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Edge Controller lets you put water where needed

T-L Irrigation VP: “At the end of the day, we’re just trying to put down an inch of water.”

Andy Castillo

October 8, 2024

4 Min Read
Showgoers browse T-L Irrigation’s booth at this year’s Husker Harvest Days
IRRIGATION ON DISPLAY: Showgoers browse T-L Irrigation’s booth on a sunny day in September at this year’s Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, Neb.Andy Castillo

As systems become more complex, simplicity is becoming more valuable. Technology should be as intuitive as it is useful. That’s something T-L Irrigation Co. takes to heart.

“Irrigation is pretty basic, the way we look at it,” says John Thom, T-L Irrigation’s vice president. “People typically just want to put water on when they need to.”

An example of this focus is the company’s Edge Controller. Released last year, it increases the amount of data that’s available.

The Edge Controller lets operators monitor and control pivots at any time, in any place — and in real time. The controller — which can be retrofitted onto existing pivots and purchased with new systems —replaces a physical control panel at the pivot point and is strategically installed on the end tower.

“Remote telemetry allows the operator to monitor and control the pivot from any connected device anywhere in the world,” says Neal Schlautman, T-L Irrigation’s engineering manager. “Changing the controller location means all sensor input and commands are centralized to where the work takes place — at the end of the pivot.”

Besides adding telematics, the system cuts down the amount of physical wiring on pivots from potentially a half-mile span of cable to just a few feet. Only 24-volt DC power is required. Sensors and control valves are wired directly into the controller, streamlining the entire system.

Related:New center-pivot tech ensures uniform water application

By moving the controller’s location, the pivot’s pressure sensor is in an optimal place to ensure the system is reaching the necessary water pressure for consistent, uniform application.

An optional Edge Solar component can further reduce wiring by eliminating the span cable and collector ring. Solar panels are installed next to the Edge Controller at the end tower.

“The design increases the overall reliability of the system. Moving the controller to the end tower dramatically reduces the distance the sometimes sensitive low-voltage signals travel and cuts out areas where issues can occur,” Schlautman says.

Simplifying complexity

Eventually, Thom predicts that irrigation data will be tied together via a central, cloud-based app. AI-based subscription platforms will combine field data with aerial footage, weather reports and other outside information to project the best irrigation plan.

“The future is in more controls, sensors and things like that. At some point, autonomy will come into play, where a platform will basically schedule out irrigation based on moisture sensors, weather stations and pivots, together,” Thom says. But while future developments should streamline farm operations, it might not all be good. “We’re adding a lot of complexity to sprinklers. You might have more shutdowns. You might have more complications later on.”

Related:Measure water vapor rising from crop fields

To that end, as systems become more complex, Thom says T-L Irrigation’s goal is to simplify its products while still empowering farmers with the latest advancements. That’s not an easy task.

T-L Irrigation - T-L Irrigation’s Vice President John Thom

“We try to keep everything real simple. We try to keep the quality up and manufacture machines that farmers can understand if they do need to fix anything themselves,” Thom says. “We don’t want to have high-end boards or high-end telemetry, which can only be repaired if an engineer comes out and works on it. We want to keep machines reliable, because again, at the end of the day, we’re just trying to put down an inch of water when we need it.”

Conservation focus

Irrigation technology is changing for a reason. The need for greater water conservation is increasing, and potentially stringent reporting requirements are on the horizon. Technology will be necessary to document and interpret data.

It’s a familiar topic to Thom. Conservation sits at the heart of T-L Irrigation’s business philosophy.

“The reason we started our company was to conserve water and get away from flood irrigation,” he says. “It was not economical. It was wasteful. Our mindset has always been to reduce the amount of water that we need for the crops that we grow.

Related:Yanmar adds compact track loaders to lineup

Andy Castillo - Fully remote Edge Controller from T-L Irrigation

“Nebraska is really blessed with the recharging qualities we have in our aquifer. But if faced with a long, hard drought, we can be forced into water allocations with the different water districts that we have. Farmers are going to have to learn very quickly how to [wisely] utilize the water that they’re allocated. That’s going to be a big, big deal for farmers.”

we have in our aquifer, but if faced with a long, hard drought, we can be forced into water allocations with the different water districts that we have. Farmers are going to have to learn very quickly how to (wisely) utilize the water that they're allocated. That's going to be a big, big deal for farmers.”

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Irrigation

About the Author

Andy Castillo

Andy Castillo started his career in journalism about a decade ago as a television news cameraperson and producer before transitioning to a regional newspaper covering western Massachusetts, where he wrote about local farming.

Between military deployments with the Air Force and the news, he earned an MFA in creative nonfiction writing from Bay Path University, building on the English degree he earned from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He's a multifaceted journalist with a diverse skill set, having previously worked as an EMT and firefighter, a nightclub photographer, caricaturist, features editor at the Greenfield Recorder and a writer for GoNomad Travel. 

Castillo splits his time between the open road and western Massachusetts with his wife, Brianna, a travel nurse who specializes in pediatric oncology, and their rescue pup, Rio. When not attending farm shows, Castillo enjoys playing music, snowboarding, writing, cooking and restoring their 1920 craftsman bungalow.

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