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Technology can reduce water use

EVERY DROP COUNTS Are we doing enough to minimise water wastage? Whatever the surface, all turf professionals had water considerations in last year’s heatwave, and everyone needs to be prepared

ith environmental pressures becoming more prevalent, irrigated sites must be seen to be managing water responsibly – especially if they are drawing it from the mains. Some have embraced water sustainability by using boreholes or reservoirs and it’s great to see this movement towards sustainable irrigation methods. But get the basics of irrigation management and maintenance right and water wastage can be dramatically reduced.

KNOW YOUR SYSTEM

Water is the lifeblood of your venue, and the pipework of the irrigation system conveys it to all the vital organs. Having an old system could mean losing up to 25 per cent of water and not only is that wasteful but it also puts turf health at risk. As well as regular maintenance, it’s wise to undertake a thorough check of the irrigation system every five years to avoid such losses, to ensure everything is running smoothly and to assess if there are any issues and what improvements could be made.

“Get the basics of irrigation management and maintenance right and water wastage can be dramatically reduced”

CONTROL SYSTEMS

The control system is the brain of the system, gathering important information which determines how much water should be sent where. Without a fully functioning control system, the entire system could cease to work. But there’s no point in settling for one that is merely ‘functional’, it’s worth choosing one that’s intuitive. This investment could halve the amount of work, while saving huge volumes of water. Having information such as weather and pump station set-up, sprinkler performance, intelligent field controller data and soil sensor levels makes a world of difference because knowledge, as they say, is power. Considering the unpredictable weather of 2018, having an intuitive control system allows you to respond to such changes in real time, to use water effectively, and to block off areas that aren’t a priority. Applying a set amount of water to all areas of your pitch can be seen as an inefficient practice as moisture levels can vary and change.

SOIL MONITORING SYSTEMS

For detecting changes in moisture, temperature and salinity levels, soil monitoring systems record valuable data to help make informed adjustments. As well as saving water, these systems can help prevent aesthetic issues and diseases spreading because you’re alerted to problems quickly.

By Robert Jackson Irrigation manager, Reesink Turfcare

SPRINKLERS

The type of sprinkler you use can make a huge difference to responsible water usage on a site. By using modern sprinklers that have nozzle options and adjustment capabilities, water can be applied exactly where it is needed. You’d be surprised by just how much updating old sprinklers to new – even just replacing ageing heads – can contribute to water use reduction and improve turf condition.

REGULAR MAINTENANCE

Checking that controller data matches sprinkler set-up can make a huge difference to the accuracy of an irrigation system, and inspecting arcs to ensure the application area is correct will guarantee water is distributed exactly where it’s intended. These two small additions to a regular maintenance schedule will go some way towards water saving. Put all of this together and the upshot is plants are healthier, surfaces are more aesthetically pleasing, playability is improved and it is likely that a lot of money will be saved. To find out more visit www.reesink turfcare.co.uk for details on Toro’s extensive range of irrigation equipment including the winning combination of the intuitive Lynx central control and Infinity sprinklers with Smart Access technology