Inside the Industry: Irrigation Spudman's editorial team recently polled readers on the topic of irrigation via an online survey. Here are the results: What is your primary source of irrigation water? Groundwater (wells) ............48% Surface water ......................38% Part of a water district .........11% Municipal water system ........2% Private irrigation company ....1% Which statement best classifies your access to irrigation water? I can meet my needs nearly all of the time ............56% It can be an issue, but I can usually get by .............40% I cannot get nearly enough water to meet my needs...4% Which irrigation system(s) do you use?* Center pivot ............................................................88% Above-ground piping and sprinklers (solid set) ......35% Lateral move (or linear move) ................................23% Drip .........................................................................13% Below-ground piping (permanent set) .....................4% *Respondents could pick multiple answers When was the last time you made a significant change to your irrigation system? 4 to 10 More than 15 years ago 2% 30 10 to 15 years ago 10% years ago 18% Within the past 3 years 71% What irrigation technology are you using (or have used)?* Soil moisture monitoring ...................... 80% Variable rate ......................................... 39% Smart irrigation .................................... 37% Weather sensors ................................... 35% *Respondents could pick multiple answers Have you tried fertigation (mixing fertilizer with water)? Yes, and I find it effective .................... 80% Only recently and am not sure of its effectiveness ......................................... 4% No ....................................................... 16% I've tried it, but don't find it effective .. 0% What is your biggest concern regarding irrigation? Price of equipment ....................................38% Governmental regulations .........................36% Getting enough water................................18% Keeping up with technological advancements .............................................8% You said it... " My biggest issue is actually the cost of pumping. " " We, as farmers, need to be better irrigators. Irrigation scheduling at different crop growth stages for different application depths needs to be practiced more. For this to occur, you need an accurate measured flow. " " Irrigation research must be conducted on new varieties. " " Water infrastructures in the Western U.S. will be a top priority in the future. " " Keep irrigation equipment up to date. Keep the equipment in good repair and fix leaks. " Spudman.comhttp://www.Spudman.com