O TYM ODCINKU
What happens when we start collecting real data from the landscapes we manage?
In this episode of The Sprinkler Nerd Show, Andy takes you along for another Car Talk, this time from Southwest Florida, where he's been working with irrigation professionals to deploy wireless sensor networks and explore what's possible when we add a new layer of data to irrigation management.
On Anna Maria Island, Andy shares his experience installing a LoRaWAN gateway, five BLADE soil moisture sensors, and an optical rain sensor at a large HOA property. From measuring soil moisture in irrigated versus non-irrigated areas to understanding what actually happens beneath the surface during a rainfall event, the goal is simple: collect better information to make better decisions.
Andy also discusses the advantages of optical rain sensors, the flexibility of wired versus wireless soil moisture probes, and why thoughtful installation practices matter.
The episode wraps up with another field experiment in Denver, where a BLADE sensor was installed beneath the clay infield of a baseball field to explore the relationship between subsurface moisture, rainfall, and surface conditions.
We're entering an exciting time for irrigation technology. With affordable wireless networks and sensors, we can begin measuring conditions in places where collecting data was once difficult or impractical.
And that's what the data layer is all about. Giving irrigation professionals new visibility into the properties they manage and new opportunities to learn, experiment, and improve.
Stay curious, my friends.
