Irrigation Innovation Consortium

Today is #NationalAgDay & we recognize the impact of the critical work happening in our labs, fields, and greenhouses. From precision agronomy to soil health restoration, the innovation within our community isn't just an industry—it’s the heartbeat of global stability.

Great work from UNL that hits an omnipresent question in ag: "How might AI assist key decision-making in agriculture?” Click & to learn more about testing using large language models to guide decisions thru the #UNLTAPS competition! #TAPSNetwork tinyurl.com/4j8x3t5m

Snowpack gains over the last week were 98 percent of average on the West Slope and 169 percent of average on the East Slope. The Upper Colorado sites are now approximately 66 percent of average, and the South Platte sites are at 73 percent of average for this time of year. #cowx

💧 It’s #GroundwaterAwarenessWeek! Groundwater professionals play a critical role in protecting the water resources that sustain our communities, agriculture and ecosystems. Yet according to the American Geosciences Institute, there are currently more than 135,000 open positions across the geoscience workforce nationwide — far too many to keep pace with growing demand. At the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, we’re proud to support student research and hands-on educational opportunities in groundwater science, helping cultivate the next generation of expertise, curiosity and care for our precious water resources.

Happy National Groundwater Awareness Week! To kick off Groundwater Awareness Week, we’re sharing a few interesting facts about the vital resource we call groundwater: Groundwater accounts for 0.61% of the Earth’s total water. Yet, groundwater accounts for 98% of Earth’s freshwater. The U.S. uses 82.3 billion gallons of groundwater per day for drinking water, irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, thermoelectric power and more! To learn more about groundwater visit: bit.ly/4c1AEuN

Partners in #precisionag: As we prep for 2026, we send thanks to our 2025 #CSUTAPS partners! Ag tech companies, seed providers, and marketing & crop insurance specialists are vital to the #TestingAgPerformanceSolutions mission. Thanks for supporting producers & the #TAPSNetwork

2025 #CSUTAPS Report Released! Who won? What did they do to come out on top in the 2025 competition? Download to see the in-depth results of producer-driven farm management decisions for input use efficiency & profitability. #precisionag #TAPSNetwork tinyurl.com/4dkb7c34

Celebrating 2025 CSU-TAPS Full & Limited Irrigation Track Winners! Top teams' management decisions throughout the season made the winning difference, from efficient and timely irrigation and nitrogen use to engaged marketing. Check them out here: tinyurl.com/msabzcb5

2026 #CSUTAPS Field Updates, Team Recruiting, Corn Market Overlook, and Winning Strategies — Don’t miss the first CSU-TAPS newsletter for 2026. #TAPSNewtork #precisionag #farmerfocused tinyurl.com/cy46y35n

#CSUTAPS celebrated the close of its 2025 sprinkler corn farm management competition with a year-end banquet at @ColoradoStateU! The event featured winners from 25 teams, $6,800 in awards, and released the 2025 CSU-TAPS Report. tinyurl.com/mtxksau4 @CSUAgSci @TAPS_Network

Keeping busy with Fall field work! #CSUTAPS has harvested the 2025 farm competition plots AND started soil sampling for 2026. Data now, insights for the future. Watch the team in action! @CSUAgSci #CSUTAPS #TAPSNetwork #PrecisionAg #TestingAgPerformanceSolutions

Want to tour the dozens of #CANVAS25 exhibitors in just a minute? Watch our video! Find more information on our exhibitors here: ow.ly/usla50XpIXU

Congrats to our #CSUTAPS partner @CSUtilities for being honored w/ a Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) 2025 Outstanding Industry Partnership Award by @irrigationassoc This award honors “outstanding water providers & their innovative projects” tinyurl.com/4mctzksb

Kudos to this #smartirrigation project tackling Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer decline! Our MS #MasterIrrigator colleagues are working w/ @awscloud, @ArableLabs & @msstate to empower producers in making smart water decisions. @irrigationtoday tinyurl.com/4uwa6fhx

Our #CSUTAPS September newsletter included early competition insights - in case you missed it! Check out the spread of nitrogen and irrigation decisions and related costs, along with a @CSUAgSci SOURCE story on our fantastic undergraduate interns. Read: tinyurl.com/3k67ehjv

As demand grows and water supplies tighten, the stakes get higher. This Spring 2025 Irrigation Today feature puts ag water competition into perspective. Read it here: irrigationtoday.org/features/compe…

The Master Irrigator program has grown from a Texas pilot to classes in seven states, covering everything from groundwater to tech use. Hands-on, regional learning and a peer network make it worth it. Over 500,000 acres impacted so far. buff.ly/wDTUZAt

So long, irrigation season! #CSUTAPS farming competitors had their last chance to irrigate 9/30. Many thanks to our CSU ARDEC-South colleagues for the irrigation help. Next up: biomass sampling and...harvest! Happy fall! #TAPSNetwork @CSUAgSci

#CSUTAPS student interns Aaron Cherry & Mason England are putting ag learning into action, gaining real-world experience in crop science, irrigation, and farm management. Hear more from Mason and Aaron on their TAPS experience: tinyurl.com/mse96kfj @csuagsci #TAPSNetwork

Thanks to @cghenry_UA & UofArk Rice Research & Extension Center for the #MasterIrrigator Summit field tour showcasing work in rice production & water management. It included this field fertilized w/ liquid nitric acid generated by reactors pulling N from the air. @Arkansas_Rice