Identifying Irrigation Tech Solutions to CA Water Issues with New Zealand
Posted on January 19, 2022 16:15 PM by WGCIT
Furthering Western Growers efforts to strengthen and accelerate the development of agricultural technologies globally, its Center for Innovation & Technology connected agtech leaders in New Zealand yesterday to WG members.
More than 50 constituents of Callaghan Innovation—New Zealand’s innovation agency—tuned in virtually to speak with WG members about the current water issues farmers in California are facing and the needed technologies to solve those issues. The panel of WG members and stakeholders provided an in-depth overview of California water rights and looming irrigation problems as well as covered the following topics:
- The current approaches for irrigating replacement trees/vines in established orchards/vineyards.
- What farmers and the irrigation service providers are doing to ensure that application rates match infiltration rates and the crop being grown.
- The role irrigation districts have on water monitoring/water tech for farmers.
- How irrigation districts are looking at technology to reduce water use and meet SGMA regulations.
The WG panel included WG Board Members Don Cameron of Terranova Ranch and Neill Callis of Turlock Fruit Company; as well as Jason Giannelli of R and G Fanucchi Farms; William Bourdeau of Harris Farms; Norm Groot of Monterey County Farm Bureau; and Daniel W. Eisenberg of Wildeye Monitoring. Below is the full recording of the session.
“We look forward to digesting this further with the New Zealand attendees over the next couple of days and weeks and getting a feel for where they see possible solutions fitting the challenges that we could further test out,” said Nicky Malloy, the business innovation advisor within Callaghan Innovation's Agritech team.
Water Tech Session with CA Farmers and New Zealand from Western Growers on Vimeo.