AREC professor Erik Lichtenberg and co-authors John Majsztrik (PSLA Ph.D. 2011) and Monica Saavoss (AREC Ph.D. 2016) have been awarded the Water Resources Research Editor’s Choice Award for their paper titled, “Grower demand for sensor-controlled irrigation.”
Wireless sensor irrigation networks have become a valuable emerging technology in plant irrigation that promises to be more efficient than drip irrigation. To date, sensors have focused on monitoring, but not controlling conditions on farms. The research uses data from a survey conducted with plant growers to estimate the potential acceptance, adoption and profitability of wireless irrigation sensor networks. This will allow the transfer of research data to commercial markets and confirm surveys conducted indicating those growers willing to invest in sensor network technology will generate significant profits.
Dr. Lichtenberg is Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Monica Saavoss will be joining the Economic Research Service of USDA in September. John Majsztrik is currently a visiting assistant professor at Clemson University.
Lichtenberg, E., J. Majsztrik, and M. Saavoss (2015), Grower demand for sensor-controlled irrigation, Water Resour. Res., 51, 341358, doi:10.1002/2014WR015807.
