Learn how to make every drop count! The Master Irrigator Drip Irrigation Short Course brings together industry experts, hands-on demonstrations, and funding opportunities to help growers increase irrigation use efficiency. Join us on November 13th, 2025, for the Master Irrigator Drip Irrigation Short Course from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Bell Community Center (1180 North Main Street, Bell, FL 32619). The program will primarily target Suwannee Valley watermelon producers but is open to growers of any crop interested in drip irrigation.
This hands-on program will cover key drip irrigation principles, including system design, automation, fertigation, and maintenance. Attendees can also earn a Drip Irrigator Short Course Certificate by attending the workshop and completing a brief checklist of irrigation practices. Required steps include attending the workshop on November 13th, installing and using a soil moisture sensor, and completing a short follow-up survey. Participants can choose optional activities such as checking drip system pressure, flushing irrigation lines, testing irrigation uniformity, performing a blue dye demonstration to observe water/fertilizer movement, or using an automated irrigation system to improve efficiency.
Irrigation Demonstration Support
Funding is currently available through a BMP Mini-Grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to help growers evaluate and improve the efficiency of their irrigation systems and practices through hands-on demonstrations. These include multiple, hands-on demonstrations designed to visualize and improve irrigation practices and system performance:
- Blue dye demonstrations: show how water moves through the soil, helping growers to understand irrigation depth and distribution within the root zone.
- Irrigation uniformity test for drip irrigation: measure how evenly water is applied across a field, identifying areas that may need system adjustments or maintenance.
- Electrical conductivity (EC) flush tests: use an EC meter to measure how long it takes for injected fertilizer or other materials to reach the end of the drip lines. It helps growers determine the proper injection time to ensure all fertilizer reaches the field evenly, improving nutrient use efficiency.
These demonstration support resources are available to all growers, whether or not they participate in the Master Irrigator Drip Irrigation Short Course Program, through June 2026. For more information, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension agent or Jay Capasso at jcapasso@ufl.edu.
Register for the Master Irrigator Drip Irrigation Short Course Program Below:
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