Customer Comments

Reading about Aqua View provides the details about the project, but what are people saying about it? Take a look at the range of comments from growers to experts. 

Jay Hall

Laurel, Nebraska, 2011

"Last year was our first year for Aqua View and to be honest we felt it saved two circles for us because every time our neighbors made a quarter turn we said we didn't need to and then it would rain. That happened three or four times so we didn't make that circle that they made because our probe said don't do it. That was the hardest thing to do, to trust the probe, but after seeing it and learning it, I think it's a good tool. It helps you from overwatering just as much as it prevents you from underwatering."

Rod Hall

Laurel, Nebraska, 2011

"If you were to put a value on Aqua View, I would calculate it last year by looking at us using 400 gallons of diesel per circle. So if we save two circles a year that would be 800 gallons of fuel at $4 a gallon this year that's $3200. That savings alone helps dramatically."

Randy McDonald

Phillips, Nebraska, 2011

"Last year we tried Aqua View out and didn't know how much trust we had in it. But this year with the support of the Fontanelle team, we have a lot more faith in it. We like the capability of being able to get on the computer whenever we wish to see what is going on. Last week I was on vacation and I could get on the computer and see if we had a rain event at home just because of what the sensors would show. We think Aqua View is going to be a good value as far as saving energy and fuel."

Mark Kottmeyer

Fontanelle Certified Water Professional, Kearney, Nebraska, 2011

"Aqua View makes me more confident. It reassures my knowledge in irrigation management because of the accuracy it provides to me and to the growers."

Chris Frynear

Fort Collins, Colorado, 2011

"We have had Fontanelle involved with our test plots for the last two years and enjoy the ease and accessibility of looking up Aqua View moisture levels on the computer. Our area rep has been a pleasure to work with through the entire Aqua View process." 

Russ Bloom

Scotia, Nebraska, 2011

"We got involved with Aqua View the first year it was introduced. We have found a lot of value in it. One thing we have really learned from it is to know how much rain water is actually captured in the soil. It was really interesting to see that we could get an inch of rain, but the system would only capture ½ inch. The other ½ inch was lost as run off.
We feel the Aqua View system has saved us time and money. We use it to help schedule our irrigation, as well as using the old fashioned hand probes. It has put us at ease with our irrigation because we know what is in the ground and we are able to track our root development. Knowing how much root penetration we have will also help with our water scheduling so we don't over water early like we used to do.
I farm with my father-in-law and we have a lot of fun with Aqua View. It is a big thing for us to look at the graphs everyday and track where we are at. Dad is pretty old school and to see someone of that generation take that much interest in the new technology is really neat for me to see."

Greg Jochem

Ainsworth, Nebraska, 2011

"I have had Aqua View on my farm for one year and I will use it again in 2012. As far as irrigation goes, it is great to be able to tell how much water we are putting on and how much we have available in the soil to use up. With the price of water, Aqua View is a handy tool to make water decisions and not waste so much."

Chandler Mazour

Learning Center Manager, Gothenburg (NE) Water Utilization Learning Center

"Availability of water for crop irrigation is critical to the success of High Plains farmers.= Today water is increasingly viewed as a limited natural resource.  Our challenge in agriculture is to produce higher yields using less inputs (per unit of output) such as water. The way to achieve this objective is using a cropping systems based approach with is a combination of world class genetics, biotech traits and agronomic practices." 

Nick Lammers

Fontanelle Aqua View Lead, Wood River, NE

"Through Fontanelle's commitment to our customers, we have combined genetics, traits, agronomy, technology and education into one package. This is our Aqua View project.

"Because of the relationship we have with growers we felt that we should step up and take a leadership role in bringing together all the research information going on in the industry concerning drought, water management and different technologies.

"We know that genetics, although extremely important, are not the complete answer to maintaining a sustainable ag economy in the West where water is one of our most a critical inputs. Agronomy and crop management are vital steps in achieving true water management success. We want to be the resource for our customers to help them understand, select and use those tools that will enable them to continue to be profitable, thus our Aqua View project."

Duane Kimball

Calloway, NE, 2009

"I started working with Fontanelle because I wanted to see the new water technology that could help me save on water fuel. I have used my crop consultant and ET gauges in the past. I like the probe technology because I can monitor it from my home computer and can easily schedule my next irrigation based on the graph. Hopefully this type of technology will reduce my water usage and help me manage water inputs without much guess work." 

Harrison Krey

Hugoton, KS, 2009

"The last week of July my corn was starting to blister and we had several rain events totaling almost 2 inches. By being able to look at my moisture probe, I saw that I did not have enough moisture to shut off my well. The majority of my neighbors had shut off their sprinklers, but I kept mine running. I was well below the refill point by the time the sprinkler made it across the probe. There is no doubt that my corn would have stressed during that critical time and my yield would have suffered if I would have shut off my pivot."