Farmers hope moisture monitors will save money
By Anne Marie Kyzer Staff Writer

Duffie checks soil moisture levels using a tensiometer to help a local farmer know when to irrigate his corn.

While the lack of rainfall this spring has caused local farmers to rely heavily on irrigation, the cost of using the systems is draining their wallets.

Several Burke County farmers are turning to technology to help them save money.

With the help of soil moisture monitors, producers are trying to get a better idea of when to turn on their systems and how much water to apply.

Burke County Cooperative Extension Coordinator Will Duffie said this method of irrigation scheduling could save farmers big bucks as the cost of applying water continues to rise.

"They are mainly trying to do it so they can spend their money when they need it," he said.

Soil moisture monitoring technology is fairly new, but advances in the past couple of years have made it more applicable to corn and cotton.

Currently, about five growers in Burke County are using the monitors, which indicate moisture levels at different depths in the soil. The farmers are trying to determine if the technology will pay off by helping them cut operating costs.

It certainly has the potential as crop water needs increase and offroad diesel prices do the same.

Corn crops need about an inch and a half of water per week at this point in the season and pretty soon they'll need more than two inches per week, according to Duffie.

With rainfall lacking, the farmers will be running irrigation systems overtime.

Duffie estimated the cost of applying an inch of water to average about $10 right now, and those costs could increase as fuel costs rise.