InteliRain is like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but for irrigation farmers — getting their fields “just right” for water distribution.
The Calgary-based company uses an automated variable rate irrigation system that allows growers to maximize yields, minimize workloads and conserve water.
Gouw Quality Onions said on the company’s website that it saved three inches of water on four quarters of land last year using the system. That’s nearly half of the eight inches of allotment St. Mary’s River Irrigation District gave to farmers last year in an area recovering from drought.
The farm also said it had been 35 years since it had seen a crop grow in a certain part of the field before using the technology.
“The adoption has been good. There’s some good government grants out there for this specific product because it conserves water,” said Colin Friesen, dealer and distributor through RediRain for Alberta.
“It does a better job of irrigating so you’re not putting water on top of an over-saturated area of land. In the southern Alberta area, where we’ve had water restrictions two years in a row, it’s a big deal for these guys.”
The system reads the land and detects low-lying areas that may need more tender-loving care using long-range wireless communication.
InteliRain uses a multi-spectral sensor on each tower in conjunction with moisture probes. The soil moisture technology provides real-time information based on the parameters of air and soil temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, humidity and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels.
Micro-Zone Precision Irrigation Technology provides automated pivot irrigation sensing and control capabilities.
Artificial intelligence is used to build the watering patterns needed to turn the pivot valves on and off in real time. In all, 18,000 micro irrigation zones are created on a typical field that can have clay, silt and sand properties.
“It’s a deep-learning AI. Every time it goes around the field it is learning a little more where the problem areas may be,” said Friesen.
“When it starts up the next season, it already has that information, and can hit the ground running.”
InteliRain, which has been in business for four years, has seen steady growth from agricultural producers across the crop spectrum.
Friesen said farmers see the quickest return on investment with higher-value crops. Almost all his potato-grower clients have reported the system has paid for itself in the first year, he added. Other crops are two to three years.
“That’s how big the benefit is. They are not drowning out areas and those potatoes rot or are a lower quality,” said Friesen.
“They get much more even quality across the spuds.”
InteliRain sells its systems in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This is the first year it has begun marketing in the United States, installing its first system in Idaho.
“We are happy with the growth we have seen. We have seen many customers be repeat customers, which is a good thing,” said Friesen.
“They have seen the benefit of the system and know it works, so they are buying second and third seasons.”