IIC to put $1M toward 4 new research projects

Irrigation Innovation Consortium, Fort Collins, Colorado, selected four new irrigation management research projects to begin this summer, using $1.05 million in funds and partner matches.

Through its annual research calls, IIC encourages private and public entities to combine their expertise to accelerate the development and application of new knowledge and technologies to benefit the irrigation sector and society.

IIC administers the research grant program by leveraging a $5 million award from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research that is matched with nonfederal contributions from industry and other partners.

These projects fit combinations of IIC research priorities based on interviews and a survey the IIC conducted in 2021 with irrigation sector stakeholders, which range from evaluating and improving irrigation technologies and recommendations to clarifying water use benchmarks, targets and protocols.

“This year’s projects are each highly applied and have effective outreach plans to encourage adoption of tools and research insights,” says Tim Martin, IIC’s executive director. “As a result, we are looking forward to meaningful research results for irrigators, water managers and industry partners that will encourage broader adoption of advanced irrigation tools and strategies.”

“These projects encompass a wide range of important research that will be highly beneficial to stakeholders,” says Kathy Boomer, FFAR scientific program director. “We are excited about the diverse collaborations and their potential for pioneering breakthroughs that will go far in advancing sustainable irrigation and water management.”

The following are the four research projects IIC will fund this summer:

• “Using the irrigation-energy linkage to estimate irrigation water delivery”
• “Developing a data assimilation and integration tool for irrigation management technologies used by California almond growers”
• “Organizing and analyzing Testing Ag Performance Solutions program data, quantifying productivity and GHG outcomes for corn, grain sorghum, and cotton”
• “Extension outreach tools to improve adoption of irrigation management technologies in the Texas Panhandle.”

Read more about the IIC.