I-Corps: Wis-Irr: Smart Irrigation via Wireless Underground Sensors

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

This project will exploit novel underground communication techniques to utilize wireless underground soil sensors, commercialize smart irrigation management solutions, develop a customer base, and validate business hypotheses. The team has developed an underground communication system based on empirical and theoretical underground communication models. This system mitigates the adverse effects of soil on wireless communication. A novel underground antenna design and software tools are employed to maintain a high communication success under varying soil moisture conditions. The resulting technology accommodates communication ranges of up to 85m from an underground sensor to a center pivot irrigation system. During the summers of 2009-2011, field evaluations were conducted in corn fields at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln South Central Agriculture Lab. The developed system provided real-time soil information to center pivot irrigation systems. The project has the potential to facilitate more efficient irrigation management technologies through real-time soil information provided by wireless underground sensors. Accordingly, farmers can make better informed irrigation application (timing) decisions without the need for tools that obstruct field operations, thereby significantly reducing costs. The team targets three main customer bases: Nebraska farmers will be the initial target customer base for early adoptions and retro-fit. In addition, three of the four major center pivot irrigation companies are based in Nebraska and hold the 75% of the market. At the end of the project, an operational, wireless underground sensor-aided center pivot irrigation system and a viable business model will be demonstrated. Accordingly, water efficiency in crop production can be improved by utilizing real-time soil information in agriculture.