Irrigation management in Arizona using satellites and airplanes

Agriculture has long been promoted as a prime beneficiary of remotely sensed data and satellite data are now routinely used in crop production forecasts and for resource surveys. However the potential for using satellite data for irrigation management has not been realized. An experiment was conducted at the Maricopa Agricultural Center, Arizona, to test the feasibility of using satellite and aircraft data for crop monitoring and irrigation management. This experiment identified several shortcomings of present satellite systems with respect to providing timely information for irrigation management. On the other hand, a preliminary evaluation of aircraft data showed some potential for application to irrigation scheduling. A simple cost/benefit analysis suggested that profits could be achieved through the communal use of remotely sensed information from both satellites and aircraft in moderate-size irrigation districts.