Reliable irrigation crucial to hort sector
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says access to reliable irrigation water is essential for a thriving horticultural sector.
Irrigation specialist Lindsay New Zealand says its system provides complete remote pivot management, with VRI control, monitoring and reporting.
The company says with Precision VRI, growers can precisely apply the correct amount of water over multiple crops, soil types and terrains and integrate with Field-NET remote management – giving growers the ability to easily create or edit irrigation plans and produce irrigation reports to assist with better decision-making
Three years ago, Ashburton farmer Phill Everest converted his beef and cropping farm to dairying and uses Precision VRI to irrigate his farm in accordance with local council regulations. His farm – Flemington Dairies – features deep silt loams braided by shallower stony soils. This results in challenges where springs appear in wet conditions and areas of the farm that has open drains running down its length.
With precision technology, Everest is able to turn off irrigation over and around pivot ruts, tracks, water troughs, gateways and drains. He also can avoid irrigating boggy areas, reducing rutting and allowing these to recover before changing his plan and irrigating again – effectively managing problems posed by heavy, seasonally waterlogged soils.
Using Growsmart Precision VRI to irrigate 132 hectares, Everest has been able to reduce his water usage by 3,350,000 litres in comparison to a standard system – applying a uniform rate application of 15 mm across the property. The additional water can irrigate an additional 23 hectares on his farm.
Lindsay NZ says adding FieldNET to Precision VRI requires additional hardware that allows farmers to customise and remotely manage water applications.
A strong, long-lasting steel enclosure houses the new control panel in which a farmer can view irrigation plans in colour at the pivot point. Irrigation depths can be changed on the fly – a handy feature when the dairy herd are going into a paddock that the irrigator is about to cover, the irrigation on that paddock can be turned off then and there.
For more visit: www.growsmartprecisionvri.co.nz
