Table 22. Methods Used in Deciding When to irrigate: 2013 
[Excludes institutional, research, and experimental farms. For meaning of abbreviations and symbols see introductory text] 
Geographic area 
All 
farms 
Farms reporting method used ' 
Any 
method 
Condition 
of crop 
Feel of 
soil 
Soil 
moisture 
sensing 
device 
Plant 
moisture 
sensing 
device 
Commercial 
or 
government 
scheduling 
service 
Scheduled 
by water 
delivery 
organization 
Personal 
calendar 
schedule 
Computer 
simulation 
models 
When 
neighbors 
begin to 
irrigate 
United States 
229,237 
229,237 
179,490 
90,361 
22,656 
3,669 
17,982 
17,815 
37,301 
49,048 
1,915 
13,717 
Alabama 
1,022 
1,022 
919 
426 
70 
1 
34 
41 
6 
168 
2 
6 
Alaska 
181 
181 
150 
94 
15 
7 
- 
- 
- 
16 
- 
- 
Arizona 
4,380 
4,380 
3,171 
1,964 
174 
21 
356 
288 
694 
1,029 
5 
68 
Arkansas 
4,212 
4,212 
3,978 
1,452 
222 
53 
186 
140 
31 
707 
35 
234 
California 
44,347 
44,347 
33,163 
18,097 
7,429 
2,127 
3,132 
5,206 
5,344 
14,922 
715 
3,673 
Colorado 
12,501 
12,501 
8,270 
4,229 
673 
78 
1,058 
487 
5,493 
1,946 
29 
1,469 
Connecticut 
715 
715 
641 
340 
33 
11 
3 
22 
3 
71 
3 
20 
Delaware 
396 
396 
354 
192 
60 
10 
39 
44 
2 
73 
16 
30 
Florida 
8,120 
8,120 
6,865 
2,971 
803 
181 
468 
351 
127 
1,165 
171 
138 
Georgia 
3,545 
3,545 
3,128 
1,401 
309 
22 
237 
233 
7 
432 
27 
75 
Hawaii 
1,919 
1,919 
1,628 
650 
53 
11 
21 
29 
35 
489 
15 
33 
Idaho 
14,092 
14,092 
10,025 
5,867 
521 
61 
1,208 
814 
5,168 
4,124 
5 
728 
Illinois 
1,807 
1,807 
1,692 
801 
104 
14 
62 
134 
9 
196 
18 
111 
Indiana 
1,893 
1,893 
1,770 
845 
151 
29 
53 
192 
7 
197 
13 
161 
Iowa 
1,090 
1,090 
1,007 
502 
128 
6 
18 
90 
5 
142 
6 
56 
Kansas 
5,243 
5,243 
4,340 
1,646 
596 
50 
1,525 
900 
130 
542 
55 
66 
Kentucky 
1,212 
1,212 
1,046 
465 
80 
9 
8 
12 
8 
179 
- 
30 
Louisiana 
2,130 
2,130 
1,936 
695 
62 
17 
80 
65 
13 
321 
18 
31 
Maine 
946 
946 
818 
352 
19 
11 
43 
1 
- 
126 
1 
- 
Maryland 
890 
890 
817 
524 
86 
11 
9 
38 
5 
135 
7 
17 
Massachusetts 
1,398 
1,398 
1,233 
739 
122 
_ 
31 
82 
7 
140 
13 
19 
Michigan 
3,662 
3,662 
3,172 
2,111 
318 
28 
146 
438 
13 
626 
65 
82 
Minnesota 
2,162 
2,162 
1,924 
1,135 
246 
34 
208 
299 
20 
273 
34 
123 
Mississippi 
1,843 
1,843 
1,684 
842 
203 
6 
98 
92 
6 
274 
10 
104 
Missouri 
2,569 
2,569 
2,436 
1,159 
162 
22 
152 
179 
12 
383 
33 
142 
Montana 
7,384 
7,384 
5,674 
2,393 
446 
26 
376 
187 
1,959 
1,789 
11 
693 
Nebraska 
15,747 
15,747 
13,491 
6,957 
3,599 
45 
2,549 
3,792 
1,449 
1,496 
113 
619 
Nevada 
2,149 
2,149 
1,170 
578 
53 
12 
230 
80 
923 
488 
8 
246 
New Hampshire 
528 
528 
483 
262 
32 
1 
- 
2 
- 
88 
1 
- 
New Jersey 
1,255 
1,255 
1,118 
569 
175 
36 
7 
22 
5 
149 
1 
11 
New Mexico 
8,733 
8,733 
4,988 
2,659 
203 
20 
1,239 
255 
2,934 
1,569 
2 
1,586 
New York 
1,936 
1,936 
1,836 
952 
146 
2 
12 
73 
10 
247 
6 
16 
North Carolina 
2,710 
2,710 
2,403 
1,286 
106 
10 
6 
149 
22 
410 
15 
15 
North Dakota 
533 
533 
435 
298 
56 
11 
65 
70 
20 
97 
10 
23 
Ohio 
1,453 
1,453 
1,322 
688 
92 
17 
11 
27 
5 
164 
- 
4 
Oklahoma 
1,672 
1,672 
1,467 
648 
181 
4 
131 
136 
24 
334 
1 
42 
Oregon 
12,299 
12,299 
8,923 
4,355 
999 
156 
776 
649 
2,899 
3,065 
26 
417 
Pennsylvania 
3,126 
3,126 
2,865 
1,278 
128 
3 
14 
63 
2 
333 
8 
62 
Rhode Island 
294 
294 
272 
168 
4 
12 
- 
14 
- 
40 
- 
- 
South Carolina 
1,046 
1,046 
940 
418 
67 
7 
38 
29 
7 
182 
7 
2 
South Dakota 
1,274 
1,274 
1,091 
550 
121 
14 
45 
103 
88 
218 
_ 
66 
Tennessee 
1,108 
1,108 
988 
349 
95 
9 
23 
35 
10 
185 
12 
18 
Texas 
13,259 
13,259 
1 1 ,494 
5,695 
1,289 
217 
559 
869 
549 
2,795 
37 
426 
Utah 
10,357 
10,357 
6,137 
2,215 
370 
159 
2,060 
272 
5,223 
2,532 
135 
706 
Vermont 
567 
567 
494 
326 
14 
2 
- 
17 
3 
74 
- 
- 
Virginia 
1,342 
1,342 
1,214 
614 
114 
7 
11 
26 
12 
298 
18 
10 
Washington 
10,575 
10,575 
8,247 
4,444 
1,236 
55 
295 
359 
2,161 
2,001 
181 
586 
West Virginia 
297 
297 
261 
148 
24 
3 
3 
9 
3 
31 
3 
3 
Wisconsin 
2,427 
2,427 
2,226 
1,288 
387 
21 
98 
333 
10 
388 
21 
81 
Wyoming 
4,891 
4,891 
3,784 
1,724 
80 
- 
259 
67 
1,838 
1,399 
3 
669 
Water Resources Regions 
Region 01 New England 
4,098 
4,098 
3,632 
1,949 
215 
37 
77 
124 
10 
490 
18 
39 
Region 02 Mid-Atlantic 
7,325 
7,325 
6,716 
3,491 
630 
67 
82 
229 
20 
1,078 
50 
142 
Region 03 South Atlantic-Gulf 
16,745 
16,745 
14,506 
6,548 
1,376 
221 
799 
821 
165 
2,401 
224 
288 
Region 04 Great Lakes 
6,462 
6,462 
5,806 
3,459 
550 
43 
188 
667 
27 
943 
75 
144 
Region 05 Ohio 
4,554 
4,554 
4,077 
1,941 
262 
47 
38 
119 
30 
541 
27 
121 
Region 06 Tennessee 
1,139 
1,139 
1,011 
420 
62 
5 
11 
19 
20 
165 
_ 
13 
Region 07 Upper Mississippi 
6,665 
6,665 
6,141 
3,335 
756 
65 
362 
752 
33 
920 
61 
382 
Region 08 Lower Mississippi 
7,682 
7,682 
7,109 
2,849 
534 
71 
430 
342 
39 
1,267 
83 
335 
Region 09 Souris-Red-Rainy 
466 
466 
374 
254 
41 
8 
49 
46 
15 
52 
10 
11 
Region 10 Missouri 
33,574 
33,574 
27,877 
13,456 
5,010 
229 
3,896 
4,908 
5,545 
5,031 
159 
2,044 
Region 1 1 Arkansas-White-Red 
10,446 
8,285 
3,819 
833 
43 
1,465 
983 
1,270 
1,594 
87 
206 
Region 12Texas-Gulf 
10,567 
10,567 
9,030 
4,560 
1,040 
208 
359 
619 
229 
2,417 
24 
461 
Region 13 Rio Grande 
9,195 
9,195 
5,524 
2,906 
221 
16 
1,176 
344 
3,297 
1,158 
2 
1,811 
Region 14 Upper Colorado 
10,352 
10,352 
6,695 
3,308 
498 
124 
1,458 
157 
4,402 
2,722 
108 
1,150 
Region 15 Lower Colorado 
5,092 
5,092 
3,488 
1,836 
174 
21 
430 
293 
1,139 
1,315 
5 
124 
Region 1 6 Great Basin 
9,441 
9,441 
5,206 
2,025 
203 
47 
2,106 
263 
4,924 
2,131 
40 
640 
Region 1 7 Pacific Northwest 
38,443 
38,443 
28,759 
15,211 
2,735 
272 
1,881 
1,892 
10,514 
9,239 
212 
2,073 
Region 18 California 
44,891 
44,891 
33,476 
18,250 
7,448 
2,127 
3,154 
5,208 
5,587 
15,079 
715 
3,700 
Region 19 Alaska 
181 
181 
150 
94 
15 
7 
- 
- 
- 
16 
- 
- 
Region 20 Hawaii 
1,919 
1,919 
1,628 
650 
53 
11 
21 
29 
35 
489 
15 
33 
' Respondents could choose more than one method. 
2012 Census of Agricuiture 2013 FRiS - Entire Farm Data 87 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
