Front Pulling Irrigation Trencher

Irrigation Trencher Operation

A dedicated irrigation trencher is used to trench for irrigation piping. Often the trencher is configured for 2 or 3 foot high abrasion resistant boom to meet the needs of different irrigation conditions. A well designed direct drive irrigation trencher makes use of a large hydraulic motor to provide high torque. Large motor with heavy duty nose roller bearing requires less maintenance and lasts longer as there is less “shock” transmitted to the trencher assembly and chain. The chain tensioner can be adjusted easily for different chain tension required of different job conditions.


Rider type trencher is always preferred over the walk-behind trencher. During trenching the trenched material are discharged on either side of the trench. Most irrigation trencher can cut up underground obstructions like rocks and large tree roots. Some irrigation trencher can make multiple trenches side-by-side to run multiple main lines in the same trench. Specialized trencher can also trench for subsurface drip irrigation with subsurface drip blade.


For lawn or small farm owner who does not want to use machine trencher, it is always good to keep a shovel handy as part of farm implement. A 4-inch wide round point shovel with long handle would be good for use for irrigation trenching. Even if a machine trencher is used, it is still good to own a wide round point shovel to remove loose dirt dug by the irrigation trencher.

Hunter Irrigation Rain Sensor

Operation Of Irrigation Rain Sensor

There’s nothing more embarrassing than to watch an automatic irrigation system running when it doesn’t have to, in the rain. This is not only a waste of water; it can also damage the lawn with excessive water. An irrigation rain sensor is designed to save these embarrassing and wasteful situations. By installing an irrigation rain sensor actuated by rainfall, water is conserved when the device connected to automatic irrigation system causes the system to shut down in the event of rainfall.


Most irrigation rain sensors employ hygroscopic disks that swell in the presence of rain and shrink back down again as they dry out. Some irrigation rain sensors come with tipping bucket or conductance type probes to measure rainfall. Irrigation rain sensors are available in both wireless and hard-wired versions, both are easy to install. In countries where drought prevails, rain sensor in lawn sprinkler systems is usually mandatory.

Simple Irrigation Rain Sensor

One of the simplest and easiest to install irrigation rain sensor is the Mini-Clik sensor from Hunter. Mini-Clik provides an effective way to prevent sprinklers from coming on during or after precipitation. It shuts sprinklers off in a storm automatically and is able to compensate proportionally according to the amount of rain that fell. Once dry, the disk contract and release the switch, automatically resets without affecting the controller. An updated version of Mini-Clik, known as Rain-Clik, offers an “instant-off” feature which turns the system off at the beginning of the rain, instead of waiting for a certain amount of rainfall.

History Of Center Pivot Irrigation System

Implementation of Center Pivot Irrigation System

Center pivot irrigation system, known also as circle irrigation system, is a method of rotating the overhead irrigation sprinkler around a pivot. Irrigation piping is made of several segments of galvanized steel or aluminum pipes joined together on trusses and mounted on wheeled towers. As the center pivot irrigation system moves in a circular pattern, water is fed from the pivot point at the center of the circle to the sprinklers positioned along its length. Centre pivots are typically less than 500m in circle radius. Crops may be planted in straight rows or are sometimes planted in circles to conform to the travel of the center pivot.


Center pivot irrigation system is considered both mechanically and electronically complex in the design of key components such as piping, sprinkler, rotational mechanism and water pressure control. Over the years, significant technological improvements were made on pivot movement and even distribution of water. Invention and deployment of electric motors, rubber wheels, control sensors, precision sprinkler heads and even GPS, wireless communication technology are perfecting center pivot irrigation system for cost effective irrigation of agricultural crops.

Interesting Desert Farm Irrigation System

Desert farming generally relies on irrigation technology to make the desert bloom. Australia, Israel, Africa are places with interesting desert agriculture.

Desert Farm Water System

In most cases of desert farming, irrigation from surface flows is difficult as water tables drop and river channel incised its floodplain. In some places canals are built and areas of watershed developed with proper elevations and soils. In places where underground water sources are abundant, irrigation through groundwater pumping is common.

Drip Irrigation In Desert Farms

Drip irrigation is one way to reduce overall water demand. Drip irrigation in desert was practiced since ancient days where buried clay pots were filled with water and food plants were grown around them. The water seeped slowly through the clay pots to surrounding soil, wetting to the roots of the plants. Drip irrigation waters plant roots very slowly.


As ancient as it may be, drip irrigation has taken on increased importance in desert agriculture to increase yield and conserve precious water. Agricultural scientists use pipes made of clay to create the dual system of drainage and irrigation. Large scale drip irrigation employs pipes, tubing, valves and emitters to minimize water usage while maximizing water to root zones of plants. In modern drip irrigation technology, water is no longer released through tiny holes in tubing as these holes are easily blocked by tiny particles of earth, sand and other debris. Instead, the release of water is slow down by friction.

Installation Of Drip Irrigation Systems

Advantages Of Drip Irrigation Systems

Drip Irrigation Systems which cost much higher than manual sprinkler and hose, is becoming more popular as it waters the garden much more efficiently with little wastage. It also waters the area more evenly than the manual operation. With advanced technology, drip irrigation systems installed with sensors and timers are even able to water according to water conditions, keeping the plants green with minimum water wastage. The main advantage of drip irrigation system is water efficiency and unattended watering. House owner is free to be anywhere without having to worry about the water conditions in the garden.

Above And Below Ground Drip Irrigation Systems

Drip irrigation systems are regulated from a pressure controller, which ensures that water is released at a drip instead of a spray or a stream. There are mainly 2 types of drip irrigation systems: above ground or below ground. Above ground drip irrigation systems drips small amounts of water continuously onto the ground, allowing water to soak in. Below ground irrigation systems requires trenching which makes it important to have good planning prior to installation. Gardeners choose the below ground systems more of the aesthetic aspect to keep the garden clear without visible watering system. Below ground drip irrigation systems allow water direct access to the roots, thus achieving better water efficiency.

Water Drainage For Plants

When a planting area does not drain properly, some plants may handle excess water and bloom lushly. However, almost all plants do not cope well with excessive water. These plants would die a gruesome, bloated death when water drainage is poor. It is therefore important to study the drainage requirements of every plant in the planting area and make sure that all the plants are adequately provided with proper water drainage.


To test the drainage capability, dig into the soil a hole approximately ten inches deep. Fill it fully with water check if all the water is drained after a day. If yes, fill the hole fully and check again after 10 hours. If the water is not fully drained, it is an indication that the soil is of low drainage. Water is soaking the soil and staying inside for a long time before dissipating. This is unacceptable for most plants and remedial improvement is necessary to provide proper water drainage for plants.

Raised Bed For Plants

Most farms deploy the common method for improving drainage by developing a set of drainage contours for water collection and drainage. Raised beds are then created for the plantings. This involves creating a border for a small bed and heaps it with soil and compost to raise the bed above soil level by at least 5 inches. Raised bed for plants will improve water drainage drastically as excess water will overflow outside the raised bed instead of soaking the plants.


If the area is not grassy, two by four walls can be used as raised bed border. Add into the wall proper amount of soil and steer manure according to planting requirements.

Raised Bed On Grassy Area

Whereas if sod is already growing, the task would be more challenging to build a raise bed. First the grass around the perimeter of the bed will have to be cut. This requires a tool with very sharp edge to slice the edges of the sod and get under it. Once the sod is cut, flip it over and turn it upside down to discourage the grass from growing back up. It would be better if a layer of straw can be added before adding all the soil and steer manure to raise the bed.


The whole point of creating a raised bed for plants is to keep their roots out of the soil which saturates easily. When planting into the raised bed, just ensure that plant roots do not extent too far into the original soil level. Plants with long roots would not be suitable as it would be destroyed once the root soak into the poorly drained soil.


With proper water drainage, plants in the raised bed will develop better roots and the healthy growth is immediately noticeable. With added advantage of slow evaporation and low decomposition, raised bed is an ideal environment for almost any plant to grow in.

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More: continued here

More: continued here

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