As the world population grows so does the need for more food. This growth is coupled with a reduction in arable land as people settle and build homes where farming should be done. This forces mankind to come up with better farming methods that will take less space and produce more food. Systems like pulse irrigation has proven to be just one of the ways to make land more productive while using little water.
This is a type of irrigation that makes it possible to manage your water usage. It can be scaled to whatever flow one requires so as to greatly minimize water flow. It can be used with sprinkler or drip irrigation very effectively. The traditional low flow systems and even ultra low flow systems of irrigation can be used with this pulse system.
For areas with very scarce water like in the deserts, this system has proven to be effective in saving water while satisfying the plants. The operation works by allowing water to passively flow into a reservoir at controlled rate. This builds pressure steadily till it reaches a predetermined level. The pressure then forces open the outlet valves and a pulse of water goes out.
As the reservoir pressure reduces, the valves close giving the reservoir time to recharge. As long as the inlet is kept lower than outlet, the cycle of recharge and discharge will be kept going. A drip flow controller is used in this system to regulate the water flow rate into the reservoir.
This low flow pulse system can operate without monitoring for a long period of time. This saves the farmer from overwatering the plants. Engaging in this constant, frequent and controlled irrigation reduces water demand and lowers usage by a large margin. It also reduces water stress on plants as they have a period when there is no water flow as the pressure builds in the reservoir.
The outlet valve has strong magnets holding it closed as the pressure builds. When the pressure in the reservoir is strong enough, it overcomes the strength of the magnets forcing the top set of the magnets to open. A reduction in pressure allows the magnet to drop down and the recharging phase begins again and the cycle goes on and on.
When used with sprinkler system, this water control is so effective. During seed germination, it can be set to sprinkle for 5 seconds ever minute till two weeks passes. This is then adjusted as the plants grow till it sprinkles for between 8 to 10 hours three times a week. The frequency is however subject to many factors like sunlight intensity, weather condition and plant age. Hot weather causes rapid evaporation hence the need for shorter sprinkling intervals.
The advantages of using this pulse irrigation system are numerous. When used for drip and sprinkler systems, there are no run off on if using heavy soil. In sandy soil, you have no leaching and water is not lost even though sand has low water retention capabilities. In hilly areas and shallow soil, water can still be applied efficiently without any run off. Temperature control can be achieved through evaporative cooling by use of the intermittent sprinkling and use of foggers. Given the very low discharge rate, growing plants in containers or greenhouse will require less space. It allows for the use of lower capacity pumps and smaller conduits hence reduced system costs in general.
This is a type of irrigation that makes it possible to manage your water usage. It can be scaled to whatever flow one requires so as to greatly minimize water flow. It can be used with sprinkler or drip irrigation very effectively. The traditional low flow systems and even ultra low flow systems of irrigation can be used with this pulse system.
For areas with very scarce water like in the deserts, this system has proven to be effective in saving water while satisfying the plants. The operation works by allowing water to passively flow into a reservoir at controlled rate. This builds pressure steadily till it reaches a predetermined level. The pressure then forces open the outlet valves and a pulse of water goes out.
As the reservoir pressure reduces, the valves close giving the reservoir time to recharge. As long as the inlet is kept lower than outlet, the cycle of recharge and discharge will be kept going. A drip flow controller is used in this system to regulate the water flow rate into the reservoir.
This low flow pulse system can operate without monitoring for a long period of time. This saves the farmer from overwatering the plants. Engaging in this constant, frequent and controlled irrigation reduces water demand and lowers usage by a large margin. It also reduces water stress on plants as they have a period when there is no water flow as the pressure builds in the reservoir.
The outlet valve has strong magnets holding it closed as the pressure builds. When the pressure in the reservoir is strong enough, it overcomes the strength of the magnets forcing the top set of the magnets to open. A reduction in pressure allows the magnet to drop down and the recharging phase begins again and the cycle goes on and on.
When used with sprinkler system, this water control is so effective. During seed germination, it can be set to sprinkle for 5 seconds ever minute till two weeks passes. This is then adjusted as the plants grow till it sprinkles for between 8 to 10 hours three times a week. The frequency is however subject to many factors like sunlight intensity, weather condition and plant age. Hot weather causes rapid evaporation hence the need for shorter sprinkling intervals.
The advantages of using this pulse irrigation system are numerous. When used for drip and sprinkler systems, there are no run off on if using heavy soil. In sandy soil, you have no leaching and water is not lost even though sand has low water retention capabilities. In hilly areas and shallow soil, water can still be applied efficiently without any run off. Temperature control can be achieved through evaporative cooling by use of the intermittent sprinkling and use of foggers. Given the very low discharge rate, growing plants in containers or greenhouse will require less space. It allows for the use of lower capacity pumps and smaller conduits hence reduced system costs in general.
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