The Nature Conservancy’s Western Nebraska Irrigation Fieldprint Project

This project promotes the use of technology to help western Nebraska farmers better manage their irrigation inputs. Field mapping, pivot telemetry, and soil moisture probes provide the participants with information that is used to determine when and how much water to apply to their crop. Mapping of the spatial variability of each field allows the participants to change the distribution of water by varying the speed of the center pivot. This approach leads to reduced pumping and more efficient application of water. Additionally, the project is monitoring the valley to determine any changes at the landscape level. The project looks to gain a better understanding of how changing practices at the field level can impact watershed function.