For this article we thought it would be useful to share some insights from the irrigator performance tests we have undertaken this season. All the pivots we’ve tested were potentially very efficient irrigation systems, however, for a number of older machines (+15,000 hours) we are starting to see performance impacts from worn nozzles and regulators […]
It has been an extremely dry and warm start to the 2020-21 irrigation season. If the La Niña weather pattern continues as predicted, Canterbury irrigators will need to keep a careful watch on their seasonal allocation limits and make tactical decisions around their irrigation. If you have used over 60% of your allocation by the […]
So how much warmer is it than normal? Soil temperature is always a great indicator to watch closely during the spring as it is the key trigger for pasture growth and seed germination. At soil temperatures below 6 degrees Celsius there is extremely limited pasture growth and very few crops that will successfully germinate. The […]
For this post we thought it would be useful to talk about choosing the right sensor technology for your farm. The first step is thinking about the long-term solution you require, not just the problem you need to solve today. Do you only need one sensor for compliance purposes or are you likely to expand […]
The dry summer is turning into a dry autumn with many areas of Canterbury, particularly central and north, receiving very little rainfall since mid-December. Despite the dry, for autumn irrigation you need to closely follow the weather forecast to get your irrigation right as daily plant water use (ET) is much less than at peak. […]
Spring is here – which means it’s time to start thinking about your irrigation! In mid-September I spent a morning with a client who started out by telling me he would need to start-up his irrigation very soon. He didn’t want to risk getting behind. Given this we had the following conversation. For the 10 […]
Technology – the biggest change Technology has been the biggest and most exciting change in the irrigation sector and much of this was initially triggered by the water metering regulations 2010. There were a wide range of viewpoints around metering, some supportive of its compulsory introduction, others arguing against it and stating that real-time measurement […]
