U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Office of Communications DOF





- Archive
- Under the Microscope

Water "On App" For growers who use irrigation, the most important questions are, When and How much? It’s a balancing act among water costs, crop prices, crop yields, and of course, weather. For more than 25 years, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has provided a free tool to help answer those questions scientifically, taking the guesswork out of a crucial farming activity. Irrigator Pro is a software application first introduced by ARS in 1995 as Irrigator Pro for Peanuts. The success and popularity of that package led to comparable models for cotton and corn. For many years, users had no choice but to use Irrigator Pro on a desktop computer, which limited its portability. Today, however, Irrigator Pro is fully cloud-based, and users can run it on smart phones or tablets via the Irrigator Pro app, which has recently been updated. No more running separate programs for peanuts, cotton, or corn; the same program handles all three crops. Similarly, users can see all their fields in one screen. Of course, Irrigator Pro can still be run on a computer, if desired. Pivot irrigation of peanut crop.ARS scientists, along with collaborators, have developed the Irrigator Pro app that provides growers of peanuts (above), cotton, and corn with a simple, portable tool to determine when to irrigate to ensure optimal crop growth while minimizing irrigation costs. (Photo courtesy of Casey Cox) The app’s purpose is to provide growers of peanuts, cotton, and corn with a simple, portable tool to determine when to irrigate to ensure optimal crop growth while minimizing irrigation costs. Available for iOS and Android platforms, the app features the ability to collect data from soil moisture sensors in the field, transmit data to the Irrigator Pro cloud server, and automatically retrieve irrigation recommendations. Data can also be entered manually. A Web-based platform runs in synch with the app. Any updates are applied simultaneously to the Web-based platform and the mobile app for all users. Irrigator Pro is a software application first introduced by ARS in 1995 as Irrigator Pro for Peanuts. The success and popularity of that package led to comparable models for cotton and corn. (Photo by Stephen Ausmus, D1152-4) Irrigator Pro is based on data from long-term irrigation-management research performed by the ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, GA. The lab’s collaborators are the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District and the University of Georgia. The Irrigator Pro app is based upon work supported by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information, including download links, methodology, and tutorials, visit www.IrrigatorPro.org. —By **Sue Kendall**, ARS Office of Communications.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov