Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center Offering Irrigation Design Workshops in December

Source: www.TurfMagazine.com

To help professional irrigation managers meet the need of conserving water while irrigating, AgriLife Extension has planned two training sessions on computer-aided design of irrigation systems in early December at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas, Texas.

Computer-aided design, commonly known as CAD, replaces older practices that involve sketching and rulers, a calculator and, in the case of irrigation systems, checking for compliance with state regulations, according to Charles Swanson, AgriLife Extension landscape irrigation specialist, College Station.

The first training is set for Dec. 4-5, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m, and will introduce students to CAD irrigation design. Cost of the course is $295, and the instructors will be Swanson and Dr. Guy Fipps, AgriLife Extension irrigation engineer and professor with Texas A&M University in College Station. Enrollment is limited to 15 students.

The second course on Dec. 6, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., will cover advanced CAD irrigation design. The fee is $165 and enrollment is again limited to 15 students. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has approved an additional eight continuing education credits for licensed irrigators taking the advanced course, according to Swanson.

To be admitted to the advanced course, students must have taken the two-day basic course or some other computer-aided design software class and have a working knowledge of RainCAD or ProContractor Studio packages. The courses will train irrigators with a software package called Pro Contractor Studio.

For both classes, students will have the use of individual computers with the software package installed. However, they will have to purchase the software separately if they wish to use it after the course is finished.

To register for either course, go to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and enter the keyword “CAD.”

For more information, contact Swanson at clswanson@ag.tamu.edu or 979-845-5614.