초록 ▼

Software, databases, computer models, and a series of monitoring devices are provided that are used collectively to optimize farming operations for the purpose of efficiently utilizing the water right associated with the land while recognizing the potential to transfer a proportional amount of the w

Software, databases, computer models, and a series of monitoring devices are provided that are used collectively to optimize farming operations for the purpose of efficiently utilizing the water right associated with the land while recognizing the potential to transfer a proportional amount of the water right in a lease or sale arrangement to other water users. The contemplated system encourages water conservation by allowing those owning water rights to determine the feasibility of changed farming practices intended to maximize net returns and profitability of their overall farming operations.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An irrigation system for use in a farming operation having a plurality of farming sites, comprising: an irrigation control system comprising at least one computer system having a farm management tool configured to implement and regulate an improved irrigation plan for at least one of the farming

1. An irrigation system for use in a farming operation having a plurality of farming sites, comprising: an irrigation control system comprising at least one computer system having a farm management tool configured to implement and regulate an improved irrigation plan for at least one of the farming sites, the computer system having:at least one application server having at least one first processor, the at least one processor having software configured as a planner module and an optimizer module;at least one second processor having a software tool providing a client interface, the software tool configured to communicate with the at least one application server;at least one remote server configured to communicate with the farm management tool, which is accessible though the client interface, the farm management tool also configured to communicate with the planner module of the at least one application server;a first monitoring system having first data collection devices, first data storage devices, and first data communication devices, the communication devices further comprising at least one wireless communication device configured to transmit data to the at least one remote server; the data collection devices of the first monitoring system further comprising: soil measuring devices having at least one of a tensiometer, a gypsum block, and a capacitance sensor;evapotranspiration measuring devices having at least one of remote thermal unit recorders, data loggers, and thermal and near infrared imagers;weather monitoring equipment comprising at least one of temperature probes, relative humidity probes, precipitation gauges, anemometers, pyranometers, Bowen ratio equipment, eddy covariance equipment, scintillometers, near infrared and heat signature cameras, and evapotranspiration sensors;rainfall sensors;crop sensors;return water flow sensors;water use sensors;ground water sensors; andwater flow measurement devices having at least one of flumes, weirs, propeller meters, pressure transducers, shaft encoders, flow velocity sensors, and ultrasonic level sensors;a second monitoring system having second data collection devices, second data storage devices, and second data communication devices, the communication devices further comprising at least one wireless communication device configured to transmit data to the at least one remote server; the data collection devices of the second monitoring system further comprising: soil measuring devices having at least one of a tensiometer, a gypsum block, and a capacitance sensor;evapotranspiration measuring devices having at least one of remote thermal unit recorders, data loggers, and thermal and near infrared imagers;weather monitoring equipment comprising at least one of temperature probes, relative humidity probes, precipitation gauges, anemometers, pyranometers, Bowen ratio equipment, eddy covariance equipment, scintillometers, near infrared and heat signature cameras, and evapotranspiration sensors;rainfall sensors;crop sensors;return water flow sensors;water use sensors;ground water sensors; andwater flow measurement devices having at least one of flumes, weirs, propeller meters, pressure transducers, shaft encoders, flow velocity sensors, and ultrasonic level sensors;wherein the planner module is configured to receive input data from the client interface defining at least one of a first farming site configuration and a second farming site configuration of the plurality of farming sites, the input data comprising:initial farm configuration data comprising: dimensions of at least one of the first farming site and the second farming site,crops grown on the plurality of farming sites,acceptable crops to be grown on the plurality of farming sites,water currently used to irrigate the plurality of farming sites,current irrigation schedules associated with the plurality of farming sites,user-defined constraints, decision variables, and model parameters, the user-defined constraints, decision variables, and model parameters comprising one or more of total farm acreage, site acreage, available water consumptive use, minimum and maximum percent of full irrigation that can be applied, crop type, amount of water available for each site, crop water production functions and variable crop production costs, site soil type, and site irrigation method, andhistorical farm data;wherein said planner module is configured to communicate said input data to the optimizer module;wherein the first processor executing the optimizer module is further configured to estimate future consumptive water use and an estimated water balance associated with the farming operation;wherein the first processor is further configured to communicate the future consumptive water use and the estimated water balance to the planner module;wherein the first processor executing the planner module is configured to receive the estimated future consumptive water use and the estimated water balance, and utilizing the estimated future consumptive water use and estimated water balance, generates a farm utilization plan comprising:a second arrangement of a plurality of farming sites, which includes the first farming site configuration and the second farming site configuration,a suggested crop to be grown or not grown on the first farming site and the second farming site,an annual water budget to be used on the first farming site and the second farming site,the improved irrigation schedule; anda crop optimization routine to optimize future consumptive water use. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the local cropping scenario data includes information related to historical crop prices and forecasted or contracted crop prices. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first crop and the second crop comprise at least one of corn, wheat, barley, alfalfa, pinto beans, sugar beets, onions, cabbage, carrots, winter wheat, canola, sorghum, millet, and sunflower. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first farming site and the second farming site are each associated with a different crop. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the farm utilization plan defines a preferred method of irrigation to be used to water the first farming site and the second farming site. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein generation of the farm utilization plan further includes forwarding crop yield data to the planner system wherein the farm utilization plan is dependent on the crop yield data. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the farm utilization plan includes a single or multi-year crop rotation, water balance allocation, and irrigation schedule. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second monitoring systems gather data without human intervention. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the client interface is a mobile device. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first monitoring system and the second monitoring system are configured to gather information from at least one of a tracer test, an aquifer test, data from satellites and low altitude aerial gathering techniques, data from aircrafts, and data from land-based vehicles. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first monitoring system and the second monitoring system obtains data from at least one of aerial photography, aerial sensing means, local weather stations, ground level measurements, and satellite imagery. 12. The system of claim 1, further comprising redesigning at least one of a first irrigation system, ground water recharge system, and water diversion structures in compliance with the farm utilization plan.