Requirement:

To design and supply an overhead sprinkler irrigation system to irrigate 40Ha of baby leaf crops grown in very wide and high poly tunnel structures.  Uniformity of water application is important for all irrigated crops, but for these very delicate, small plants it can easily be the difference between success and failure of the whole commercial enterprise.

System Application:

The Netafim Spinnet range of micro sprinklers is a comparative newcomer to the market, but in that time has proved itself to be the most effective, technologically advanced, and high quality of all the products available. Through the use of CAD programs we were able to narrow down the options to a particular nozzle and “shoulder distributor” combination, at a particular spacing along the lines and between the lines, to give individual bay irrigation. However, only through detailed real life testing was it possible for the operating pressure and nozzle height to be defined.

The result was a selection of application technology that we believe surpasses everything and anything installed previously.

The rest of the system is designed to distribute the available water resources around the site in a controlled and measured manner using Netafim irrigation controllers coupled to a chemigation/fertigation dosing rig.

Overview:

The system has now been in continual use for 10 seasons, with its effectiveness continually tested and monitored during that time.  This has proved to be a long term reliable solution.