The following video shows Toro and local dealer, Dubois Agrinovation, installing a subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system with pressure-compensating Aqua-Traxx® PC drip tape. SDI optimizes the production of field crops, such as corn and soybeans.
Continue reading
Recently, American Vegetable Grower (AVG) magazine sat down with Inge Bisconer, Toro Micro-Irrigation’s technical marketing and sales manager, and discussed the “Drip/Micro Payback Wizard,” a FREE online tool that helps growers estimate the cost of converting to drip irrigation. And since growers are in endless pursuit of cost efficiency and maximizing their crops’ yields, the tool is an excellent resource for growers looking for empirical data on how quickly a drip irrigation system will pay for itself.
As irrigated cotton acres continue to increase in the Southeast, growers are looking for the most efficient method of watering their crop, and they want to know how the cost of drip irrigation compares to the tried-and-true center pivot system.
Continue readingCutbacks on water delivery from the federal Central Valley Project has left farmers, like Ted Sheeley, looking for ways to cut their water use. Sheeley, who farms in the Huron area, western Kings County, and eastern Fresno County, has traditionally used flood and sprinkler irrigation, but with the water cutbacks, it is difficult to fulfill his processing tomato and cotton contracts. Sheeley has begun converting his flood and sprinkler irrigated fields to drip irrigation to optimize his water use and plans to be completely converted within 3 to 4 years.
Continue reading
On Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 1PM (Pacific Time), the Grange Network will be hosting a 60-minute, FREE webinar to discuss how water quality – both chemical and physical aspects – affect design, equipment selection, operation, and maintenance of drip irrigation systems. If not managed properly, poor water quality can severely impact the uniformity and overall performance of drip irrigation systems, resulting in decreased crop yield and higher water, energy, and fertilizer costs. So don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the importance of water quality and how to get the most out of your drip irrigation system.
Young Farmer, Kris Verett, didn’t plan on following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a farmer. But at 28, he joined the One-Ton Club at the Texas Gin Show in Lubbock for his drip irrigated cotton.
Verett contributes his success to Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI), good system management, and variety selection. His record yields were produced on two SDI irrigated 40-acre blocks with FM2989 and FM9170.
Continue reading
With the help of manufacturers, like Toro, and local dealers who design, install, and provide service and support, growers in the Midwest are finding out first-hand how subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems not only improve water- and fertilizer-use efficiency, but also provide higher yields. And as the drought continues to affect water supplies, the need for efficient irrigation practices becomes more apparent. Couple this with high crop prices to allow a quicker return on investment, there may be no better time to invest in drip.
In a recent article in No-Till Farmer, reporter John Dobberstein examined the benefits of subsurface drip irrigation for field crops (such as corn and soybeans) and interviewed several Midwest producers who are already seeing payoffs by switching to drip.
Continue readingFollow Check out this drip irrigation installation video by Dubois Agrinovation that shows how drip tape is installed using Aqua-Traxx® drip tape
Continue reading
Charged with the issue of seawater intrusion, the Salinas Valley in California has done several things to all but eliminate the issue. First, two reservoirs were constructed to recharge the underground aquifer. Then, a wastewater treatment plant was built to enable the use of recycled water for irrigation. And recently, a rubber dam was installed to divert surface water for irrigation. Along with these attempts to improve the region’s water supply, Salinas Valley farmers have turned to drip irrigation and conservation to help solve their water issues.
In a recent article in AgAlert, reporter Bob Johnson interviewed Salinas Valley farmers to see how they have reduced seawater intrusion. Turns out that the region’s conversion to drip irrigation and focus on conservation has a lot to do with it. Bob writes, “Twenty years ago, less than 3 percent of Salinas Valley vegetable acreage was under drip irrigation…(but) the water agency’s most recent survey shows that by 2012, drip irrigation was being used on nearly 60 percent of the vegetable acreage.” Bob goes on to write that between drip irrigation, water supply projects, and other conservation techniques, such as soil moisture sensors and flow meters, the Salinas Valley has even allowed the underground water table to rise.
Continue readingIn the wake of the drought, the Midwest is seeing a shift from pivot and furrow irrigation to drip irrigation on some acres. In a recent and great article by Corn&Soybean Digest, reporter Larry Stalcup wrote about making the switch to drip irrigation. Larry interviewed Don Anthony, a Lexington, Nebraska, grower to learn about his experiences with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), as well as Freddie Lam, an agricultural engineer and irrigation researcher at Kansas State University.
According to Freddie Lam of Kansas State University, more than 300,000 acres are now drip irrigated in the Great Plains, much of which is cotton. But many growers in the western Corn Belt and southern High Plains are also making the shift to drip irrigation for other crops such as corn and soybeans.
Continue reading
This week, Toro announced a new emitter flow rate for its popular BlueLine® PC dripline, the 0.26 GPH pressure-compensating (PC) emitter. This new 0.26 GPH pressure-compensating emitter is the latest addition to Toro’s other BlueLine PC flow rates (0.42, 0.53, and 1.00 GPH).
Toro’s BlueLine dripline is a tremendous advancement in dripline irrigation technology. Its pressure-compensating emitters provide greater resistance to plugging and superior flow accuracy, while the hose is incredibly durable. Traditionally used on permanent crops, BlueLine PC dripline can be installed above ground, below ground, or hanging on a wire.
Continue reading
Larry Standage has reaped all the typical benefits of converting to drip irrigation with his onions in Vale, Oregon, including increased yields, reduced runoff, and less use of water, fertilizer, and labor. But the most important benefit is that Standage builds customer loyalty as a result of a higher quality, more uniform crop.
“Each 50 pound bag of onions is superior becuse the crop is more uniform in size, shape, and color, thus the customer is more pleased. I use drip to keep my customers coming back,” says Larry.
Continue reading
