor detects values of an environmental characteristic as an agricultural work machine moves through the field. A predictive map generator generates a predictive map that predicts the environmental characteristic at different locations in the field based on a relationship between the values of the topographic characteristic and the values of the environmental characteristic detected by the in-situ sensor. The predictive map can be output and used in automated machine control.

Methods and apparatus are provided herein for sensing rain fall for use in irrigation control. In one embodiment, a wireless rain sensor comprises a housing at least partially covering a first sensor, a controller and a wireless transmitter. The first sensor comprises a moisture absorptive material located to be contacted by rain fall and configured to expand in response to the contact with the rain fall and contract in response to an absence of the rain fall. The controller is coupled to the first sensor and configured to output signals corresponding to a variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material. The wireless transmitter is configured to transmit wireless signals, at least one wireless signal comprising data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material.