Water Management, Critical for Plant Agronomics - Part 2

·29 min·1 clip

Craig says the goal is to grow the best possible crop with the least water and fertilizer inputs.

1. Yara Crop Nutrition podcast’s "Water Management, Critical for Plant Agronomics - Part 2" focuses on the agronomic value of proper irrigation. 2. Scott Warr hosts Guillermo Valenzuela, VP of sales and marketing at Wisecon, and Craig Horning, a citrus grower and director of technical services at AC Foods. 3. The episode asks what efficient irrigation changes on real farms when growers adopt the equipment and learn to use it well. 4. Guillermo says the biggest gains are often energy savings because pumps are expensive and off-peak irrigation can cut costs. 5. He also says growers measure success as "crop per drop," asking how many pounds of citrus come from each acre foot of water. 6. Craig says reservoirs matter because district water often arrives in 24-hour shots and is hard to automate without stored water. 7. Craig adds that water modification can matter when snowmelt water runs off or when pH and calcium need correction. 8. Guillermo says labor optimization is another result, with automation reducing truck runs, valve turning, and avoidable human error. 9. He points to West Hills College, Merced, and Fresno State as places helping train younger workers on automated irrigation systems. 10. Guillermo also says fertilizer efficiency improves when growers inject nutrients at the right time and avoid leaving water on for 12 hours after fertigation. 11. Craig compares the operation to an old wagon wheel, where each spoke has to be in the right spot. 12. He says the "center hub" is what the grower takes to the packing house. 13. Craig says sensors, tree data, soil moisture data, and flow meters help growers make better decisions through the year. 14. He says the best result is a better crop with less water and fertilizer, not simply a larger crop. 15. Guillermo says growers who already run efficiently may only be able to find the last 5% of improvement. 16. Craig says growers often buy technology but do not invest the time to learn it, which leads to frustration. 17. The conversation stays practical and technical, with both guests answering from field experience rather than theory. 18. The format is an interview with Scott Warr steering questions and both guests building on each other’s examples. 19. Growers, irrigation managers, and crop advisors focused on water efficiency would get the most value. 20. Listeners looking for entertainment rather than farm operations detail may skip it.

As heard by us

Irrigation works best when it fits the ranch and the people using it take the time to learn it.

The discussion treats irrigation as a working decision system, not a slogan. Guillermo Valenzuela and Craig Horning keep bringing it back to the field: sensors, profile data, and the grower judgment underneath all of that. The useful point is plain.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Your next irrigation upgrade should earn its keep.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Yara's Crop Nutrition podcast