MODERN PRESSURISED IRRIGATION – METHODS AND EQUIPMENT A pressurised irrigation system consists of a water source, a pump to pressurise the water, a pipe system to distribute the water from the pump, and a means of distributing the water to the crop. Means of distributing the water in the field are primarily sprinkler irrigation, where sprinklers spray the water across the ground, and drip irrigation, where water and nutrients are applied directly to the root zone. SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Sprinkler systems effectively produce artificial rain. Sprinklers can provide a uniform application, with the correct sprinkler and nozzle size for accuracy, adequate pressure flow, correct mounting on a riser at the correct height, and if they are spaced evenly so that the degree of overlap is uniform. Weather conditions must be considered when installing these systems, because wind gusts can disturb the uniformity of a system. These systems are normally designed to apply water at a lower rate than the soil’s infiltration rate, so that the amount of water infiltrated at any point on the field depends on the application rather than the soil infiltration rate. They can be used on a wide variety of applications, including agriculture and landscaping. There are different categories of sprinkler systems, and many types of systems within each category. Major categories of sprinkler irrigation are traveling irrigators, where a sprinkler, or a set of sprinklers, is attached to equipment that can be moved around, and fixed sprinklers, which are favored where traveling sprinkler systems would be hard to maneuver in irregular shaped fields.
Download PDF file
Cookie policy