Irrigation Education F OSU FACULTY FACILITATE MASTER IRRIGATOR PROGRAM
orty percent of water in Oklahoma is used for irrigation. To incentivize water conservation through irrigation education, Oklahoma State University faculty launched the Master Irrigator Program in 2021. “This intensive education program elevates the knowledge of producers who irrigate so they can increase their efficiency and productivity,” said Jason Warren, professor in the OSU plant and soil sciences department. The first Master Irrigator Program started in Texas. OSU faculty members learned of the program at a conference in 2018 and began to plan a similar program for Oklahoma, Warren said.
Center-pivot irrigation is one of the systems discussed in the Master Irrigator Program. Photo by Reagan Calk. 68 SUMMER/FALL 2022
OSU started its first program in Goodwell in 2021. The 2022 program occurred in Altus, and in 2023, the program will return to Goodwell. The program leaders plan to expand the program to other areas of Oklahoma, Warren said. The program registration fee is $100. Producers attend one day a week for four weeks and can attend field days for hands-on learning in the fall. The curriculum includes basic soil and water concepts, irrigation management, and other topics requested by an advisory panel, which includes local producers, said Sumit Sharma, assistant extension specialist in the plant and soil sciences department.
“These farmers are from places facing water scarcity,” said Saleh Taghvaeian, associate professor in the biosystems and agricultural engineering department. “We are talking about how they can better manage limited resources so they can leave this valuable resource for future generations.” Attending the program lets producers discuss irrigation techniques they use, problems they face and management techniques they are curious about, Warren said. Sharma said the producers come from counties around the program location, so they often face similar problems. Producers can share methods they used to overcome those
