Crop Water Use and Irrigation Scheduling Guide for North Florida

Rows of peanuts ready to be harvested. Photo taken 08-22-19.

Effective irrigation scheduling enables the irrigator to apply the right amount of water at the right time to meet the crop water demand. This 19-page guide presents information on average daily and weekly crop water use and crop growth stages for twelve north Florida crops that can be used to help schedule irrigation. This will allow a grower to develop a realistic irrigation schedule that minimizes plant water stress, saves water, and reduces nutrient leaching potential. Written by Vivek Sharma, Charles Barrett, De Broughton, and Thomas Obreza, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil and Water Sciences, revised December 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss491

Florida H2OSAV Insights: Home Water Use in the Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) Service Territory

Sprinkler head with water, grass. UF/IFAS Photo: Joah Wickham.

This 6-page fact sheet discusses basics about water consumption for single-family, detached homes served by Gainesville Regional Utilities, information about the highest water users, and impacts of irrigation on water consumption. Written by Nick Taylor, Kaitlin Olander Robb Price, Bradley Spatz, Tricia Kyzar, and Pierce Jones, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, September 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae544

Residential Irrigation Water Costs in Osceola County and Orange County, Florida

Single-family, detached homes.

Interest in understanding water use and irrigation costs has risen in recent years. This case study is a 5-page evaluation of water use and associated costs for residential landscape irrigation in Osceola County and Orange County, Florida. Homeowners in central Florida can use the results to assess their water consumption and bills in relation to similar homes in the area. Written by Nick Taylor, Tricia Kyzar, Pierce Jones, and Kaitlin O. Robb Price, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, December 2019.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae536

Differences in Perceptions of Agricultural Water Use between the General Public and Local Officials

John Cisar, a professor of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida's Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, is studying how turfgrass and other landscape plants can help prevent nitrogen from leaching through the soil into groundwater, Wednesday - Aug. 13, 2003. He said three years of research have shown that turfgrass is most effective in reducing nitrogen leaching and should be used in Florida landscapes. Other plants require more time to become established and slow nitrogen leaching through the soil.

Due to the scarcity of water resources among states and the influx of people, balancing agriculture and public water needs has become a contentious issue. Therefore, dialogue msut take place to educate and inform the general public and local officials about the reality of agricultural water use. This is the second article in a series describing the differences in perceptions of agricultural water use in Florida between the general public and local officials. This four-page fact sheet identifies the differens among groups for agricultural water use and provides ways to change Extension programming according to these differences. Written by Courtney T. Owens, Alexa J. Lamm, and Ricky W. Telg and published by the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc249