As a reaction to last year's drought, the Irrigation Project was conducted in fields in Daviess and Henderson Counties to demonstrate how producers can more efficiently use center pivot irrigation systems.

Using the Arkansas Scheduler, a computer software program, developed by the University of Arkansas, the project demonstrated the concept of matching irrigation needs to crop type, evaporation-transporation rates, soil type and crop development. Field data, including rainfall, irrigation amounts and crop development stages, was taken by a field scout. The data were provided to participating farmers and entered into the scheduler computer program. One or more times a week, the farmer received a read-out of the scheduler that projected the amount and date irrigation was needed.