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Published August 24, 2007 10:07 pm - Browned and withered corn crops, extreme heat and a record-breaking drought brought agricultural experts, farmers and gardeners together Tuesday evening under the shade of pecan trees at the North Alabama Horticulture Experiment Station to hear a talk by an irrigation specialist. Area farmers look to irrigation By Karen Williamson Browned and withered corn crops, extreme heat and a record-breaking drought brought agricultural experts, farmers and gardeners together Tuesday evening under the shade of pecan trees at the North Alabama Horticulture Experiment Station to hear a talk by an irrigation specialist.
Before the meeting started Tim Scott, Cullman County Soil and Water Conservation District project manager, pointed to a corn crop and said it will only yield about 35 bushels an acre. Normal yield is 85 to 100 bushels per acre. “That right there, we would normally pick at the end of September,” Scott said. “We will pick it in a week to a week and a half.” Tom Williamson with the North Alabama Agriplex Committee said he didn’t remember a time when agricultural experts and farmers had to have a meeting like this. “We are the No. 1 agriculture county in the state,” he said. “It is so much a part of our lives.” Williamson said the goal of the talks was to improve profits and stay in business. “Everybody is pulling together because they know how important it is to them,” he said. Robin Franks, district sales manager with Netafim, was the keynote speaker. He is from South Africa originally but currently lives in the United States. He has taught irrigation and designed systems worldwide for 45 years. He also spoke with an accent. Drawing immediate laughter from the crowd, Franks said, “We’ve got to get the rules straight for us. Alright. You all have got a really bad accent. Okay. You have no idea how bad they are.” Netafim means “little drops of water” in Hebrew. “A lot of the world is not blessed with a lot of water, and this year unfortunately and a little bit last year, you’ve experienced some of the conditions that prevail in parts of Africa where I am from,” said Franks. Franks said said he wanted more about irrigation than a specific drip irrigation system. If growers understand irrigation, then they can move toward planning an irrigation system. “First of all, how many of you are irrigating now?” he said. “Quite a few of you. How many of you plan your irrigation? Not too many.” The first rule is it takes 100 gallons of water to make 1 pound of sugar, Frank said. The sugar can be a gallon of orange juice or a bag of tomatoes. “What this means is that each plant needs a requirement of water to produce its optimum yield,” said Franks. “When we talk about irrigation practice, we need to insure that we provide the plant with this 100 gallons of water, and it’s just a figure, sometimes more, sometimes less.” 
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