Tag: drip tape

How to Maximize the Durability and Longevity of Drip Irrigation Tubing

Mark_JablonkaOn Friday, June 26, 2015 at 1:00PM (Pacific Time), the Grange Network will be hosting a 60-minute, FREE webinar to review the essential material components of micro-irrigation drip tubing and discuss key material attributes that contribute to high performance tubing. Included in the webinar will be a an overview of how polyethylene is produced, its key characteristics/attributes and considerations when selecting the appropriate grade for micro-irrigation applications.  Mark Jablonka, Research Scientist in the Performance Plastics Technical Service and Development (TS&D) group at The Dow Chemical Company, will lead the discussion.

Click here to register for the FREE webinar, “Maximizing Durability and Longevity of Micro-Irrigation Tubing”.

Date: Friday, June 26, 2015

Time: 1:00PM Pacific / 4:00PM Eastern (60 Minute Session)

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How Drip Irrigation Best Practices and Management Improves Irrigation Efficiency for Florida Vegetable Growers

plasticulture on strawberriesVegetable growers in Florida are using plasticulture and drip irrigation best practices to improve water and nutrient management on more than 5,000 acres of production. And the effort is paying off, according to one Extension official familiar with the practice.

Bob Hochmuth, Extension agent for the University of Florida (UF), made a presentation at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO in Grand Rapids, Michigan that focused on the management of drip Irrigation. He described a process of securing adequate moisture in the root zone without over-filling.

“The increased concern over the impact of agricultural practices on water quality in Florida has resulted in the grower’s need to adopt best management practices (BMPs),” Hochmuth said. “The successful adoption of BMPs in plasticulture production of vegetables in north Florida has been greatly facilitated by Extension programs in conjunction with industry and other agency involvement.

“Growers are more likely to adopt BMPs when they can evaluate them on their own farm,” he said. “Long-term educational program efforts – including hands-on teaching workshops at a research facility combined with on-farm demonstrations – proved to be a very effective strategy in helping vegetable growers using drip irrigation and plasticulture improve water and nutrient management practices.”

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Drip Irrigation Resources

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!

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

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.

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NEW FlowControl Drip Tape Gives Growers the Best of Both Worlds

FlowControl drip tapeAfter 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.

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Drip Irrigation on Peppermint – 2013 Crop Update

Drip Irrigation on MintAnother season has passed, and Bob McKellip is happy to report that his second year of utilizing drip irrigation on mint was even better than the first. “This Spring, I started up the drip system and everything worked perfectly,” explains McKellip. “I have found that the system is very simple and easy to operate once it’s set-up, and that its just like any other piece of modern farm equipment. With drip, I easily spoon fed my crop with the water and fertilizer it needed on a weekly basis, and harvested unheard of yields on second-year mint – 188 pounds of mint oil per acre!”

McKellip noted that this was achieved in spite of record heat, minimal rainfall, and variable soils with differing water holding capacities. “With drip, I was able to fine tune the irrigation schedule to accommodate different soil types and get more water where it was needed.”

As a result, not only were yields boosted, but water and fertilizer use was down as well.

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California Farmer Seeks Greater Efficiency with Drip Irrigation

According to second generation farmer, Pete Aiello, “there has been a lot of finger pointing as California endures a drought, and most of it seems to be directed toward agriculture.”

“California farmers do their best to make every drop of water count,” Pete says. “My family’s farm started installing drip irrigation systems in 1985. Local experts estimate that 80 percent of Santa Clara County’s irrigation is done through low-volume irrigation such as drip tape and micro sprinklers.”

Learn more about Pete Aiello’s take on agriculture, the California drought, and drip irrigation by clicking the title or the following link:

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VIDEO: Oregon Carrot Seed Growers Save Water & Improve Yield, Quality with Drip Irrigation (and it’s “Bee Friendly” Too!)

Oregon producers, who grow about 85 percent of the nation’s carrot seeds, have cut water use in half by transitioning to drip from overhead sprinklers. Although more studies need to be done, growers also expect drip irrigation will reduce Xanthomonas, a bacterial pathogen that can be spread by sprinklers or splashing water.

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The Toro Company Kicks Off Centennial Year Celebration

On July 10, 2014, The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) will celebrate a rare business milestone – achieving 100 years in business. According to Michael J. Hoffman, Toro’s chairman and chief executive officer, Toro attributes its remarkable longevity to, “the character of our people and channel partners, and their relentless commitment to serving our customers and building market leadership through innovation.”

Toro’s yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary provides an opportunity not only to look back on the company’s notable achievements, but also to recognize the ingenuity and dedication of its employees – and to thank its channel partners and end-user customers around the world for their loyalty and trust in The Toro Company.

As Hoffman put it, “These same values that have been core throughout our first 100 years form the foundation for continued success into our next century.”

A Legacy of Excellence
From the start, Toro built its legacy by understanding the needs of its customers and developing products and services to help them succeed. This commitment to innovation is reflected in the more than 1,500 patents its employees around the world have earned over the years.

In addition, Toro has developed strong networks of professional distributor, dealer and retailer partners across industries in more than 90 countries to provide local, expert, professional customer service. For example, in 1922, Toro created the golf industry’s first national distributor network. And, in 1934 as the business grew, Toro encouraged its distributors to establish dealers in areas the distributors’ staff could not effectively cover, providing local customer service that proved to be a competitive advantage.

This commitment to customer service has been instrumental in Toro’s development of long-term relationships with golf courses, homeowners, professional contractors, agricultural growers, construction and rental companies, government and educational institutions – in addition to many premier sporting events, venues and historic sites around the world.

People Make the Difference
For decades, customers have counted on Toro because of the company’s reputation for reliability, quality and standing behind its products. When Toro celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1939, the company’s first president and co-founder John Samuel Clapper noted that the loyal service of Toro’s employees and distributors was the customers’ guarantee of a high-quality product. As Hoffman summarized, “What was true 75 years ago when Mr. Clapper made his statement about Toro remains true today – the loyal service of our employees and channel partners is critical to our company’s success.”

Explore Toro Innovations
From developing new technologies to expanding into new markets, a timeline of the company’s many innovations and achievements is available at www.toro.com/100 – in addition to several highlights below, summarized by market:

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Subsurface Drip Irrigation Demo at Husker Harvest Days

During Husker Harvest Days (HHD) this year, you’ll have a hard time seeing the newest irrigation addition at the show site six miles west of Grand Island. That’s because it’s underground.

A subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system is watering a corn field south of the exhibit area in 2013. It’s the first time an SDI system has been installed at HHD. For 35 years, HHD has showcased irrigation technology and has featured center pivot manufacturers, pipe manufactures and dozens of other irrigation equipment suppliers. About every type of center pivot and lateral-move system has been installed during those years.

Roger Luebbe, site manager at HHD, says the SDI system replaces a hose-drag lateral move sprinkler that had been there for years and was “showing some fatigue.” Because of its efficiency and water delivery uniformity, SDI can save one-third of the water applied by a center pivot and 2/3 of the water applied by gravity irrigation systems.

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