This paper describes the design and implementation of irrigation data transmission system which uses GPRS short message service(SMS) data transfer technology to transmit water information in irrigation areas.In this paper, through the GSM network and Internet, a GPRS modem and a ARM microcontroller are integrated to complete data acquisition and messages transmission from data acquisition device to the monitor center, where the irrigation water information are received, stored and processed. This method has some attractive features for delivering lightweight messages in a reliable and cost-efficient way compared with other data delivering schemes such as shortwave communication and dedicated telephone wires.We present the architecture description of the system firstly, then describe the SMS mechanism and discuss communication protocols of the system. The details of the interface circuits design consideration are elucidated next. Finally we present the software of the system in detail, and propose directions for future research.The characteristics of the system are less initial capital investment; lower operating costs and easier implementation, which make it particularly appropriate for the use in irrigation areas covered by GSM network. And this system can also be applied in other remote facilities with low density and long-range data transmission requirements.