Innovative technologies can be employed to enhance the efficiency of irrigation and increase yields. There are many ways to conserve water, from sensors that measure soil moisture to rainwater harvesting.
Separate plants into hydro zones in order to determine which areas need more or less water. Connect a rain barrel, or any other container that collects rainfall to the irrigation system with an irrigation water hose.
Drip Irrigation Systems
The right amount of water is applied directly on the root, which saves water. This eliminates overwatering that leads to root rot and other diseases. This reduces the amount of water evaporating, and permits deep drainage.
Drip irrigation systems also prevent weeds from growing because they don’t give them the moisture needed to thrive. This may help in reducing or even eliminate weeding of fields and gardens. This method of irrigation also helps keep the soil at a healthy moisture level, which bec tuoi cay reduces the need for fertilizer addition.
It is essential to record and keep track of daily readings in order to optimize the effectiveness of drip irrigation systems. Water flow meters are a good tool to detect deviations from the usual rate of water. This may indicate leaks or emitters that are blocked. It is also recommended to put plants that require similar water requirements at the same valve because this can help prevent turf from being over-watered or under-watering of shrubs and ground vegetation. It is important to clean the tubing regularly with chlorine to avoid clogging.
Smart Sprinkler Controllers
Smart irrigation controllers can assist in to reduce water waste. Overwatering could drown plants, cause shallow roots, resulting in fungus or disease, or lead to soil runoff that pollutes local waterways with pesticides and fertilizers. Replacing a traditional clock controller with a WaterSense labeled soil moisture-based or weather-based irrigation controller could reduce the cost of a home’s water usage by nearly 7,600 gallons per year.
Smart controllers make use of an internet connection to adjust how long and how often your sprinklers run based on your landscape needs. They work in conjunction with other sensors for fine-tuning your irrigation.
One method to conserve water with a smart sprinkler control is to connect it with a sensor for freezing and rain. This will prevent the system from running afoul of and immediately after rain or freeze events and thus reducing water usage.
Another option is a weather-based smart controller that utilizes an on-site soil moisture sensor determine the amount of evapotranspiration in your landscape (ET) every week, and adjusts the irrigation schedule to reflect this. They can be set up by homeowners or Oregon certified landscape construction experts.
Soil Moisture Sensors
The sensors measure the level of water near to the plant’s roots which allows Agritech companies and farmers to reduce the amount of water wasted. It helps to conserve soil health and reduces the energy cost and fertilizer usage. It also safeguards local water resources and increases farmer profits.
Most sensors measure soil moisture by measuring capacitance, or resistance. Capacitive sensors determine the amount of moisture by measuring the changes in capacitance between two sensor prongs, while resistive sensors infer the change in the electrical conductivity of the soil.
The sensor for soil moisture should be calibrated to the type of soil in which it is being used. Utilizing a sample of soil in a calibration container and fill it up to a point that is representative of the maximum soil water capacity for the soil type (usually about 50 percent depleted). Add a small amount of distilled water and mix thoroughly. Replace the sensor inside the container, and ensure that it’s completely submerged. Take note of the voltage, and then assign a calibration value.
Rainwater Harvesting for irrigation
Rainwater harvesting has been used over the years to replace or supplement traditional irrigation methods in areas with scarce water resources. The ability to store and capture rainwater helps farmers to decrease their dependence on controlled water resources, which can help maintain the balance of hydrogeology in rivers and lakes, while reducing the cost of irrigation.
The simplest RWH systems are comprised of a method to collect rainfall (like a gutter and downspout), a way to channel the rainwater collected to a storage area (such as a barrel) and the pumping and delivery system that delivers the collected water to the crop. Monitoring and filtering equipment is part of more sophisticated systems. The type of application will affect the amount of filtration the system needs, as well as how much storage capacity is needed.
RWH can be used to enhance existing rainwater sources or decrease the intensity of traditional irrigation. RWH is also a valuable source of fresh, clean water for areas that have contaminated groundwater or in areas that require desalination and where the cost to pipe water from far-off sources are not feasible.
Efficient Irrigation System
The design of irrigation is a meticulous specialization process that relies on the project’s layout, dimensions, water sources and more. A good irrigation designer will take these aspects into account when creating the system, specifically for projects that are high-end or municipal in which the price of a flawed design could easily be thousands of dollars in additional materials. You can also request backs to rectify issues after they’re installed.
For areas with a shortage of water increasing the efficiency of physical irrigation could be a viable method to save water for the agriculture sector (Perry and Steduto 2017). This requires understanding how efficiency improvements impact the structure and revenue of costs, which is dependent on the system of allocation in place. The majority of allocation regimes depend on a common pool, or prior appropriation, which hinders farmers’ ability to trade water.
Additionally, to increase yields from irrigation systems, such as sprinklers and drips bigger pipes infrastructure, pumps, and pipes are required. This consumes energy particularly in areas with subsidised electricity or in areas where solar or diesel is the only power source. This makes them a expensive investment for low-value crops. It is essential to take into consideration all of these aspects prior to making a decision to invest in technologies.
