Automatic Irrigation

Зачем автоматика на участке, ведь можно обойтись и без нее?

Конечно можно! Но не стоит. Давайте попробуем разобраться почему.

Drip or sprinkler irrigation systems allow strict regulation of the water supply for plants. We know that modern irrigation systems, be it drip or sprinkler, can accurately determine how much water from one dropper or sprinkler will enter the ground per unit of time.

For example, in one hour of its operation, from 0.8 to 4.0 liters of water can come out of the dropper, and from 20 to 300 liters of water from the mini sprinkler. The quantity, or rather the flow rate of water from the irrigation device, is necessarily indicated on the labeling of your drip pipes or sprinklers. Excessive moisture, as well as a lack of water, seriously affects the physiological state of plants and irregular watering will certainly affect the condition of the plants, moreover, it will have a negative effect.

Suppose that we water a garden with tomatoes. Considering the size of the bush, climatic conditions, and other factors, we can calculate the water consumption for each plant. The initial data on water consumption by plants can be found in the specialized literature.

Let's say we calculated that one tomato plant needs 2 liters of water per day. Based on the planting scheme, we determine how many droppers are per plant. Let's say the plants are planted at a distance of 50 cm from each other, and there are 3 droppers per 1 meter on the drip irrigation tube. This means that there are 1.5 droppers per plant. Let's say you have each dropper giving 1.6 liters of water per hour. This means that 2.4 liters of water will pour out for each plant in 1 hour, and according to our calculations, only 2 liters of water is needed. You can ignore this, but it is advisable to pay attention if, of course, we want to get a good harvest. So how long does it take to the water? In our case, it turns out that it is enough to water 50 minutes a day.

FRACTIONAL IRRIGATION

There is such a term: "Fractional watering". What does it mean? This means that you can water the plants not at once, but several times. For example, in the case that we discussed above, we can water 2 times a day for 25 minutes or 4 times for 12 minutes. Please note that this is a conditional calculation!

How to organize such watering?
The easiest option is to water by hand. To do this, it is advisable to use an alarm clock so as not to forget to turn on and then turn off the water in time. Well, and the most important thing is not to forget to set the alarm! The second option is to purchase and install automation, that is, to organize automatic watering! Of course, this will require some costs, but the benefits are obvious:

• The ability to accurately dose the amount of water supplied to irrigate plants.
• The possibility of fractional watering, that is, if we know that the total watering time should be 2 hours a day, we can water, for example, every 3 hours for 15 minutes! And your plants will receive a precisely defined amount of water per day, but not immediately, but gradually, which will have a very favorable effect on their well-being.
• The system works without your participation, without days off, holidays, vacations, and breaks.
• The ability to connect a rain sensor that will block the water supply if it rains.
• The ability to turn on irrigation at a convenient time for you, for example, at night, when there is water in the water supply system.
• Saving water, and therefore saving money on paying for it or paying for electricity, which is spent on the operation of the pump when taking water from a well, well, pond or river.

The benefits are clear. So you need to take advantage of these advantages.

Single-channel and multi-channel controllers:

The controller is an easily programmable mini computer that allows you to set the watering program for your plants and control the irrigation according to your wishes. There are single-channel and multi-channel controllers.

Which controller to use in your field, plot, or greenhouse is determined by the area being irrigated and the total amount of water that needs to be supplied to the irrigation system. For small areas and small greenhouses, a single-channel controller is quite suitable, which will ensure that the water supply is switched on and off at once to the entire area.

But if the area of ​​your plot or greenhouse is large, or the volume of water that you can supply for irrigation is small, then you will have to divide your plot into several irrigation zones and irrigate the irrigated zones in turn. This requires a multi-channel controller.

Single-channel controllers:

The single-channel controller consists of a programmable electronic control unit and an actuator - a solenoid valve, which switches on and off the water supply according to a given program.

• They allow you to automate the irrigation of one irrigated zone.
• Have a low cost.

Multichannel:

The multi-channel controller consists of a programmable electronic control unit and several solenoid valves.

• If your site has several irrigated zones, then you need to use several single-channel or one multi-channel controller. Multi-channel controllers of different types allow you to independently program from 4 to 12 or more independently operating irrigation programs for each zone separately.
• If you have 4 or more irrigation zones, the relative cost of automating each separate zone is lower than when using several single-channel controllers.

Installation of automation.

Single-channel controller:

There are several designs of single-channel controllers, which are usually installed directly on the pipeline supplying water to the irrigation system.
The most popular, easy to set up, and easy to maintain, reliable controllers are manufactured by Baccara and Galcon. These controllers are supplied with solenoid valves and are designed to work both indoors, for example in a greenhouse, and outdoors, for example, in a summer cottage or a home garden or in public utilities, greening of cities and other settlements.

Some of them are shown in the photo.

Multichannel controllers.

Multichannel controllers can control from two to eight or more solenoid valves, and hence irrigation zones. They are installed separately and connected to the solenoid valves with wires.

Multichannel controllers are available in both battery-powered and mains-powered versions. Depending on the need, the controllers are equipped with solenoid valves of different diameters, from 3/4 "to 4" diameters and for different supply voltages.

Solenoid valves can be installed both near the controllers and remotely.

Examples of mounting controllers and solenoid valves.

If the solenoid valves are mounted remotely from the controller, then there are no special problems with their installation. They are threaded to the pipe. Small area valves are available in 3/4 and 1.0-inch diameters. For larger areas, larger diameters of 2.0, 3.0, or 4.0 inches are available. For multi-channel systems, the cranes can be mounted close to the controller or remotely.

Drip or sprinkler irrigation systems allow strict regulation of the water supply for plants. We know that modern irrigation systems, be it drip or sprinkler, can accurately determine how much water from one dropper or sprinkler will enter the ground per unit of time.

For example, in one hour of its operation, from 0.8 to 4.0 liters of water can come out of the dropper, and from 20 to 300 liters of water from the mini sprinkler. The quantity, or rather the flow rate of water from the irrigation device, is necessarily indicated on the labeling of your drip pipes or sprinklers. Excessive moisture, as well as a lack of water, seriously affects the physiological state of plants and irregular watering will certainly affect the condition of the plants, moreover, it will have a negative effect.

Suppose that we water a garden with tomatoes. Considering the size of the bush, climatic conditions, and other factors, we can calculate the water consumption for each plant. The initial data on water consumption by plants can be found in the specialized literature.

Let's say we calculated that one tomato plant needs 2 liters of water per day. Based on the planting scheme, we determine how many droppers are per plant. Let's say the plants are planted at a distance of 50 cm from each other, and there are 3 droppers per 1 meter on the drip irrigation tube. This means that there are 1.5 droppers per plant. Let's say you have each dropper giving 1.6 liters of water per hour. This means that 2.4 liters of water will pour out for each plant in 1 hour, and according to our calculations, only 2 liters of water is needed. You can ignore this, but it is advisable to pay attention if, of course, we want to get a good harvest. So how long does it take to the water? In our case, it turns out that it is enough to water 50 minutes a day.

FRACTIONAL IRRIGATION

There is such a term: "Fractional watering". What does it mean? This means that you can water the plants not at once, but several times. For example, in the case that we discussed above, we can water 2 times a day for 25 minutes or 4 times for 12 minutes. Please note that this is a conditional calculation!

How to organize such watering?
The easiest option is to water by hand. To do this, it is advisable to use an alarm clock so as not to forget to turn on and then turn off the water in time. Well, and the most important thing is not to forget to set the alarm! The second option is to purchase and install automation, that is, to organize automatic watering! Of course, this will require some costs, but the benefits are obvious:

• The ability to accurately dose the amount of water supplied to irrigate plants.
• The possibility of fractional watering, that is, if we know that the total watering time should be 2 hours a day, we can water, for example, every 3 hours for 15 minutes! And your plants will receive a precisely defined amount of water per day, but not immediately, but gradually, which will have a very favorable effect on their well-being.
• The system works without your participation, without days off, holidays, vacations, and breaks.
• The ability to connect a rain sensor that will block the water supply if it rains.
• The ability to turn on irrigation at a convenient time for you, for example, at night, when there is water in the water supply system.
• Saving water, and therefore saving money on paying for it or paying for electricity, which is spent on the operation of the pump when taking water from a well, well, pond or river.

The benefits are clear. So you need to take advantage of these advantages.

Installation of automation.

Single-channel controller:

There are several designs of single-channel controllers, which are usually installed directly on the pipeline supplying water to the irrigation system.
The most popular, easy to set up, and easy to maintain, reliable controllers are manufactured by Baccara and Galcon. These controllers are supplied with solenoid valves and are designed to work both indoors, for example in a greenhouse, and outdoors, for example, in a summer cottage or a home garden or in public utilities, greening of cities and other settlements.

Some of them are shown in the photo.

Single-channel and multi-channel controllers:

The controller is an easily programmable mini computer that allows you to set the watering program for your plants and control the irrigation according to your wishes. There are single-channel and multi-channel controllers.

Which controller to use in your field, plot, or greenhouse is determined by the area being irrigated and the total amount of water that needs to be supplied to the irrigation system. For small areas and small greenhouses, a single-channel controller is quite suitable, which will ensure that the water supply is switched on and off at once to the entire area.

But if the area of ​​your plot or greenhouse is large, or the volume of water that you can supply for irrigation is small, then you will have to divide your plot into several irrigation zones and irrigate the irrigated zones in turn. This requires a multi-channel controller.

Single-channel controllers:

The single-channel controller consists of a programmable electronic control unit and an actuator - a solenoid valve, which switches on and off the water supply according to a given program.

• They allow you to automate the irrigation of one irrigated zone.
• Have a low cost.

Multichannel:

The multi-channel controller consists of a programmable electronic control unit and several solenoid valves.

• If your site has several irrigated zones, then you need to use several single-channel or one multi-channel controller. Multi-channel controllers of different types allow you to independently program from 4 to 12 or more independently operating irrigation programs for each zone separately.
• If you have 4 or more irrigation zones, the relative cost of automating each separate zone is lower than when using several single-channel controllers.

Multichannel controllers.

Multichannel controllers can control from two to eight or more solenoid valves, and hence irrigation zones. They are installed separately and connected to the solenoid valves with wires.

Multichannel controllers are available in both battery-powered and mains-powered versions. Depending on the need, the controllers are equipped with solenoid valves of different diameters, from 3/4 "to 4" diameters and for different supply voltages.

Solenoid valves can be installed both near the controllers and remotely.

Examples of mounting controllers and solenoid valves.

If the solenoid valves are mounted remotely from the controller, then there are no special problems with their installation. They are threaded to the pipe. Small area valves are available in 3/4 and 1.0-inch diameters. For larger areas, larger diameters of 2.0, 3.0, or 4.0 inches are available. For multi-channel systems, the cranes can be mounted close to the controller or remotely.