Content:
One of the conditions of agricultural technology is to provide a sufficient amount of moisture to the crops grown. On large plantations, it is tedious to manually irrigate, so it is worth taking care of the irrigation system (rain, drip: external and subsoil). Yes, and in small areas, it is appropriate if the owners, due to employment, rarely appear in the country.
You can build an automated irrigation on your own or purchase a well-known brand installation in the distribution network. In any case, you need to know what accessories for irrigation are needed.
Features of a complete set of irrigation systems
Installations for irrigation and watering for summer cottages and gardens make life much easier for farmers and allow automating the regulation of water supply. Before proceeding with the arrangement of the system, attention should be paid to the design of irrigation, taking into account the layout of the site.
Irrigation accessories
Any installation includes the following nodes:
- the main element is water intake;
- a pump that pumps water into a container; its capacity is selected taking into account the irrigated area;
- main pipeline and branches to it; through these lines, water is supplied to the plants;
- protect the pump and pipes specially installed in the filter system from contamination;
- if the system is automated, an adjustment and control panel is required.
Each of the described assemblies includes a set of parts and accessories, without which the entire system cannot work.
Features of the nodes
| System node | Features: |
|---|---|
| Water intake | These can be barrels for irrigation, installed on a hill, a well, a well, a central water supply or a nearby reservoir from which water is supplied |
| Pump | This unit provides the convenience of filling the tank for irrigation, as well as the necessary water pressure through the pipes |
| Distribution elements | The central line is directly connected to the reservoir from which water is supplied to the beds. From the main water conduit there are branches that distribute moisture to the intended purpose, they consist of a whole set of parts |
| Filter | The irrigation complex receives water of various quality, it needs to be purified. If these elements are not installed at the water intake and intermediate sections, the system will quickly become dirty and fail. |
| "Headquarters" of management | If the water supply adjustment is not automated, this unit is not installed. But by installing it, the summer resident will greatly facilitate his troubles, entrusting electronics to control the process |
A set of components is selected depending on how you plan to irrigate in the country. For a small area with an inclined relief, a gravity system is quite enough. Automated installations provide more options.
Complete set for automatic irrigation
| Essential elements | Description |
|---|---|
| Storage devices | Even if it is possible to pump water from a source or centralized supply, large-volume plastic containers for storing water supplies will not interfere with giving. Moreover, it is necessary to connect them to the system if there is no suitable water intake nearby; A ball valve is mounted at the outlet of the container with water, which allows you to shut off the water supply. Depending on the size of the balls, check-through or pressure reducing valves are chosen. |
| Pumping station | It is necessary to ensure the normal operation of automatic irrigation.Compensates for the pressure deficit in the water supply system; · You need to buy only high-quality equipment, which is guaranteed to serve the summer resident for many years; An ideal option for stable irrigation is a pump with a pressure of 5 atm. It must also be equipped with a self-enable / disable unit |
| Pipeline | Complete set of pipes, hose of various diameters (in mm), including fittings. For an underground line, it is better to choose HDPE pipes that are connected by compression (fittings) |
| Hydrants | These are a kind of hydraulic sockets that provide quick connection of the laid communications to the main highway. A hose is also connected to them, to which a watering gun is connected. |
| Solenoid valve | It is mounted in special boxes installed in the ground. It is necessary to adjust the water supply to a specific area of the summer cottage (if it is necessary to increase or decrease the flow). Turns on and off by the corresponding command from the control panel |
| Automatic irrigation nozzles | The main element of the device. By choosing the right model and a suitable diameter, you can simultaneously water plants of any size: from garden strawberries to large fruit trees; There are special nozzles that allow you to irrigate a winter garden or too narrow lawn |
| Watering heads | For irrigation, sprinklers are selected of a fan type. It is also possible to install impulse and rotary heads that can rotate at a given speed. These parts are connected to valves and are involved in irrigating lawns, flower beds, etc. |
| Remote Control | The real electronic brain of the system. Controls the switching on and off of the valves, according to the schedule set in the program |
| Irrigation controller | The valve ensures that water is pumped into the system and is an important element in the control panel. If the latter fails, the controller can be started manually; The size of this device is selected, depending on the area that will be irrigated. For a plot of 50 acres, a one-inch valve is enough |
You will also need guns for irrigation: a regular one attached to the hose sleeve, and a spray gun for watering; watering external tap and internal; various small fittings
Those who prefer simpler systems and are ready to irrigate the site manually are content with a small set of components.
Watering or irrigation
An artisan owner is able to mount an irrigation system on his site. In this case, there are 3 types: sprinkling, spot irrigation and root irrigation. You can select a complete set for one of the types of system, but it is more rational to use combined options, taking into account a specific site:
- Sprinkler irrigation - irrigation units are simple in design and easy to operate. Each sprinkler is mounted for watering flower beds and lawns. The peculiarity of their distribution over the territory lies in the fact that spraying captures every piece of the site, i.e. the irrigation radii must overlap.
- Spot irrigation - units supply water directly under the roots of each plant in the garden (trees, shrubs). The bottom line is that waterways are laid along the rows of planted crops. Tapes depart from the main pipeline, at the ends of which point droppers are fixed.
- Underground irrigation - this option of subsoil irrigation is most efficiently used in garden beds. System operation is similar to drip irrigation. Only water is supplied to the roots of plants not with the help of droppers, but porous pipes are laid in the ground.
Whatever installation the summer resident chooses for the site, the principle of operation for each system is identical. They differ in a set for watering, containing various accessories.
For those who do not have a source of water supply, it is enough to bring a water tank to the dacha, install it on a pedestal 1.5 m high and make the piping. True, this option is not suitable for sprinkling (why, it is clear).
Water tank
If desired, the main irrigation system can be completed with additional parts:
- sockets to which the sprinkler hose is connected for manual irrigation of the garden, washing the car or courtyard area;
- an irrigation timer that will control the water supply over time; it is installed on a watering tap or on a hose;
- temperature and humidity sensors that automatically turn off the system if watering is impractical.
These elements are optional, but will greatly facilitate gardening work for any landowner.
Review of famous brands of irrigation systems
You can equip an irrigation system on your own, but it is more rational to pay attention to ready-made automated installations produced by well-known brands. The money invested in the purchase will pay off very quickly.
Finished equipment
Review of popular automatic irrigation systems
| Firm (country) | Features: |
|---|---|
| Istok (Russia) | Excellent for areas with difficult terrain, while ensuring uniform watering; An important item in the package is drip tape |
| "AquaDusya" (Russia) | Used for drip irrigation of open areas and greenhouses. Equipped with a full set of droppers; The installation is mounted quickly and allows you to add fertilizers to the water in the process |
| "Hunter" (USA) | Equipped with a processor that allows you to program the system for different time periods, indicating the hour of each session activation and its duration. It is also possible to program the irrigation water flow; The system allows you to adjust the programs via the Internet or do it manually on the spot; Installed weather sensors do not allow you to turn on the irrigation program when it rains; To maintain an anti-freeze mode in the greenhouse in winter, the processor turns on water heating in time to the desired temperature |
| Fresh Garden (Germany) | This system is also equipped with weather sensors that monitor air and soil moisture; The main feature of the installation is the presence of retractable turbo sprinklers capable of irrigating an area of 380 sq. m |
| · |
For greenhouses, it is recommended to use the Zhuk drip system, the set of which is designed for 60 plants (greenhouse version - for 30). In addition to the main parts, the kit includes a fitting, an adapter, a level pipe and a wall suspension for it.
In order for the automated irrigation system to function “like a clock”, ready-made installations or accessories for self-assembly should not be bought from random people. It is better to contact the distribution network through the online stores "Poliv Garant", "LD-Studio", "OBI".
Timely watering of the lawn will turn the lawn at the dacha into a beautiful, silky grass carpet, give the flowerbeds an opportunity to smell, and increase yields on vegetable beds. A greenhouse and a greenhouse also need to be kept irrigated.
