Farm irrigation system

When you hear “irrigation system,” half of the farmers imagine watering cans on wheels, and the other half imagine space technology with sensors on each stem. The reality, as usual, is somewhere in the middle. For seven years now I have been observing how different solutions are being implemented in the Rostov region and Krasnodar region, and the main conclusion is that there are no universal systems. What works on tomatoes in a greenhouse will kill alfalfa in an open field. And yes, those same “smart” controllers sometimes get more confused than a tractor driver after a festive feast.

What types of irrigation really save water?

Drip irrigation is not a panacea, although it is promoted as the only true option. On heavy loams of the Stavropol region, I saw cases when the drip tape worked empty - the water simply did not have time to seep deep. I had to combine it with surface watering, although this sounded like heresy for adherents of the 'point' approach. By the way, it was then that I noticed the equipment from Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC - their filtration system coped with local hard water better than its European counterparts.

Sprinkling is often criticized for overspraying, but on perennial grasses it is indispensable. I noticed an interesting detail: when pulse sprinklers with adjustable angles are used, savings reach 20% compared to conventional fan sprinklers. True, in a strong wind, all effectiveness is reduced to zero - I saw how in Kalmykia a wind of 15 m/s turned sprinkling into watering a neighboring field.

The most underrated story is underground irrigation. Last year I participated in a project with intelligent equipment for integrating water and fertilizers - the system simultaneously supplied water and liquid fertilizers directly to the root zone of corn. Productivity increased by 30%, but the installation turned out to be so difficult that the drainage channels were redone three times.

Costly Design Mistakes

The most common problem is that the pressure does not match the declared characteristics. I remember a case in the Voronezh region, where a pumping station could not provide the required pressure for 40 hectares of drip irrigation. We had to urgently purchase additional pumps, although initially the project looked ideal on paper. By the way, the website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru has a useful calculator for preliminary calculations - but it, of course, does not take into account local terrain features.

Filtration is a separate headache. Many people save on filters and then wonder why the emitters become clogged with sand. This is especially critical for remote valve control systems - when one clogged filter can disrupt the operation of the entire sector. Shandong Lingyao LLC offers a multi-stage cleaning system, but even this requires regular maintenance - no automation can replace human control.

Designing hydraulic structures without taking into account seasonal fluctuations is a classic of the genre. In the spring of 2022, I saw how melt waters in the Rostov region eroded canals that seemed quite strong in the summer. We had to strengthen the walls with concrete slabs, although the original plan was for a regular ground covering.

Automation: where it is really needed

Frequency converters are a useful thing, but not always justified. On small plots of up to 5 hectares, their payback period lasts for 5-7 years. But on large areas, especially with height differences, they actually save up to 40% of electricity. I remember how in one farm near Belgorod they installed frequency automatic devices on pumps - after a month the electricity bill decreased by 25 thousand rubles.

Soil moisture sensors are a controversial tool. Cheap models often lie, and expensive ones require calibration for each type of soil. In practice, it is easier to focus on traditional methods + weather station data. Although in greenhouse complexes with their stable conditions, the sensors work well.

Remote control systems are good until they start having communication problems. In the outback, where the mobile Internet works intermittently, it is better to have a backup local control system. This is especially important for high and low voltage equipment - a sudden shutdown can lead to water hammer.

Real cases from practice

In 2021, he participated in the modernization of the irrigation system in a vegetable farm near Astrakhan. Intelligent water and fertilizer integration equipment from Shandong Linyao LLC was installed there. It turned out interesting: at first the farmers resisted, saying “what are these newfangled things for?”, but when they saw that the system itself regulates the supply of fertilizers depending on the phase of plant growth, they became its main propagandists.

But there was an unsuccessful experience in the Volgograd region - they tried to automate the old Soviet irrigation system. It turned out that the pipes were already so worn out that any modern controllers only emphasized their imperfections. We had to completely change the entire infrastructure, which tripled the cost of the project.

A positive example is the construction of hydraulic structures in Kabardino-Balkaria. They used a combined approach: traditional ditches were supplemented with modern plastic pipelines with automatic valves. The result is that water has reached the most remote areas where watering had previously only been dreamed of.

Prospects and limitations

Now many people are carried away by 'smart' systems, forgetting about the basic principles of land reclamation. No artificial intelligence can replace an agronomist who knows the characteristics of his field. Technology is a tool, not a magic wand.

Intelligent agricultural parks are an interesting direction, but so far inaccessible to medium-sized farms. The cost of equipment and its maintenance remains high. Although in the long term, investments can pay off due to resource savings.

Water quality is a factor that is often underestimated. Hard water with a high salt content quickly destroys the most modern equipment. Therefore, the design of an irrigation system should always begin with a chemical analysis of the water - this will save thousands of rubles on repairs in the future.

In conclusion, I will say: there is no ideal irrigation system. Each case requires an individual approach, taking into account local conditions and, what is important, the willingness of farmers to learn to work with new technologies. Sometimes a simple but well-functioning system turns out to be more effective than a complex 'intelligent' complex that no one can fix in the field.