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.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamic determination of irrigation-related data using machine learning techniques are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes obtaining irrigation-related data pertaining to a region of interest; determining temporal values corresponding to irrigation activity at the region of interest by performing spatiotemporal analysis of the irrigation-related data; determining amounts of water utilized in connection with the irrigation activity corresponding to the temporal values by applying machine learning techniques to the irrigation-related data; determining types of irrigation activity attributed to the irrigation activity by applying machine learning techniques to the irrigation-related data and determined amounts of water; determining irrigation-related variables pertaining to the region of interest by executing a physical model using, as inputs, the determined temporal values, amounts of water, and types of irrigation activity, wherein the irrigation-related variables include an extent of irrigation activity; and outputting the determined irrigation-related variables to a user.

An irrigation system and a method based on computer vision monitoring are provided. The system includes a collector, an analyzer, a controller, and irrigation equipment. The collector includes weather sensors for collecting weather information, monitoring sensors for collecting plant images, plant information sensors for collecting plant transpiration rates and leaf thicknesses, and soil sensors for collecting soil moisture information. The analyzer is used to analyze the plant images, the plant transpiration rates and the leaf thicknesses to obtain a plant type and a plant growth state, determine an irrigation scheme according to the weather information, the soil moisture information, the plant type, the plant growth state and a preset irrigation rule. The controller is used to regulate the irrigation equipment according to the irrigation scheme. It can improve the utilization rate of water resources and adopt an accurate and reasonable irrigation system.

A system and method for irrigation, and managing irrigation of, a property or landscape. The system may include an irrigation management server (“IMS”) with the information for an irrigation system. The system may access the irrigation system that has been input into the IMS as well as access a third party map that may display the irrigation system over the map. The system may provide for a user's GPS location to be accessed through and identify the location of the user with respect to the map and irrigation overlay. The system display may provide information regarding the landscape to a user. The system may allow for manipulation of the irrigation system while overlaid on the map by the creation and manipulation of zones within the irrigation system as well as the creation and manipulation of other commands, including watering times and watering duration.

Described herein are implements, systems, and methods for applying stress to agricultural plants of agricultural fields. In one embodiment, an agricultural implement comprises a frame transverse to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement and a stress mechanism disposed on the frame in operation such that the stress mechanism applies a force to the row of plants as the agricultural implement moves through the field.

A method of calculating a soil moisture profile includes obtaining a capacitance measurement of a soil surface at a location, applying a preselected calibration to the capacitance measurement to obtain a top surface moisture estimate, obtaining local climatic and hydrological data correlated with the location, the local climatic and hydrological data, which includes at least local water input data, and calculating an estimate of the soil moisture at the location by applying a preselected evapotranspiration model to the top surface moisture estimate and the local climatic and hydrological data.

A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.

A system (10) may include sensor equipment (30) including one or more sensors (140, 142) disposed on a parcel of land, watering equipment (20) disposed on the parcel and configured to selectively apply water to the parcel, and a gateway (40) configured to provide for communication with the sensor equipment (30) and the watering equipment (20). The watering equipment (20) may include a watering pump (120), the watering pump (120) being operably coupled to a water source (100) and a water line (110) to alternately couple the water source (100) to and isolate the water source (100) from the water line (110), and processing circuitry (160). The processing circuitry (160) may be configured to determine an operational mode of the watering pump (120) and direct the watering pump (120) to operate in accordance with the operational mode.

A programmable, electronically controlled sprinkler system has a hermetically sealed internal chamber which encloses all of the internal water flow, valves, mechanical and rotational components and a plurality of magnetic coupling arrangements which allow external motors to control operation of the internal mechanical components without requiring any hydraulic seals.

Crop input application systems, methods and apparatus are provided. In some embodiments, an irrigation system is provided with a reel in fluid communication with a wellhead, secondary cart or fluid supply line outlet. In some embodiments, a drop assembly is incorporated in an irrigation system. In some embodiments, a crop applicator system traverses a field portion at a first speed in a first direction and then traverses the field portion at a second, lower speed in a second, opposite direction