Researchers from The Texas A&M University System were part of a multistate project team that recently received the National Water and Energy Conservation Award from the Irrigation Association for significant achievements in the conservation of water and energy relating to irrigation procedures, equipment, methods and techniques.
The national award recognizes the team of 20 land-grant universities and two federal agencies participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture Multistate Project W-3128, “Scaling Microirrigation Technologies to Address the Global Water Challenge.”
Established by the association in 1982, this award was presented during the Irrigation Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida on Nov. 9.
Texas A&M team members are Jim Bordovsky, agricultural engineer and senior research scientist, and Dr. Dana Porter, associate department head and Extension specialist program leader, both in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and part of the research staff at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Lubbock.
Representing Prairie View A&M University is Dr. Ali Fares, professor and associate director of research of the Cooperative Agricultural Research Center.
The 5-year project has three objectives that deal with irrigation scheduling, design and management of microirrigation systems, and development and transfer of technology to different stakeholders.
The other 18 land-grant institutions honored are Auburn University, University of Arizona, Colorado State University, University of Florida, Tennessee State University, University of Idaho, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, University of Nebraska, New Mexico State University, Cornell University, Ohio State University, Oregon State University, University of Puerto Rico, University of the Virgin Islands, Washington State University and University of Wyoming. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Agricultural Research Service are also contributing to this project.
More detailed information about the project and the associated research scientists can be found at: www.cropinfo.net/MI.