Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Configurations Of Farm Irrigation Systems

By Joseph Reynolds


Modern farming has not changed much since it was developed tens of thousands of years ago. In order to be successful in modern times, the farmer needs to be successful at efficiently getting water to the crops. Using the right farm irrigation systems helps make sure the crops have water and the cost is minimized.

The most common and cost-effective system is the surface irrigation system. This one has no moving parts and no need to use a mechanical pump. The water is moved by using channels between the rows that are placed in a slightly angled way. The water saturates the ground and excess runs into the side channels. Since the system uses gravity, the only issue is getting water to the high end of the field. This process has been used for farming for thousands of years without a need for change.

Localized processes are designed for crops that need water close to the roots. Pipes are typically placed between the rows with holes to allow the water to spray or drip into the soil at a low rate. Flooding the field does not work for this system because the crops need the water directly into the root system. There is very little evaporation with this system.

Sprinklers are used to spray water out the same way that rainfall works. The pipes typically have a part on the end that breaks the water flow into droplets making it spray into the air. These droplets then fall on the crops. This provides a great way to evenly distribute the water without having to put pipes throughout the field.

Central pivot equipment is designed similar to the sprinkler system. In this one though, the equipment is on wheels with a central pivot point. As the water is sprayed onto the crops, the piping system slowly rotates around the central point and waters the crops in a circular pattern over a matter of hours.

The lateral configuration is nearly identical to the central pivot system. The difference is this does not include the anchor point. Instead, the equipment moves along in a straight line. Some have to be manually moved. Another difference is that there have to be water risers placed at intervals so the hoses can be moved and reconnected to maintain the appropriate water pressure. Someone has to monitor the crops and equipment every few hours to make this happen.

Sub-level configurations are made to get water directly to the roots. This is a good system for indoor crop growth where the larger equipment will not fit. In this scenario, there are tubes placed below the dirt and water is pumped into them. The water comes out of the tubes and the roots are able to access it directly. The excess water then runs off to be collected and reused over and over as needed.

With food being grown in various environments and landscapes, the different types of irrigation processes are designed to address each problem that may arise. Having the right type of equipment and process in place makes the job of growing crops easier and more cost effective.




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