Systems and methods of irrigation need assessment

Abstract

Irrigation needs assessment systems and methods may determine irrigation needs of one or more participants. The irrigation needs assessment system may determine irrigation needs based on weather conditions, forecast weather conditions, plant water uptake, and ground moisture content information. Evaporation rate information may be provided from one or more other participants of the irrigation needs assessment service.

1 . An irrigation control system, comprising:
 a first in-ground moisture sensor at a first irrigation area;   an irrigation controller to control irrigation by an irrigation system at a second irrigation area separate from the first irrigation area; and   a processor to:
 receive ground moisture data from the first in-ground moisture sensor; 
 determine a first irrigation need at the first in-ground moisture sensor based on the ground moisture data; and 
 calculate a second irrigation need at the second irrigation area from the first irrigation need at the first in-ground moisture sensor based on a relationship between one or more physical characteristics of the first irrigation area and the second irrigation area, 
 wherein the irrigation controller modifies irrigation at the second irrigation area based on the calculated second irrigation need. 
   
     
     
         2 . The irrigation control system of  claim 1 , wherein a different irrigation controller controls irrigation at the first irrigation area. 
     
     
         3 . The irrigation control system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional in-ground moisture sensors at one or more additional irrigation areas, wherein to calculate the second irrigation need, the processor is further configured to:
 determine an additional irrigation need at each of the one or more additional irrigation areas; and   calculate the second irrigation need based on the first irrigation need and the additional irrigation needs.   
     
     
         4 . The irrigation control system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional in-ground moisture sensors at one or more additional irrigation areas, wherein to calculate the second irrigation need, the processor is further configured to:
 determine an additional irrigation need at each of the one or more additional irrigation areas;   weight the first irrigation need at the first irrigation area and weight the additional irrigation needs based on a relationship between one or more physical characteristics of the second irrigation area and each of the one or more additional irrigation areas; and   calculate the second irrigation need based on the weighted first irrigation need and the weighted additional irrigation needs.   
     
     
         5 . The irrigation control system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor determines an irrigation schedule for the second irrigation area based on the calculated second irrigation need. 
     
     
         6 . The irrigation control system of  claim 5 , wherein the irrigation controller executes the irrigation schedule via the irrigation system at the second irrigation area. 
     
     
         7 . The irrigation control system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor receives plant water uptake data, and
 wherein the processor determines the first irrigation need further based on the plant water uptake data.   
     
     
         8 . The irrigation control system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical characteristics comprises one or more of distance, soil type, soil temperature, air temperature, humidity crop type, solar radiation, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, soil moisture content, and microclimate differences. 
     
     
         9 . The irrigation control system of  claim 1 , wherein the second irrigation need is calculated based on one or more historical patterns of one or more of the physical characteristics. 
     
     
         10 . The irrigation control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first irrigation need comprises an evapotranspiration rate and the second irrigation need comprises an estimated evapotranspiration rate. 
     
     
         11 . A method of irrigation control, comprising:
 receiving ground moisture data from one or more in-ground moisture sensors;   calculating, via a first processor, an evaporation rate of water at each of the one or more in-ground moisture sensors;   determining, based on the calculated evaporation rate of water at the one or more in-ground sensors, an estimated evaporation rate of water at an irrigation area outside of a range of measurement capability of the one or more in-ground moisture sensors; and   controlling, via an irrigation controller, the irrigation system at the irrigation area based on the estimated evaporation rate of water at the irrigation area.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the estimated evaporation rate of water at the irrigation area, an irrigation schedule for an irrigation system at the irrigation area,   wherein controlling the irrigation system at the irrigation area is further according to the irrigation schedule.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the estimated evaporation rate comprises extrapolation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the evaporation rate of water at the irrigation site is extrapolated by:
 weighting a calculated evaporation rate of water at each in-ground moisture sensor of the one or more in-ground moisture sensors based on a relationship between one or more physical characteristics of the irrigation area and one or more additional irrigation areas corresponding to the one or more in-ground moisture sensors; and   averaging a weighted evaporation rate of water at each in-ground moisture sensor.   
     
     
         15 . An irrigation control system, comprising:
 a first in-ground moisture sensor at a first irrigation area;   an irrigation controller to control irrigation by an irrigation system at a second irrigation area outside of a range of measurement capability of the first in-ground moisture sensor;   a processor to:
 receive ground moisture data from the first in-ground moisture sensor; 
 determine a first evaporation rate at the first in-ground moisture sensor based on the ground moisture data; and 
 calculate an estimated evaporation rate of water at the second irrigation area from the first evaporation rate at the first in-ground moisture sensor based on a relationship between one or more physical characteristics of the first irrigation area and the second irrigation area, 
 wherein the irrigation controller modifies irrigation at the second irrigation area based on the estimated evaporation rate. 
   
     
     
         16 . The irrigation control system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor receives plant water uptake data,
 wherein the processor determines an irrigation need at the second irrigation site based on the based on the estimated evaporation rate of water at the second irrigation site and the plant water uptake data, and   wherein the irrigation controller modifies irrigation at the second irrigation area based on the irrigation need.   
     
     
         17 . The irrigation control system of  claim 16 , wherein the plant water uptake data corresponds to plants at the first irrigation area. 
     
     
         18 . The irrigation control system of  claim 15 , wherein the estimated evaporation rate of water at the second irrigation area is calculated using extrapolation from the first evaporation rate. 
     
     
         19 . The irrigation control system of  claim 15 , further comprising one or more additional in-ground moisture sensors at one or more additional irrigation areas, wherein to calculate the second irrigation need, the processor is further configured to:
 receive ground moisture data from the one or more additional in-ground moisture sensors;   determine an additional estimated evaporation rate at each of the one or more additional irrigation areas based on the ground moisture data; and   calculate the estimated evaporation rate based on the estimated evaporation rate and the additional estimated evaporation rates.   
     
     
         20 . The irrigation control system of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 weight the first evaporation rate and each of the additional evaporation rates based on a relationship between one or more physical characteristics of the second irrigation area and each of the one or more additional irrigation area,   wherein the estimated evaporation rate is calculated based on the weighted first evaporation rate and the weighted additional estimated evaporation rates.