Indoor irrigation system

When you hear “irrigation of premises?”, the first thing that comes to mind is banal sprayers for greenhouses. But in reality, this is a complex complex where every drop must count. Many people still confuse it with watering open ground, and then wonder why late blight eats the entire crop. This is where the fun begins.

Why standard solutions don't work in confined spaces

I remember how in 2019 they tried to adapt an outdoor drip for a winter garden. Result? Condensation on the glass, waterlogged substrate and a complete rework of the system in three months. It turned out that not only water consumption is important indoors, but alsomicroclimate- the same parameter that nature regulates in field conditions.

The choice of emitters is especially critical. Disc ones quickly clog due to limited filtration, while slot ones create an uneven stream. I had to test compensated droppers from Netafim, but their price was prohibitive. As a result, we settled on a combination - PE-X main pipes with anti-drainage valves, plus local supply through sprinklers for the upper tier.

By the way, about the water temperature. If the greenhouse is below +15°C, the tomato roots simply stop absorbing moisture. I had to embed the heat exchanger into the preparation unit - trivial, but without this the efficiency dropped by 40%.

How we put together a working scheme for multi-tier shelving

The most complex project is a vertical farm for microgreens in Moscow. The customer required simultaneous irrigation at 12 levels with different flow rates. Standard controllers were not suitable - their logic did not take into account the vapor content of the air.

We had to combine it: we took a programmable unit from Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC as a basis, added VPD sensors (vapor pressure deficiency) and reflashed the software. By the way, their website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru is one of the few where there are clear cases on multi-level systems. Not an advertisement, but a statement - in 2022, their control cabinets turned out to be more stable than their European counterparts.

The cascade start function for emitters was especially helpful. When all the lines are turned on at once, the pressure in the line drops - this is familiar to anyone who has worked with thin-walled pipes. But here the valves opened with a delay of 1.2 seconds, and jumps were avoided.

Mistakes that are best not to be repeated

The most expensive mistake is trying to save money on filters. We installed disc ones instead of mesh ones with automatic flushing - after a month, half of the drippers in the greenhouse with orchids failed. We had to change the entire wiring because sediment penetrated into the narrowest places.

Another point: do not trust manufacturers who promise versatilityirrigation systems. Mushroom chambers require fogging nozzles, seedling blocks require root watering, and hydroponics require aeration. These are three different technical solutions, and trying to cross them is a direct path to rework.

By the way, about hydroponics. In 2021, we tried using UV sterilization for a closed circuit. Theoretically - protection against algae. Practically - constant breakdowns due to voltage surges. I had to return to classic acidification and mechanical filtration.

What really affects the longevity of the system

Materials are a different story. Polypropylene is good for highways, but only if there is no ultraviolet radiation. In glass greenhouses it becomes fragile after a year. Now we have switched to low-density polyethylene - it is more expensive, but lasts longer.

The key point is water preparation. Reverse osmosis units are not always needed - often ion exchange or even simple acidification is enough. But it is necessary to check the water: in the Moscow region, for example, a hardness of 15°dH is common, and this is guaranteed to clog the emitters with carbonates.

And yes, never skimp on installing connectors. Cheap compression fittings leak after 200-300 cycles, and replacing one costs more than the difference in purchase price.

Why automation is not a panacea

Many people think that they bought a controller and all problems are solved. In fact, 70% of failures occur due to incorrect settings. For example, substrate moisture sensors need to be calibrated for each type of soil—for peat and coconut, the readings will be radically different.

Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC has a competent approach in this regard - their engineers always request details on crops before selecting equipment. It’s not for nothing that the company’s description mentions design and construction - without this, even the most advancedirrigation systemturns into a pile of pipes.

I remember the case with a smart greenhouse in Kazan: the customer demanded complete autonomy, but forgot to take into account that at -30°C even insulated valves freeze. I had to add heating cables and recalculate the entire operation logic - the controller had to turn on the heating an hour before watering.

What ultimately works without failures

Over 6 years of trial and error, a basic set was formed: a HDPE pipeline, compensated drippers with an anti-siphon valve, multi-stage filtration (mesh + disk filter) and a controller with the ability to fine-tune cycles. This is sufficient for most greenhouse growers.

If we talk about specific manufacturers, of the available solutions, Bermad valves have performed well, but they need to be supplemented with Russian sensors (for example, from “Agrosignal?”). European automation is capricious to power surges, and Chinese analogues often cannot withstand long-term load.

The verdict is simple:indoor irrigation systemis always an individual project. Ready-made solutions work only in 30% of cases, the rest is customization for specific racks, crops and budget. The main thing is not to forget that any automation is just a tool, and the last word should remain with the agronomist.