Next Stop Long Beach: Previewing Irrigation Show 2018

By Michael Gutierrez

The irrigation industry is gathering next week in Long Beach, CA, for the 2018 Irrigation Show and Education Conference. Easily the largest industry event of the calendar year, the Irrigation Show features trainings and certification exams, technical programs presenting new research in both landscape and agricultural irrigation, and a massive product expo showcasing the latest wares from new and established manufacturers.

Gators Presente

UF-ABE will be present at Irrigation Show 2018. Tuesday morning’s technical program includes two presentations from the Dukes research team’s Bernard Cardenas. “The rain sensor study compares field results of rain sensor performance to modeled results of turfgrass dry out and reinforces the results from our experiments across simulated different soil types,” said Dr. Michael Dukes. The other talk is an update on the long-running work studying smart irrigation technology in residential sites in Orange County, FL.

E3

Another exciting aspect of the Irrigation Show is the annual Irrigation E3 Program. E3 invites students from across the country for a week of exposure, experience and education at the event. 2018 includes students from 19 schools in 14 different states! Two UF Horticulture Science graduate students will be making the journey to Long Beach. Watch this space from more about their show experience, and if you see an E3 learner in the crowd during show week do say hello.

Exam Week

Since the focus of my work has shifted from research to practice this year, the Irrigation Show is more relevant than ever for me. I’ll be there next week excited to see familiar faces and learn about new products. I’ll also be taking me first ever certification exam. If you are attending Irrigation Show 2018 make sure to get on Twitter and add your POV using the #irrigationshow tag. You'll find me there as well. See you in Long Beach!