James Adkins, from the UD Carvel Research center gave a lecture on the different types of irrigation used in Delaware, and some of the new technological advances associated with irrigation. The three main types of irrigation are center pivot, sub-surface drip, and traveling gun. A center pivot system is a long pipe line above the crop that pivots in a circle around a pump and pushes water through a series of nozzles, applying water in the most efficient way. Sub-surface drip irrigation is a system that is implemented below vegetable fields and pushes water through pipes in the ground that have pinholes in them and allow the water to percolate into the soil. A traveling gun system is a high pressure nozzle on the end of a pipe that is pulled by a tractor and arcs water onto a field. Center pivot irrigation is the most popular and most efficient, second is sub-surface drip, an third is traveling gun.

New technology in irrigation is zone control on center pivot systems. This allows the system to apply water heavier or lighter in areas where it is needed, cutting down on water use and maximizing application and efficiency. Nozzles are also being developed for more even application of water. Drones are also being used to observe where plants are being over or under watered using NVDI, or Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, a graphical indicator of how the field is performing.