LtoR: Aric Olson, Jain; Deborah Hamlin and Brent Mecham, Irrigation Association

Innovation in irrigation is critical for the future of water for a hungry world and the irrigation industry was happy to play a role in the 2019 Water for Food Global Conference this week in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“This one conference brings all the top agriculture folks together,” said Irrigation Association CEO Deborah Hamlin. “This whole conference and Daugherty Institute was formed with the funding of a center pivot company originally.” Hamlin was one of the first presenters of the conference on “How the Irrigation Industry is Driving the Future through Efficient Technologies.”

Aric Olson is president of Jain Irrigation, a multi-national drip irrigation company actively involved in the newly formed Irrigation Innovation Consortium which met during the conference. “You could really see the group coming together, talking about the new technologies and making sure all the stakeholders are focused on getting more crop per crop,” he said.

Brent Mecham, Industry Development Director with the Irrigation Association, says precision is key to getting more crop per drop. “Putting the water only where it is absolutely needed takes a lot of expertise, so timing becomes really critical,” said Mecham, who adds that healthy soil plays a major role as well.

Listen to an interview with these three irrigation experts, as well as Hamllin’s presentation, below.

Interview with irrigation industry representatives

Presentation by Deborah Hamlin, Irrigation Association

More photos and audio from the conference can be found on AgNewsWire
2019 Water for Food Global Conference virtual newsroom