Irrigation scheduling tools available through MSU Extension

Angie Gradiz<gradizme@msu.edu>, Lyndon Kelley<kelleyl@msu.edu> and Younsuk Dong<dongyoun@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Irrigation scheduling tools not only help in deciding irrigation timing and amount but also facilitate water use reporting.

A person programming a blue irrigation box.
Efficiently scheduling irrigation with the user-friendly MSU Irrigation App. Photo by Lyndon Kelley and Angie Gradiz, MSU Extension.

Effective irrigation management is crucial for optimizing water use and ensuring optimal yields. Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and Purdue University Extension have developed several tools to help farmers in scheduling irrigation, ensuring water needs are met efficiently. These tools include the checkbook method of irrigation scheduling, which treats your soil like a bank account where rainfall and irrigation are deposits, and daily evapotranspiration (ET) or water use is a withdrawal. 

These irrigation scheduling tools include: 

MSU Enviroweather: Estimates daily and forecasted weekly potential ET based on various weather parameters from 58 strategically located weather stations across Michigan. Visit the Enviroweather website.  

MSU Soil Water Balance Sheet: A paper-based checkbook scheduler allowing producers to use potential reference evapotranspiration (rPET)  data from their own ET gauge station, rPET data from Purdue’s PET monitoring tool for Indiana or Enviroweather for Michigan. The Soil Water Balance Sheet is available to download. 

MSU Excel Scheduler: Offers flexibility for those comfortable using Excel, allowing adjustments based on specific crop coefficients and growth stages. The MSU Excel Scheduler is available to download. 

Purdue Irrigation Scheduler: A simple, computerized checkbook model that can be used across Michigan and Indiana, utilizing local weather data. You can access the Irrigation Scheduler at: Purdue Irrigation Scheduler.  

IrrigMSU App: A mobile application providing real time irrigation recommendations, integrating data from MSU Enviroweather, soil type and crop-specific information. Users can choose to get notifications that alert them when soil moisture drops below a selected threshold. The App is available in English and Spanish on both Android and Apple stores.  

Soil Moisture Sensors: Offer different methods to measure soil moisture content, providing flexibility for users to select the most suitable option. When combined with the irrigation scheduling mentioned above, these sensors provide better insights into soil moisture content, facilitating informed irrigation decisions. For more details about soil moisture sensors, interested readers can find more information from E3445 - Improving Irrigation Water Use Efficiency: Using Soil Moisture Sensors.  

To adapt irrigation schedulers for drip systems, convert the application rate from inches (used for overhead irrigation) to gallons (used for drip systems). Begin by calculating the area of vegetated field space in square feet. Determine the water requirement in gallons by multiplying 0.544 by the plant's square footage diameter and the irrigation rate in inches. To learn more about adapting irrigation schedulers for drip systems, refer to this factsheet from Oklahoma State University: Drip Irrigation Systems. 

For further details about all the irrigation scheduling tools, refer to Fact Sheet #3 – Irrigation Scheduling Tools. 

In Michigan, irrigation scheduling is required to be in compliance with Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices. 

All the above-mentioned irrigation scheduling tools, plus other irrigation management information, is available at the MSU Extension Irrigation website. 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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