How the right irrigation system can save you money and time on your farm

There are several ways you can save money on your farm’s irrigation system. By making a few simple changes, you can reduce water and energy costs, prevent pest infestations, and improve soil health. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Reduce Water Usage

Farmers are increasingly aware of the need to conserve water. As a result, most use municipal or ground water to irrigate crops. A sustainable solution to this problem is to build a pond or utilize groundwater. To use groundwater as a source of irrigation water, establishments must keep their ponds and watering mechanisms clean.

Farmers should also pay close attention to soil moisture and use the right chemicals for cleaning the system. A well-maintained irrigation pipeline will help farmers conserve water by allowing only the amount of water necessary for planting crops. This prevents water from running off and wasting unnecessary water.

In addition to saving water, this type of watering mechanism is compact and can only spray crops that require watering. It is also highly effective because it reduces seepage. To learn more about how to reduce water usage on your establishment’s watering system, check out the information below.

Reduce Energy Costs

If you’re considering making upgrades to your establishment’s watering mechanism, you might be wondering how to make your system run more efficiently. Over-application of water can cost an average of $10 per hectare and add up to $3000 annually. In some cases, it’s possible to eliminate the need for generators altogether by making changes to the watering mechanism.

The type of irrigation system used in an establishment depends on geography, financial capacity, and climate. While some establishments require massive diesel pumps, others can be operated with less energy-efficient watering pumps and systems. Regular maintenance can help ensure that machinery is operating at its optimum performance.

Reduce Pest Infestations

To reduce pest infestations on your establishment’s irrigation systems, you must know how to identify these insects. You can start by calculating the level of damage that pests are causing. Once you have established that level, you need to determine how many pests there are. If you don’t have a good idea of how many pests you have, you should monitor them and take appropriate action.

To protect plants, try spraying them with kaolin clay. Kaolin clay is sometimes referred to as China clay. It forms a thin film on leaves and fruit that irritates insect bodies and hinders feeding. To use this spray, mix one tablespoon of the compound with two gallons of water. After the mixture dries, test it on a few plants. Then, repeat the spraying if you need to.

Improve Soil Health

When you are planting your crops, you should consider investing in soil health. Besides incorporating organic amendments, you should consider minimizing or eliminating tillage, planting cover crops and ensuring diverse crop rotations.

These methods can help your soil cycle water efficiently and sustain plant productivity. Plus, they can help maintain water quality in your water supply. Similar methods employed by the Fruit Growers Farming Irrigation System. Your farm’s watering mechanism is one of the most important aspects of a healthy farm and should be researched thoroughly.

Soil is the lifeblood of your farm, so it’s critical that you protect it. In addition to protecting water and nutrients, healthy soil supports biological life, which is crucial for plant growth. Soil organisms that live in healthy soil work in partnership with your plants, providing habitat for them to process soil nutrients.

Control Weeds

One of the easiest ways to control weeds on your farm’s watering mechanisms is to use a foliar application of herbicides. This herbicide moves through the plant through its roots, eliminating them as the crop grows. It can also be applied to the soil as a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent weed seeds from germinating.

Organic methods, on the other hand, involve using natural remedies such as sulfur, which can be acceptable in certain conditions (www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps). Weeds also have a long-life cycle, so it’s important to rotate crops each year to reduce their impact. By rotating your crops, you can cut your overall weed problem in half and save money.