The Ventura County Resource Conservation District has a limited number of free Nutrient and Irrigation Management Stations available. To obtain a free NIM, and complimentary soil and tissue sampling, interested parties should complete the online grant application. The VCRCD is offering these free stations to help reduce nitrogen leaching below the root zone of agricultural crops.
The NIM stations include a suite of data collection devices including:
- Soil moisture sensors – Monitor soil water levels
- Pressure switch – Tracks irrigation frequency
- Atmometer – Measures evapotranspiration
- Rain gauge – Records on-site rainfall
- Lysimeters – Assess water movement and leaching
- Data logger – Stores in-field data
- Cellular modem – Enables real-time data access online
- Solar panel – Provides power
For more information, visit the RCRD website at https://vcrcd.org/iimrln/.
