Modern irrigation systems

Everyone often talks about the technological effectiveness of modernirrigation systems, but rarely think about the real difficulties of implementation and operation. It seems to me that many approach this as a simple replacement of the old system with a new one, forgetting about the subtleties associated with soil characteristics, climate and, of course, economics. We often see beautiful presentations and promises of huge harvests, but the actual result... well, that's another matter. Experience shows that the 'best' solution is not always the most expensive or technologically advanced.

Main trends and their real effectiveness

Very popular nowdrip irrigation systemswith humidity sensors and automatic control. This is certainly good, especially in conditions of water shortage. But how does this work in practice? I remember one project where they installed an expensive system with sensors, but configured the control algorithm incorrectly. As a result, the plants did not receive enough water, despite the active activation of the sensors. The problem was that the sensors responded to surface moisture and not to the condition of the root zone. I had to tinker with the calibration and eventually reprogram the system. You can't just 'plug and forget' - a deep understanding of the processes is required.

Another trend is the use of drones to monitor the condition of crops and identify areas that need additional watering. This is convenient, but requires qualified specialists to analyze data and make decisions. Information from drones is just one piece of the puzzle. Many other factors must be taken into account: weather conditions, soil type, stage of plant development. In essence, it is an aid in decision making, and not a replacement for an experienced agronomist.

Design Featuresirrigation systemsfor various soil types

It is impossible to design a system for heavy clay soils and light sandy soils in the same way. In clay soils, it is important to ensure good drainage to avoid waterlogging. In sandy soils, on the contrary, it is necessary to use more frequent but less intense watering so that the water has time to be absorbed. We often encounter situations where designers do not take these factors into account, and as a result the system turns out to be ineffective or even harmful to plants. It is important to conduct a soil analysis and calculate the optimal irrigation regime for a specific soil type.

The salinity of the soil is often forgotten. This is a serious problem in some areas and special filters and flushing systems must be used to prevent salt buildup in the root zone. We were developing a project for one of the farms in a region with a high level of soil salinity (Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC is active in such conditions), and we had to use an integrated approach, including not only modernirrigation systems, but also methods for improving soil structure.

Problems of integration with existing infrastructure

Often there is a problem of integrating newirrigation systemswith already existing infrastructure. For example, with a centralized water supply system or with energy networks. This requires careful planning and coordination with various organizations. It is especially difficult if the infrastructure is outdated and requires modernization.

There have been cases where we have proposed an optimal solution, but it turned out to be impossible due to the limitations of the existing infrastructure. We had to look for compromise options that were less effective, but at the same time realistic.

Unexpected problems and 'lessons' from failures

We once implemented a project using an automated control system that was supposed to optimize water flow based on data from various sensors. The idea was great, but during operation it turned out that the system constantly produced erroneous data due to interference from electromagnetic radiation. We had to spend a lot of time and resources to eliminate these interferences. This incident taught us to pay more attention to electromagnetic compatibility issues and use more reliable sensors.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. We have seen many examples where using traditional manual irrigation systems has produced better results than the most expensive and complex automated systems. The main thing is to properly configure the system and ensure its timely repair.

Futureirrigation systems: directions of development

I think we will see further development in the futureirrigation systemstowards integration with artificial intelligence and machine learning systems. This will make it possible to create even more intelligent and autonomous systems that will be able to adapt to changing conditions and optimize resource consumption.

Also, I think there will be an increasing demand for irrigation systems that use alternative water sources such as rainwater and treated wastewater. This is especially important in conditions of growing water scarcity.