The Fresno State Center for Irrigation Technology is one five universities and a number of industry partners that have been awarded a $5 million grant to launch the Irrigation Innovation Consortium to accelerate the development and adoption of water and energy efficient technologies.

The grant is sponsored by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) non-profit organization. The grant will be matched by Fresno State and other consortium partners to raise the total initial investment to $10 million over five years.

Public sector researchers and industry partners will co-develop, test, prototype and improve innovations, equipment, technology and decision and information systems designed to equip ‘farms of the future’ with cutting edge technologies and optimization strategies to enhance irrigation efficiency.

“We expect that this collaboration of university and industry researchers will help producers and the irrigation community to continue to be more efficient in food production and water management – something that the Central Valley prides itself in being a leader nationally,” said Dr. David Zoldoske, project manager for Fresno State. “Our campus water and energy technology researchers and facilities can provide critical leadership in the areas of field and laboratory testing, materials, proof of concept, prototype development and value engineering.”

See more.