Horticultural irrigation

When you hear “horticultural irrigation,” many people immediately think of a hose with holes or classic sprinklers. But in fact, this is a whole science, where an error of 10% soil moisture can result in loss of yield. I’ve been working with irrigation systems in intensive gardens for seven years now, and I still encounter situations where theory diverges from practice. For example, last season in one of the farms near Voronezh we were faced with the fact that even a correctly calculated drip irrigation system did not take into account the local characteristics of groundwater. I had to revise the layout of the drip lines - and this is a typical story that you will not find in textbooks.

Main mistakes when designing irrigation systems

The most common mistake is unification. They take a standard project and try to apply it everywhere, without taking into account the type of soil, the topography, or even the varietal characteristics of the plants. I remember how in 2019 we installed a system for an apple orchard in the Rostov region: the customer insisted on a standard scheme with a distance between drippers of 50 cm. But after analyzing the soil, it turned out that the sandy soil required a more frequent placement - we had to convince them to switch to 30 cm. Result: water savings of 15% and an increase in yield for the next year.

Another point - ignoringwater filtration. Many people save on filters, considering them a secondary element. And then they wonder why the droppers become clogged after only a month of operation. In one of the farms in the Stavropol region, we saw a system where, due to the lack of fine filters, the drip tapes had to be completely changed after the first season - the losses exceeded the cost of a high-quality filtration station three times.

There is a separate problem with calculating pressure. Pumps are often installed without taking into account elevation differences on the site. In a mountain garden in Crimea, we were faced with the fact that in the lower part of the system the pressure was 3.5 atm, and in the upper part it barely reached 1.2 atm. We had to design zoning with additional booster pumps - expensive, but effective.

Practical solutions from Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,Ltd

In my work I often turn to solutionsShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,Ltd— their approach to integrating water and fertilizer is truly noteworthy. Not advertising, but pure experience: last year they installed their intelligent control system on a walnut orchard in the Krasnodar Territory. I was especially impressed by the ability to fine-tune irrigation by sector, taking into account soil moisture data - this is not available in standard systems.

What exactly is valuable: their equipment allows you to implementfrequency automatic controlwithout constant operator intervention. In the same project, we set up an automatic pressure reduction when the wind is more than 5 m/s - the system itself redistributes watering between sectors. Trifle? But it’s these little things that save up to 20% of water per season.

I would especially like to note their approach to the design of hydraulic structures. Unlike many companies, they do not just sell equipment, but first study the features of the site. On the website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru you can find detailed cases - for example, how they solved the problem of irrigation on a slope of up to 15 degrees in conditions of water shortage. Useful for those who are just planning to upgrade.

Real cases and problems

In 2021, we worked with an intensive garden in the Belgorod region - the customer complained about uneven tree growth. After diagnostics, it turned out that the problem was not in the irrigation system, but in the incorrect installation of the drip lines - they were placed too close to the trunks, the root system developed one-sidedly. Re-laying the lines at a distance of 40 cm from the trunks + installing humidity sensors fromShandong Lingyao Co.,Ltdgave results after three months - the trees leveled off in growth.

I also remember the incident with the systemremote valve controlon a farm near Moscow. We installed everything according to the instructions, but after two weeks the problems started. It turned out that the problem was in the old solenoid valves - they did not hold pressure when working with modern automation. We had to replace all the valves with compatible ones - a lesson: you cannot mix equipment of different generations without testing.

Sometimes problems arise due to banal savings on small things. I once saw a system where they saved money on pipe fastenings - after a month of work, the pipes sagged, the slope was disrupted, and sediment began to accumulate in some places. We had to redo the entire structure. Conclusion: There are no unimportant details in irrigation.

Seasonal features and nuances

Spring system launch is always stressful. Especially after a frosty winter, when damage to pipes is possible. I developed a rule: always do a test run before the start of the season, at a pressure 10-15% higher than the working one. This way, weak points are identified - cracks, leaky connections. In one of the gardens in Tatarstan, such a test helped to avoid an accident - a microcrack in the main pipe was noticed in time.

In summer, the main problem is clogged emitters. I recommend flushing the system once every two weeks, even if good filters are installed. This is especially true for regions with hard water. On a farm near Saratov, we introduced regular flushing with the addition of special reagents - the number of blockages decreased by 70%.

In the fall, it is important to properly preserve the system. Many people drain water only from the main pipes, forgetting about the side lines. The result is torn drip tapes after the first frost. Best practice: Blow out the system with a compressor, especially in areas with early frosts. Tested in the conditions of the Urals - it works flawlessly.

Prospects for the development of horticultural irrigation

Now more and more farms are switching to precision irrigation - this is no longer just a fashion, but a necessity. I wonder whatShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,Ltdoffers solutions that seemed fantastic just a couple of years ago. For example, systems that analyze not only soil moisture, but also leaf temperature, predicting water needs. We tested this in an experimental garden - it’s impressive, although a little expensive for now.

Another trend is the integration of irrigation systems with weather stations. But there is a nuance here: many install cheap stations that provide inaccurate data. Conclusion: one high-quality station per household is better than three cheap ones with an error of 20%. We tested it in practice - the difference in data accuracy affects the efficiency of irrigation more than it seems.

Personally, I think that the future belongs to adaptive systems that learn from their own mistakes. There are already some solutions fromChinese manufacturersallow the system to independently adjust the irrigation regime based on an analysis of past seasons. It's expensive for now, but in 3-4 years it will become the standard for intensive gardens.

Conclusions and recommendations

The main lesson from years of work: there are no universal solutions in horticultural irrigation. Each garden is unique and the system must be designed individually. Yes, it is more expensive at the implementation stage, but it pays off in 2-3 seasons due to water savings and increased productivity.

When choosing equipment, I advise you to pay attention not only to the price, but also to the compatibility of the components. I often see how equipment from different brands is mixed - sometimes it works, but more often it creates problems. If you choose a comprehensive solution, then it is better from one manufacturer, likeShandong Lingyao Co.,Ltd— less headaches with setup.

And lastly, don’t neglect staff training. The most advanced system is useless if the operator does not understand how it works. Every successful project necessarily had a training phase - this determines how effectively the equipment will be used in the future.