At current water use growth rates, supply for future demand is uncertain in many locations of Florida. Rain sensors are required on automatic irrigation systems installed after 1991 in Florida and, recently, commercially available soil moisture sensors for irrigation control have been introduced into the market. This paper summarizes part of the irrigation research carried out in Florida with respect to the use of these sensors and their effectiveness for water conservation in landscape irrigation. Rain sensors and soil moisture sensors are being tested under controlled experimental conditions and under homeowner conditions. Experimental results show that both rain sensors and soil moisture sensors can save water (34%, and up to 92%, respectively) compared to a time-based treatment, when operated under wet weather conditions. Initial results from testing on single family homes show that these technologies have substantial water savings potential. In both plot scale and single family home scale testing, turf quality reduction has not been found when using any of the tested sensors.
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