Solving Problems

Leveraging the power of emerging technologies to conserve water and preserve the alluvial aquifer drives our long-term research strategy. MWRRI Director Dr. Jason Krutz pioneered the RISER program while working as the state irrigation specialist in the Mississippi Delta, and he continues to seek practical ways for row crop producers to irrigate efficiently.

As crop irrigation practices have increased, so has the need for evaluating the quality of the water leaving the fields. To better understand how various crop production practices influence water quality, MWRRI scientists and their collaborators are managing in-field demonstration and evaluation sites in the Lower Mississippi River Basin.

In collaboration with the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer, MWRRI scientists are evaluating the incorporation of automated, Internet-of-Things irrigation technologies into a low-water-use rice system in several locations across the Lower Mississippi River Basin. Advancing sustainable irrigated agriculture through the increased adoption of innovative technologies is a core tenet of our effort to preserve ground and surface water.