Earlier this month I attended the Irrigation Association’s Irrigation Show and Education Conference in Long Beach, CA. The UF contingent included me,
Bernard Cardenas and Drs. Michael Dukes and Kati Migliaccio. We were among the
several thousand experts, contractors, technicians and brand reps whom coursed
through the Long Beach Convention Center over seven days.
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| Like the bat-signal, but for certified irrigation pros! |
Nerd Alert
In addition to the usual classes and technical sessions,
this year’s event featured an ASABE/IA Irrigation Symposium to showcase peer-reviewed
research, and a Drought Summit to strategize around water scarcity.
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| Soil moisture sensor expert Bernard Cardenas during the first of two presentations |
Of course, the symposium is where us researchers shine. We
presented on soil moisture sensors, weather-based controller programming,
sustainable landscapes and water-use efficiency and smart phone apps for
irrigation scheduling and management.
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| A crowd forms for more info following Dr. Migliaccio's talk on irrigation apps |
Roving Reporter
I was in full media mode during conference week – tweeting,
periscoping and shooting video for a collaborative project with the Irrigation
Foundation’s E3 Program. The E3 program sponsors students and instructors from
across the country to attend the IA Conference and immerse themselves in all the industry connections and
expertise the week affords one.
Live-tweeting novices & experts alike, stop by 102b tonight. Let's talk social media for everyone. #irrigationshow15 pic.twitter.com/hqSNRTCg1Q
— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) November 10, 2015
I also had the honor of
presenting on social media best practices alongside longtime colleague/mentor Richard Restuccia.
On the Cusp
You cannot report back about the Irrigation Show without
mentioning the product expo. Every year the expo floor seems to grow larger and this
year was no exception. I was on the hunt for new/interesting urban landscape
irrigation products and these days that usually means cloud-based and wireless.
I managed to locate a couple of new WaterSense certified timers in this category. I also
stumbled upon a soil moisture sensor touting said features. The future looks
bright for remotely accessible smart irrigation!
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| Cloud-based soil moisture sensors are a thing! |
On-site Insight
From my perspective, conferences like IA’s are invaluable as
conduits for in-person contact with industry peers. For instance, while gathering
content for a high-efficiency nozzle video for Miami-Dade’s Urban Conservation Unit, I learned from the EPA WaterSense team attending the conference that pressure regulating sprinkler (PRS) bodies are a more reliable means for water savings in the landscape.
Learning about @Hunter_Ind's MPR rotator & pressure regulating sprays! #videoproject #irrigationshow15 pic.twitter.com/DzoX8YPoxa
— UF/IFAS Miami U.C.U. (@MiamiUCU) November 12, 2015
In fact, WaterSense has plans to certify PRS bodies in the near future. For incentive-based programs like Miami-Dade’s this is a critical new
development. And for an irrigation-head like me, well this is the kind of on-site insight that I am ALL about. See you next year in Las Vegas! 
