Lou Anella, Ph.D., recipient of the 2015 Irrigation Foundation Excellence in Education Award, talks about the industry’s greatest challenges and what irrigation professionals and educators can do to prepare students for the future.
Lou Anella, Ph.D., knew nothing about irrigation when he started the first irrigation course for Oklahoma State University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture in 2007. But nearly a decade later, the popular course is still taught to students who major in landscape management, turf, public horticulture and landscape architecture— and Anella can say he now knows a thing or two about irrigation.
In recognition of his work as an educator, the professor received the 2015 Irrigation Foundation Excellence in Education Award, which honors academics who play a critical role in developing irrigation professionals with the ability to create solutions that will save water and protect the environment.
We talked with him about some of the industry’s greatest challenges and what irrigation professionals and educators can do to prepare students for the future.
LM: How did you end up in irrigation?
Lou Anella (LA): I grew up working on my neighbor’s apple farm in the Hudson Valley of New York and studied horticulture at Cornell University, receiving a Ph.D. in 1997. Except for helping to drag aluminum pipe around the orchard during rare dry years, I had no real irrigation experience. In the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University, where I teach, we require our students to do an internship as part of their college curriculum. Our students were returning from their internships telling us how much irrigation work they had done over the summer, and I realized that we were not preparing them for that experience. So I decided to teach an irrigation course for our students, but I first had to learn the subject matter myself. David Gerken, who teaches at Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma City, helped me tremendously, as did the Irrigation Foundation’s Irrigation Faculty Academy, where they teach teachers the basics, as well as the latest trends, in irrigation technology.
LM: As an educator, what’s your take on the biggest challenges facing the landscape irrigation industry?
LA: I think one of the biggest challenges the industry and we in academia face is the lack of students choosing horticulture, landscape management and other fields related to irrigation as a major. As these academic programs have fewer students, they risk being discontinued and, if that happens, how will the industry find qualified people to fill positions? I think a big part of this problem is we have fewer and fewer people growing up on farms or in rural areas, and we have more and more people who play video games rather than play outside. People don’t have that much experience with the outdoors and the natural world anymore, and our careers and fields of work are very much related to the outdoors and the natural world.
LM: Do you think the next generation of irrigators is ready to take on those challenges?
LA: The challenge is already here; it’s already a huge problem. Companies are having a hard time finding people to take these jobs, but they’re getting along the best they can. And the people who are involved in the industry are ready to take on these challenges and other challenges, such as water conservation. I consider myself an outsider because, as an educator, I’m not in the industry like other people are. But I’ve always been impressed that the industry has been very proactive to face these issues, and I think that’s fantastic.
LM: How engaged are students when it comes to protecting water and the environment?
LA: I think students are very aware of the environmental challenges, and I’m proud of the industry for developing water-saving technologies. The industry is figuring out how to do more with less, and this proactive approach is imperative. This is an issue that has been around for quite a while. I focus a lot on drip irrigation, and the students really seem to appreciate that. We’ve been in places where students see water running down the road, and they will be indignant about it. They’re getting the message that there are proper and improper ways to do things so that we can save water.
LM: Per your observations of industry members, what’s the No. 1 missed opportunity to save water?
LA: Contractors and homeowners being slow to adopt water-saving technologies is a missed opportunity. The homeowners probably don’t know what the water-saving technologies are, and sometimes contractors are hesitant to take on new products. These new technologies often cost more money, so then it’s about educating the customer to make them understand that, yes, this costs more, but in the long run it’s not only good for the environment, but it’s going to save you money. The contractor needs to be aware of the products—and like and believe in them—and then educate the customer. That’s true of any change in any industry.
LM: What advice do you have for industry members to better sell smart irrigation and water management to their clients?
LA: Focus on the money savings! Educating the customer about the water savings AND the money savings takes time, but I think it’s an important part of selling and utilizing these more efficient systems.
Emily Schappacher is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, N.C.
