Six years of smart controller performance in Texas
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abstract
A smart controller testing facility was established by the Irrigation Technology Program at Texas A&M University in College Station in 2008. The objectives were to (I) evaluate smart controller testing methodology and to (2) determine their performance and reliability under Texas conditions using a six zone virtual Texas Landscape that reflects the type of landscape sites common to Texas. Annually a report is released detailing each controller's performance by irrigation amount on a yearly and seasonal basis. Controller performance is often observed to over-irrigate and be inconsistent throughout the seasons. This paper summarizes the performance of the smart controllers over the last six years. Overall, no controller has been consistently able to provide adequate amounts of water without over or under irrigating multiple landscape plants. Performance among controllers was observed to vary based on rainfall and the zone type for one or more seasons.
