Four Part Webinar Covers Vegetable Irrigation and Water Use

By Blake Jackson

Diversified vegetable growers looking to improve their irrigation and water management practices will have an opportunity to learn directly from experts through a new four-part webinar series focused on irrigation system design, scheduling, and produce safety.

The sessions are designed for farmers managing small to mid-sized vegetable operations and will explore both technical concepts and real-world challenges.

All four webinars will be delivered live via Zoom, allowing participants to engage in discussion and ask questions. Registration is required for each session individually.

The series begins on February 19, 2026, from 2-3 p.m. with a session on vegetable irrigation planning. Farmer and educator Tom Bryan will share lessons learned from designing irrigation systems for one- to five-acre vegetable farms.

Drawing from hands-on experience, Bryan will discuss system choices, automation tools, and decisions he wishes he had made differently, while encouraging participants to share their own challenges. For registration, click here.

On March 4, 2026, from noon-1 p.m., the focus shifts to managing soil water for both irrigated and dryland farming. This session will explain how water moves and is stored in soil, how to determine plant-available water, and how to use soil moisture monitoring to guide daily irrigation decisions. For registration, click here.

The third webinar, March 18, 2026, noon-1 p.m., will cover irrigation basics for diversified vegetable systems. Participants will learn how to combine soil data and crop water use information to create practical irrigation schedules. For registration, click here.

The series concludes on April 1, 2026, from 1-2 p.m., with a discussion on producing safety considerations in irrigation. Topics will include water quality, system inspection, and strategies to reduce contamination risks, including guidance related to the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. For registration, click here.

For additional details, interested growers can contact Ann Kowenstrot at ann.kowenstrot@wisc.edu.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-johnbraid