CSU Hosts Farmer Competition on Water Efficiency
About 70 local, state, and federal farmers are competing in a Colorado State University research farm plot to improve irrigation and yield decisions.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Agriculture
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Colorado State University held the fourth annual Testing Ag Performance Solutions competition, in which roughly 70 farmers compete on the same plot with the same soil and weather. Participants make decisions on water use, plant spacing, farm budgets, and corn marketing, and winners will be announced in January.
Why it matters
Declining water resources and rising diesel and fertilizer costs make farm decisions more consequential for producers across the region. Researchers use the choices competitors make to refine best practices for growers.
The competition compares about 70 farmers on identical plots, with one competitor, Weld County farmer Jeff Marsh, limited to about 11 inches of irrigation water. Final rankings based on efficiency, profitability, and yield remain unresolved until winners are announced in January.
The players
Colorado State University
A public land-grant research university in Fort Collins whose research farm hosts the Testing Ag Performance Solutions competition.
Irrigation Innovation Consortium
An organization that manages the Testing Ag Performance Solutions competition and works on irrigation technology and practices.
Jeff Marsh
A Weld County farmer who competed with limited irrigation and used soil moisture data to guide watering decisions on his Drake Farms operation in Eaton.
The details
Participants simulate real farm operations on a Colorado State University research farm plot, deciding water use and plant spacing while managing a budget and marketing corn. The Irrigation Innovation Consortium manages the event, and soil moisture probes helped Marsh decide when to water.
Timeline
Summer 2026: Hot and dry conditions affected Colorado crops during the competition period.
January 2027: Winners of the competition will be announced.
Big Picture
Now in its fourth year at Colorado State University, the Testing Ag Performance Solutions competition extends a multi-year effort to test farm decisions under real Colorado conditions. Its results will show how producers respond to declining water supplies and rising input costs.
Fort Collins-area growers can learn from irrigation and budgeting decisions made in the competition, which reflect rising diesel, fertilizer, and water costs. Farmers facing similar constraints may apply the efficiency and yield findings once results are published.
The takeaway
Soil moisture monitoring and disciplined water allocation can help farmers manage yields under tighter water and cost conditions. Watch for the January results to see which approaches performed best.
What happens next
Winners of the Testing Ag Performance Solutions competition will be announced in January 2027.
Further reading
Explore more Agriculture coverage for the Fort Collins region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KUNC.
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