Chris Declerk

Background

About Chris Declerk

My skill set is multi-faceted. I am regarded as a leader in irrigation practices throughout the Delta and have spent the last 9 years with Delta Plastics of the South and educating producers about more efficient methods of large-scale irrigation techniques. I was paramount in the development and roll out of a web based application called Pipe Planner, used by producers to determine efficient water distribution when using lay flat polytubing. Beginning with data collection from the tractor to the computer, I have provided technical expertise and farm irrigation assistance to over 1 million acres across the Delta region. The acreage includes furrow and levee irrigated farmland. Through my development of case studies, these designs have proven to maintain producers' profits while on average reducing irrigation water usage by as much as 25%, significantly reducing on-farm costs and conserving resources. When not in the field, I conduct training seminars in 5 states throughout the Delta region educating crop consultants, state extension agents, producers and other industry professionals on the operation of the Pipe Planner application and other irrigation water management tools such as surge valve and soil moisture probe technology. I have an understanding of the different types of assistance offered by state and federal agencies