Tag: sdi system

Drip Irrigation Rodent Control

Drip Irrigation Rodent Control

Posted on by

Newer irrigation systems like drip and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) have been used by cutting-edge alfalfa growers for quite some time.

Even with the proven benefits, many growers struggle with the idea of moving away from traditional irrigation practices to something unfamiliar. How much will the conversion cost? What kind of return can I expect? Will this affect the number of cuttings each year? And perhaps one of the biggest questions: How do I control rodents?

Rodents cause yield loss and crop damage if not managed

Rodents are a concern for all alfalfa growers, regardless of what irrigation method is used. Pests like mice, voles and gophers cause yield loss and crop damage when not properly managed.

Continue reading
Subsurface Drip Irrigation System

8 Questions when Installing a Subsurface Drip Irrigation System

Posted on by

Throughout the past few years, drip and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) have emerged as new opportunities for alfalfa growers looking to conserve water and other resources.

The idea of greater water use efficiency (WUE) and resource use efficiency (RUE) is enticing growers who are on the fence about converting fields, while the expectation of achieving greater yields, a proven benefit of a drip and subsurface drip irrigation system, is pushing them over.

A good engineer will ask the proper questions to ensure the best system is recommended and installed for each unique operation, but it’s equally important growers ask questions about the system as it relates to the current field and future operation plans.

Continue reading

How to Adopt Subsurface Drip Irrigation & Optimize Mint Production

Posted on by

Toro has announced two easy-to-use “how-to” guides on subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and mint production. The SDI guide helps producers adopt systems for field crops such as corn, cotton, soybeans, sugarcane, alfalfa and mint. The mint guide profiles Idaho mint producer and President of the Mint Association, Bob McKellip, and reveals the success he achieved by using SDI through two harvests*. Both brochures are available in English and Spanish in our drip irrigation literature archive.

Click here to download the SDI guide (for Spanish, click here).

Click here to download the Mint guide (for Spanish, click here).

Continue reading