Rain is not always to be expected: sometimes it rains too much, not enough or it doesn't rain at all. If we all depended on rain irrigation, the amount of food produced would decrease thanks to climate change and changing weather patterns.
Because of this, farmers around the world are implementing more efficient water management practices like irrigation systems. See, every drop of rain counts when you're not sure if or when the next rain is coming.
As a farmer, your biggest concerns are yield and profit. So what can you do to maximize this? You can start implementing an irrigation management system to ensure your plants are watered on a routine basis.
A few improvements to your farm can do wonders for you.
This article attempts to examine irrigation methods, types of irrigation systems, and their importance in food production.
irrigation
Water is an essential resource for growth, whether in animals or plants. In some areas, rainfall is more than enough to sustain the growing season, but not in others. This is the reason why farmers tend to develop artificial ways to distribute the necessary amount of water for their crops.
However, there is a science behind it because you don't need to water your plants every 3-4 hours. Frequency, rate, and water usage are dictated by the watering schedule.
Farmers often use the following approaches to set irrigation schedules:
vegetable basis
This is arguably the easiest to master as you monitor your plants for signs of water starvation. If a plant is dead, dry, or has ruffled, ruffled, or wilted leaves, these are signs that you're submerging it.
The only problem is that you are always guessing how much water it will take to get the plant back into its best shape.
depletion of soil moisture
The watering schedule is determined by checking the amount of moisture around the root zone. Different types of plants require certain levels of moisture to thrive.
When the moisture level falls below the preset level, you need to water your plants.
For example, when it comes to corn in the 12-leaf pollination stage, you should plan your watering40-50% fatigue🇧🇷 If you have grown beans on your land, you can schedule irrigation60-50% exhaustionduring the auxiliary germination phase.
critical phase
Every harvest hasmoisture-sensitive phasesand non-moisture sensitive stages. If your plants are not watered during the moisture-sensitive periods, irreversible damage and yield losses will occur.
If you don't have enough water for irrigation, you can skip some of the non-sensitive periods and hope that enough water flows for the moisture-sensitive periods.
Types of irrigation systems
It's no secret that rain is impractical for farmers. Knowing this, you need to take over the irrigation to keep your farm. Remember that you need an irrigation system tailored to the operation of your farm to avoid over- or under-watering.
For example, you cannot install a drip irrigation system on your lawn unless it is aunderground drip irrigation system🇧🇷 Also, you cannot choose ditch irrigation when you plant crops like tomatoes, potatoes, etc. Each system is best suited for certain types of plants.
Therefore, it is necessary to know the different types of irrigation systems during the purchase and installation process.
Some of the common systems are:
drops
drip irrigation systemsThey are usually used in vineyards, vegetables, trees, high-value crops, etc. The systems consist of irrigation lines that direct water through small openings known as "drips" directly to the plant roots.
Each dripper is oriented to spread water droplets onto the soil around the plant. This reduces water wastage and suppresses weed growth.
Drip irrigation is the most efficient irrigation system because the water is distributed to the roots and not to the surface. despite proximity90% efficient, it is not suitable for crops that are not planted in rows or rows.
sprinkler irrigation
A sprinkler irrigation system is similar to rain, but instead of water coming from the sky, here the water is distributed through a number of components. These include:
- Pump stations/centrifugal pump:It supplies water from the source to the pipe system.
- Rules/Times:Controls water flow and valve operation.
- valves:ÖvalvesDivide the watering area into zones, making it easy to operate each zone independently.
- spray heads:They range from oscillating sprinklers to stationary sprinklers.
- Lines:Water is transported from the source to the valves and sprinklers through extensive pipelines.
Sprinklers use pressure to force water into extensive plumbing systems and through sprinklers. Water is shot from the heads in the form of jets over the respective areas.
This irrigation system does not deliver water directly to the roots, making it less efficient than drip irrigation.
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The efficiency of sprinkler irrigation is approx.75%🇧🇷 The advantage is that it is suitable for most plants and soil types.
Types of sprinkler systems
As mentioned above, sprinklers are suitable for a variety of soils and plants, but it depends on the type of irrigation sprinkler you choose. Some of them include:
hand gesture:These types of sprinklers are a lot of work as you have to constantly move them from one area to another.
Center-Pivot-System:As the name suggests, pivot irrigation systems have a central point where the control panel and pivot are located. An irrigation pipe is attached to the main point and moves in a circular motion over your land. The system has high-pressure sprinklers overhead or in-line sprinklers and rotates at low speed.
It is a type of overhead sprinkler system suitable for low or medium pressure water supply. It is also unique because it is typically used inround fields.
Stationary sprinklers:They are best suited for small areas and low-pressure water supplies. They are inexpensive and spray water through holes in the top of the sprinklers.
Rotating sprinklers:As the name indicates,rotating sprinklersTwist or turn him while spraying water from his rotating arms. They have a small throwing radius, making them ideal for small gardens. You can install them on a lawn with children and pets on hot summer days.
Travel weapon system:It features a large capacity nozzle that sprays water onto the crops as they move across the field. It is suitable for large farms as it can splash water up350 cakesa radio.
irrigation methods
There are two main watering methods and they include:
traditional methods
These methods often rely on manual labor rather than electricity. Here the water from the river, well or canal is distributed to the farm by animals and furrows. The farmer can also choose to transport the water in barrels, but this is time consuming and inefficient.
Not ideal for large scale farming unless you have a lot of workers or go mechanized by adding pulley systems or chain pumps.
For example, in surface irrigation, water is applied to the farm through furrows, pipes, or open channels. The water is distributed over the agricultural land and once the entire area is irrigated, the water application is stopped to form puddles.
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Surface irrigation is cheaper to maintain compared to other irrigation methods. However, this type has unique advantages that make it suitable for certain farms due to water supply, drainage, cultivation patterns, soil characteristics, etc.
Surface irrigation is inexpensive and requires very little equipment. You will usually see it in developing countries.
modern methods
These methods are more efficient because the water from the river, canals or groundwater is distributed directly to the plants. There is very little waste, especially if you install a drip irrigation system.
You can also opt for a system where the water is applied via sprinklers.
Modern methods outperform traditional methods because they are suitable for irrigation even in areas with low water tables or dwindling water supplies.
Importance of irrigation water
Irrigation is necessary to maximize crop yield and quality, improve profitability and ensure sustainable water use. Without irrigation, maintaining farmland in some of the arid areas of the United States would be a challenge.
Droughts are to be expected almost every year and irrigation is the best solution to ensure there is enough food to feed the land.
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Water is necessary for food production, but it is also becoming scarce. In response, farmers have found ways to ensure their land is irrigated with little or no water wastage. This typically involves selecting an irrigation system based on cropping patterns, soil drainage, and finances.
So here atSprinklerbedarf Shop, we offer a wide range of sprinkler systems for all your farming needs. We understand the importance of irrigating your land and have all the irrigation solutions you need to keep your operation running.
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