Re: Complete Irrigation Scheduling Package

[Jac le Roux]

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Hi Jon,
I noticed that you did not get a lot of reaction to your post.
We have software that just might work for you. The internet component is not
tested but let me explain how we use it, it might work just as well.
We do routine irrigation scheduling on 100+ irrigation farms. The software
(Probe Schedule or Waterman) is loaded on the grower's PC. He enters weather
data, rain and irrigation details. The software instantaneously calculates
the theoretical moisture balance and the schedule for the next irrigations
in a printable report. The data can be viewed as a time or depth graph (full
function, full color printable graphics). We come around on a regular basis
(typically weekly), take actual soil moisture readings, feed it into the
program, make adjustments, interperet the adjustments and tweak the model to
more accurately calculate in future. The program works with any moisture
probe and even a tensiometer. Calibration of the moisture probe can be done
in the software if the unit cannot be calibrated itself (such as CPN,
Waterman, Diviner2000 etc.) The concept works just great. The grower takes
no more than 2 minutes per day to keep his data up to date (assuming he has
50 sites). Weather and irrigation data can be read directly into the
program, provided the external unit has has the capacity to pass it on.

Now getting to your system of using it on the internet. All relevant data is
zipped into a neat bundle and e-mailed to who needs to see it. The receiving
party down loads, the program unzips it and you are looking at the same
data. As consultant, I have used it in this way with a customer many miles
away. To help him interperet his data, we have even spent time on the phone
with bith parties looking at the same data. I would even make the
adjustments for him and e-mail the data back. Since we work with site
specific data the system works very efficiently for us.

We started out by looking at hosting the data on a data base on the net but
found more approval for the current system. (Admittedly internet connection
in South Africa can be slow, unrelyable and connection time is very
expensive.)

Please look at the www.besproeiing.co.za for a sample of the graphics.
If you would like to try it out, I will forward a copy to you.

Regards:
Jac le Roux
jac@besproeiing.co.za

{Bruce comments
Jac, I have added your name to the list of irrigation monitoring service
providers on

Bruce]

----- Original Message -----
From: <owner-sowacs@aqua.ccwr.ac.za>
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2001 12:17 PM
Subject: Complete Irrigation Scheduling Package


> NOTE:  To get off this list, send email to majordomo@aqua.ccwr.ac.za
> with the body of the message containing the line:
> unsubscribe sowacs
>
> I work for a consulting company in Colorado USA and would like to update
> our irrigation scheduling service. I am looking for an accurate, portable,
> durable, and affordable soil moisture meter and software package. I would
> like to be able to eventually host irrigation shceduling on our website,
> and support it with our field investigations. I would appreciate any leads
> or suggestions.
>
> Jon Gilley
>
>
>
>