Irrigation Systems

Haimanote Bayabil, Niguss Solomon Hailegnaw, and Vivek Sharma

This fact sheet explores variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology and its components and provides specific examples of field-scale applications of VRI technology with step-by-step guidelines for data collection, data interpretation, developing VRI prescription maps, and uploading maps for implementation. Written by Haimanote Bayabil, Niguss Solomon Hailegnaw, and Vivek Sharma, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, February 2025.

Jonathan Crane, Haimanote Bayabil, Edward A. Evans, and Fredy Ballen

Florida's tropical and subtropical fruit crop industries use various irrigation systems, including high-volume systems designed for irrigation and freeze protection, drip systems for herbaceous fruit crops (papaya, banana), and microsprinkler types, mainly for irrigation and fertigation. There continues to be a steady stream of potential tropical and subtropical fruit producers in Florida, many with little to no knowledge of the various types or purposes of various irrigation system that have been used successfully for the past 60 years.

Haimanote K. Bayabil, Kati W. Migliaccio, Michael Dukes, and Laura Vasquez

A UF/IFAS numbered peer reviewed Fact Sheet. in support of UF/IFAS Extension program: Agriculture Water

Bhimsen Shrestha andVivek Sharma

Overhead sprinkler irrigation is one of the most widely used methods in agriculture. However, sprinkler systems can lead to significant water loss through evaporation and wind drift, especially in hot or windy climates. To address these challenges, mobile drip irrigation (MDI) has emerged as an innovative alternative. This publication presents a comprehensive overview of the mobile drip irrigation (MDI) system. It explains how water is distributed within an MDI system and evaluates the economic factors involved in converting a center pivot irrigation system to MDI. A practical decision checklist is included to help determine whether an MDI system is suitable for a specific field operation. Written by Bhimsen Shrestha and Vivek Sharma, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, September 2026.