Irrigation Design Projects with UT
Project 1: The Hidden Half of Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change: What Happens Belowground?, June 2010
Study Conducted By University of Texas at Austin (Irrigation Design & Specification by Irrigation Technology Center)
The Irrigation Technology Center was approached to assist in the design and implementation of an irrigation system in a drought tolerance study. The irrigation system contained multiple design restraints which include little to no available water pressure due to treatment of water and no electrical power available on site. A solar powered pumping plant was designed to deliver water from a storage take to the irrigated treatments. A solar powered irrigation controller was also selected to operate the irrigation system. Design restraints also stipulated that treatments were to be irrigated simultaniously. The treatments were housed under a “rain-out” shelter to prevent rainfall from reaching the plants. Irrigation for the 6 different treatments ranged from simulated rainfall to little or no irrigation (drought-like conditions).
Project 2: Texas Switchgrass Collaberative – Understanding Genetic Variation of Drought Tolerance in Switchgrass, September 2010
Study Conducted By University of Texas at Austin (Irrigation Design & Specification by Irrigation Technology Center)