DripTips by Toro Ag

2015 Irrigation Efficiency Program

Posted on February 19, 2015May 27, 2015 by torodriptips

In 2014, Staples Energy’s Low-Pressure Irrigation Efficiency Program successfully saved over 3800 kW of energy and gave growers over $1.2 million in incentive savings. Now, Staples is continuing the incentives through 2015 with a new 2015 Irrigation Efficiency Program.

NEW 2015 Irrigation Efficiency Program
The Staples Irrigation Efficiency program will provide incentives to any irrigation design which can demonstrate energy/water savings. The program will offer almost unlimited possibilities for submitting savings for rebates instead of only two “deemed” projects with set values for incentives.

Projects can use a combination of energy and water savings to calculate the kWh savings for projects. This allows flexibility for incentivizing all types of real-world, energy-efficient irrigation projects. As long as a project can be calculated to show a savings, it can be submitted to the Staples program.

Using Irrigation Management to Produce Better Plants and Save Money and Resources

Posted on January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 by torodriptips

Row Crop with Undulating Terrain Growers increasingly recognize that water and irrigation management is a key element to the success of their operation. Even if the water itself is not expensive, it warrants attention because pumping is costly — and water may carry expensive fertilizers with it. In addition, water increasingly creates management and sometimes regulatory problems when it misses the target or flows beyond the root zones of the plants. A properly watered nursery produces healthier, uniform and more profitable plant material.

So how do busy growers achieve the status of “good water managers?” Like any improvement, it will require the investment of time, money, and perhaps some changes to routine. The investment will pay back in terms of lower bills, improved receipts and the knowledge that uncontrolled water flow is not putting the nursery at risk of regulatory action. If simple irrigation controls are adopted, labor may be cut or made available for other important tasks.

Drip Irrigation Resources

Posted on January 19, 2015July 16, 2018 by torodriptips

Over the years, we’ve created several helpful guides, tools, videos, and webpages to help growers, like you, learn about drip irrigation and get the most from a drip system. Explore our archive of drip irrigation resources for agricultural and greenhouse drip irrigation applications, including the Toro Ag award-winning Drip Irrigation Guide: Owner’s Manual, a guide to Toro Ag Educational and Technical Resources, a Subsurface Drip Irrigation Guide, and more!

AquaFlow 4.1 – Drip Irrigation Design Software

Posted on January 9, 2015October 4, 2017 by torodriptips

AquaFlow drip irrigation design program Welcome to AquaFlow!

AquaFlow is Toro’s FREE drip irrigation design software that provides irrigation designers with a state-of-the-art tool to configure drip irrigation systems for optimum performance.

Now available as a web application, AquaFlow can be accessed and used online or downloaded to your computer for offline use. To become a registered user, click the following link, accept the User Agreement, and fill all the fields in the Registration Form:

Automated Sand Media Filters for Drip Irrigation

Posted on January 8, 2015 by torodriptips

Toro is pleased to announce that Aqua-Clear™ fiberglass sand media filters are now available in a complete automated system, for flows ranging from 50 to 400 gpm. Aqua-Clear filters are corrosion-resistant, designed for drip irrigation systems operating up to 75 psi, and are available in 18-, 24-, 30- and 36-inch systems. Some of the new features include:

AC and DC options to automate filter backwash on any site
Automated systems complete with all valves, controller and hydraulic connections
English and Spanish language–detailed and illustrated operation manual
Double-chamber backwash valve for reliable, low–head loss operation
Solid-state controller backwashes on both time and pressure differential
Expansion modules for simple addition of a single filter to an existing system

Farming Faces a “New World” with Research, Subsurface Drip Irrigation and Data

Posted on December 17, 2014December 17, 2014 by torodriptips

With new technologies and new research on everything from moisture sensors to subsurface drip irrigation to new apps for smartphones, it’s a whole new world for farming. And since nothing drives home the importance of improving irrigation efficiency like a four-year drought, farmers are looking to technology and efficient farming practices to maximize yield and minimize resources, such as water and fertilizer.

In Some Cases, Only Subsurface Drip Irrigation Will Do

Posted on December 11, 2014 by torodriptips

You probably don’t expect to find much drip irrigation on a field with 6° to 8° slopes. Yet, Lon Bohn and his brother-in-law, Don Blaschko, who run B&B Partners near Gibbon, Nebraska, operate such a subsurface drip irrigation system. Although they already had 997 acres under center pivot systems, the partners still had one 52-acre, irregular-shape field that presented a challenge.

With a 39-foot variation within 300 yards of the field length and more than 30 feet of grade from side to side, furrow irrigation was obviously out of the question.

VIDEO: Aqua-Traxx Drip Irrigation Tape – A New Level of Irrigation Control

Posted on December 2, 2014April 13, 2017 by torodriptips

Toro’s drip irrigation tape products are innovative steps in the evolution of drip irrigation. Aqua-Traxx drip tape, the original drip irrigation tape, provides unmatched clog resistance, durability and precision placement of your valuable water and fertilizer. New FlowControl drip tape— the only flow regulating drip irrigation tape available — is Toro’s latest advancement in the evolution of drip irrigation, giving you increased uniformity and control wherever you farm.

Market demands, weather patterns and resource availability change every day, so precision agriculture practices must evolve to stay ahead. From increasing yield and improving quality to making the best use of available resources. Irrigation technology is evolving, too — first flood, then pivot and now drip irrigation. Each step giving you more precise control over the time, energy and water you invest in your crop.

VÍDEO: Aqua-Traxx Cinta Premium de Riego por Goteo (Español)

Posted on December 1, 2014December 2, 2014 by torodriptips

NEW FlowControl Drip Tape Gives Growers the Best of Both Worlds

Posted on November 25, 2014April 13, 2017 by torodriptips

After several years of intense and dedicated development, Toro has launched FlowControl Drip Tape, an exciting new product that creates an entirely new category within the drip irrigation marketplace. In the past, growers had to choose between uniformity and control over flow rates. Now, FlowControl drip tape gives growers the best of both worlds: improved uniformity (compared to turbulent flow devices), and superior ability to control the overall system flow rate (compared to pressure-compensating devices).

This innovative new product gives growers a level of control not possible in the past. Now growers have a new tool to help them achieve their objectives – increasing yield and quality, while at the same time using water, fertilizers and other resources in the best way possible.

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Funds Water Efficient Projects for Drought Assistance

Posted on November 6, 2014May 27, 2015 by torodriptips

Follow The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has awarded $3.6 million for 93 different projects to implement on-farm

5 Components Of Drip Irrigation Systems

Posted on October 29, 2014 by torodriptips

Drip irrigation systems aren’t rocket science. They’re durable and built to last for reasonable lengths of time, and with the proper care, can last far longer than expected. In most cases, the environment and crop application will dictate the type of product you use. These are five different water distribution / drip irrigation product types.

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