A technology showcase of irrigation management decision-support tools for use in a variety of contexts

Description

As the number of irrigated fields in Québec expands, there is an increased need for large-scale investments in the purchase, maintenance, and operation of machinery. However, farmers and their consultants are left speculating about which tools are best and how to get the most out of them. Are all tools on the market appropriate for all situations (perennial/annual crops, with/without mulch, light/heavy soil, etc.)? At the moment, only suppliers can provide this information. There are no neutral or unbiased sources for complete and verified information. This project seeks to solve this problem by organizing a showcase that will present and compare, in an impartial manner, a number of decision-support tools and the technologies they utilize. As part of the showcase activities, farmers, consultants, and industry stakeholders will have the opportunity to assess, on site, various farming system technologies (e.g., market gardening with/without mulch, drip/sprinkler irrigation, potting in high tunnels, potting in light/heavy/organic soils or in potting soil mixtures).

Objective(s)

• Use decision-support tools (e.g., tensiometers, TDR sensors, pyranometers), as well as the technologies associated with them, in a variety of real-life production scenarios.
• Assess and compare the performance of decision-support tools in various production contexts (e.g., soil/substrates/mulch and crops) and for various utilizations (e.g., production, consulting, research).
• Introduce and demonstrate decision-support tools and their technological features in actual production contexts, to help users select the best tools for their needs.
• Conduct a "reverse" showcase in which current and potential users explain their needs to suppliers, with the aim of improving existing tools.