The aim of the research was to develop a concept of a new generation of sprinkling machines capable of performing technology of precision irrigation of crops. In the course of investigations it was determined that the sprinkling irrigation is the most widespread of irrigation methods in Russia. It is performed by sprinkling machines and units of different domestic and foreign production designs. Irrigation rate for irrigated field is determined by computational methods for the entire field for sprinklers available. The latest research of Russian Scientific Research Institute of Land Improvement Problems has shown that irrigation technologies even by modern imported sprinklers do not always correspond to the agronomic requirements of crop production. At the same time there is a great diversity of soil moisture on the micro sections (segments) of 0.2–0.5 hectare or more on the same field. Due to the surface micro relief, soil cultivation conditions, precipitation wind drift during irrigating and to other reasons, the soil moisture heterogeneity reaches 20 percent or more of rated value that leads to the shortfall of yield production to 30 percent or more due to non-compliance of the recommended irrigation schedule. As a result of research Russian Scientific Research Institute of Land Improvement Problems has developed a sprinkler of a new generation having the equipment and control units capable of performing moisture leveling on the irrigated land and the estimated doses of fertilizers and pesticides application on the basis of remote sensing data for every field segment (on soil moisture, availability of nutrients, weeds and pests) and sprinkler positioning on the field by controlling the flow and direction of the jets of water of every sprinkler (design by Russian Scientific Research Institute of Land Improvement Problems, cameras and software by Join-Stock Company Space Rocket Centre “Progress”).
Key words: irrigation, irrigation machine (sprinkler), precision irrigation, remote sensing, sprinklers, irrigation management.
