Australian Water Management Review Vol. 1 2014 | Page 82
toro Mini sprinklers offer
versAtilitY for irrigAtors
Similarly, on shallow or very coarse soils, greater benefit
is gained by a larger wetted pattern that encourages root
development and minimises run-off.
For more information please contact:
Water quality is another consideration in determining
which technique is more appropriate.
Toro Australia Ph: 08 8300 3633
Robert Aitken
National Technical Services Manager
“mini sprinklers generally have larger flow rates than
drippers, which means they are less prone to blockages,”
he said.
Increased prices and reduced water
allocations are continuing to drive the
evolution of irrigation practices among
Australia’s farmers and orchardists.
As cheap and plentiful water supplies of the past dry
up in the face of rising costs, government regulation and
social pressure, landholders are turning to highly efficient
watering technologies.
For the majority of irrigators, this choice comes down to
mini sprinklers or drippers.
According to Toro Australia’s National Technical Services
Manager, Robert Aitken, both technologies can save
significant amounts of water over traditional flood or
overhead impact sprinkler systems.
“Drip irrigation is certainly well understood and has
strong support at the moment,” he said.
“However, there are many applications where mini
sprinklers provide a more appropriate solution and are a
better way to deal with particular issues.
“Examples include plantings on steep terrains or where
shallow depth soils are a problem.”
Aitken said that on steep terrain many growers liked to
grow a cover crop between trees to minimise erosion.
Mini sprinklers enabled these inter-row areas to be
watered to maintain ground cover at the same time as the
trees are being irrigated.
“In some circumstances this can mean filtration is
either simplified or filtration systems don’t need to
be as extensive.
“It’s also far easier to see if a mini sprinkler is damaged or
not working, especially if the drippers are covered by leaf
litter or hidden by foliage.
“Growers need to consider the costs involved with the
irrigation of mature trees with larger root zones.
“Getting enough water to the roots generally involves
multiple drippers per tree and the installation of two
laterals, one either side of the trunk.
“a mini-sprinkler would only require one lateral, so there
are some cost savings that must be weighed up.
“For example, many citrus growers prefer mini sprinklers.
other crops where they are also used are stone fruit,
apples, pears, nuts and many more.”
Mini sprinklers can also help prevent frost damage, which
is an added advantage. Latent heat is released from water
when it turns into ice. By continually spraying water on
plants as the temperature approaches freezing, enough
heat is generally released to keep plants above their
freezing point, except in extreme conditions.
The use of mini sprinklers can protect plants in ambient
temperatures as low as about minus five degrees Celsius.
Aitken concludes: “always remember what you are trying
to achieve with your irrigation system and weigh up the
benefits of using mini sprinklers.”
Australia’s leading mini sprinkler
Stone
Citrus
Core
Nuts
Waterbird®
1300 130 898 toro.com.au
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