Nine watermelon farmers across 1,883 acres of North Florida’s Suwannee Valley have collectively saved 165 million gallons of water thanks to automated irrigation systems.
An assessment made by researchers from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has proved that a years-long campaign to educate regional farmers about the benefits of irrigation has paid off.
“We’re flirting with saving more than 696 million gallons of water each year if the farmers of all 8,000 acres of watermelon in the region adopt this technology,” said Tyler Pittman, the UF/IFAS agriculture and natural resources agent who conducted the assessment.
According to the United Nations, 70% of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture, and 40% of that has been wasted due to poor irrigation systems, evaporation, and insufficient water management.
Efficiently managing irrigation is essential for commercial watermelon growers, and UF/IFAS recommends that short, frequent irrigation helps maximize water absorption while minimizing water and nutrient leaching.
Not only has this information campaign helped reduce water waste for farmers, but it has also shortened their time in the field by around 1.7 hours, according to the report’s data.
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Extreme weather, including severe droughts, is being driven by rising global temperatures. The resulting impacts on freshwater supplies are far and wide, with over 2.2 billion people across the globe lacking access to safely managed drinking water services, per the UN.
By shifting to wireless automation equipment, farmers have been able to reduce irrigation run times by 1.4 hours per day, significantly cutting water waste.
“Farmers can irrigate their fields while sitting on a beach on an island somewhere,” Pittman said in the report. “All they need is an internet connection.”
Agricultural robots like the Roboton Farmer have also made an impact on the farming sector. This crop-tending bot uses AI to help it do a variety of tasks — including seeding, watering, and weeding — while using renewable solar power instead of dirty diesel fuel.
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Watermelons are 92% water, as the Mayo Clinic observed, which means that efficient water management is key in their growth. They’re also high in lycopene, which is an antioxidant linked to decreased risk of cancer and heart disease, making them part of a healthy diet.
According to the UF/IFAS report, farmers have had financial help from assistance programs offered by the Office of Agricultural Water Policy and the Suwannee River Water Management District.
Two-thirds of farmers surveyed stated that the support was key in making the upgrade to automation; more than half of the farmers received over $10,000 to help purchase the equipment.
“If it wasn’t for cost share, there’s no way I would have thought about trying automation,” said Garrett Beach, a local watermelon farmer.
He shifted to automated irrigation for 600 acres of watermelon in 2023, and although he initially oversaw the operations manually, the technology won him over.
“Now, I trust it, and I see its value,” Beach added. “I won’t farm without it from now on.”
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