Project objectives:
In three pistachio production fields from Eastside to Westside southern San Joaquin Valley create a demonstration platform for optimal irrigation practice by:
- Provide real-time web-based access to commercial field monitoring data at demonstration sites to show:
- How current commercial monitoring technologies reveal excess or deficit irrigation.
- How these technologies compare across saline to non-saline soils.
- (Most importantly): How to use this data to do optimal irrigation scheduling.
- Allow for expression of grower understanding / opinions on these irrigation-related data using some kind of blog attached to the website.
- Provide a monthly blog-type summary of the irrigation monitoring data, what this means as to how good a job was done irrigating and how the summary research project (ET / Kc) data relate to the monitoring technologies.
- Provide a web-based Pistachio Irrigation Training Module similar to training modules for other crops covered by the Commodity Irrigation Training Program developed by Bali and Zaccaria (CDFA-Bali). Promote training through workshops and UCCE / industry newsletters.
- Compare installed monitoring technologies to in-field pistachio ET as measured by a current UC study in the same orchards.