Fresno State Awarded Irrigation Innovation Grant

Danielle Leal Funding, Technology

Fresno State’s Jordan College of Agriculture was one of five universities across the nation selected to receive a grant for its efforts with irrigation innovation.

The college’s Center for Irrigation Technologies has been involved with irrigation research since 1980, school officials said. Collectively the universities will use the grant to launch the Irrigation Innovation Consortium.

Irrigation Innovation

Fresno State officials said the consortium will “co-develop, test, prototype and improve innovations, equipment, technology and decision and information systems designed to equip farms of the future with cutting-edge technologies and strategies to enhance irrigation efficiency.”

David Zoldoske, project manager for Fresno State said the partnership between the schools will add value to the development of irrigation efficiency.

“We expect this collaboration of university and industry researchers will help producers and the irrigation community to continue to be more efficient in food production and water management — something the Central Valley prides itself on in being a leader nationally,” Zoldoske said. “Our campus water and energy technology researchers and facilities can provide critical leadership in the areas of field and laboratory testing, materials, proof of concept, prototype development and value engineering.”

Zoldoske said the research and new development will be beneficial for California growers come 2020 when the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, SGMA comes into effect.

For more on this, listen to Zoldoske’s interview here.