Commercial Irrigation is the method of watering plants, crops, and pasture by using water. This water is supplied through several ways such as sprinklers, canals, pipes, pumps, sprays, and other artificial methods instead of only depending on rainwater. It can also be defined as the technique of advanced watering system for helping plants grow because it is practiced as an alternative to rain-fed farming.

 

Irrigation is the method used to fulfil the requirement of water of the plant or crop because water is essential for their growth. Additionally, irrigation water also provides vital nutrients to the plants, which are dissolved in this water, resulting in plants remaining green and producing maximum and better quality yield.

 

Commercial irrigation systems

Commercial irrigation systems are designed for a broader scope. This type of irrigation system is usually used at schools, apartments, complexes, etc. Often, commercial systems irrigate those lawns and landscapes that experience heavy traffic and need more water. The commercial irrigation system is particularly prominent in sports complexes and golf courses.

 

Why is commercial Irrigation necessary?

Your lawn is a reflection of your property. It would be attractive, like a green carpet. With the help of Irrigation, you can keep your landscape alive throughout the year. Fixing an irrigation system confirms that your lawn is green, attractive, and healthy. A proper irrigation system makes it possible that to irrigate your lawn without overwatering or watering concrete footpaths.

 

Additionally, there are several other advantages of commercial irrigation systems. Due to this, we conserve water and save money in the long run because manual Irrigation wastes a tremendous amount of water and increases the water bill. Commercial irrigation systems like the drip irrigation system can prevent weeds’ growth because the drip irrigation system waters the root systems of flowers, trees, and plants. With drip irrigation, you can also decrease the number of weeds popping up on your commercial lawn.

 

With the help of commercial irrigation systems, we can save time because running a business is time-consuming. If you irrigate your lawn yourself, it will be more time-consuming and headache for you. The benefit of having a programmed irrigation system is suitable. It allows you to set the irrigation schedule daily or weekly, depending on the season. Due to programming irrigation, you can be guessing out that how much water your commercial landscape requires.

Five Best commercial irrigation systems

The design of the landscape was incomplete without the proper irrigation plan. Because depend on rainwater is impossible, specifically in Australia where the rainfall is insufficient and unreliable. There are a lot of options for commercial irrigation systems, and each has its benefits. In all these systems, which method is better? The answer to this question depends on numerous aspects such as soil, planting, climate, and exposure. Planning your irrigation needs is a critical part of landscape design. These are the five best commercial irrigation systems that can fulfil your lawn water requirements and keep them healthy.

Sprinkler irrigation system

It is the application of water in a spray formed from water flow under pressure through small nozzles and openings. The flexibility of present-day sprinkler equipment and its efficient control of water application make this method more useful for commercial lawn and landscapes, agronomic crops, and vegetable production.

The most common determined of sprinkler irrigation is to put on water uniformly on the soil surface to replace water extracted by plants. The pressure is generally obtained by pumping, even though gravity might obtain it if the water source is high enough above the irrigated area. 

 

Advantages of sprinkler irrigation system

Some of the essential advantages of the sprinkler irrigation system are

• It is reasonable and completely set up. You would not have to spend much on labor costs for setting it up.
• There is no necessity to utilize many areas of your field for setting up sprinkler irrigation.
• The intervention with cultivation for setting up the sprinkler irrigation is pointedly less. So, you will not face a huge loss.
• Frequent application of water can be provided to the plants. You will not need to do it yourself.
• The dispersion will consistently be equivalent.
• The amount of water being provided can be controlled, so you will also be able to save water subjected to the necessity and requirement of plants.
• The sprinkler irrigation is appropriate for setting up in all types of soil.
• This system can be utilised for different purposes as well as cooling during high temperatures.

Disadvantages of sprinkler irrigation system

Following are the disadvantages of sprinkler irrigation system

• The investment cost required for buying the apparatus of the sprinkler irrigation system is high.
• Spraying water droplets uniformly, there is a requirement for a constant water supply.
• The nonstop power supply is essential for operating sprinkler irrigation systems.
• The chance of evaporation is maximum if the environment is windy.
• Due to the presence of debris and other deposits in the nozzles, it can get clogged.

 

2)   Drip Irrigation System

In this irrigation system, a network of pipes is laid in the area you want to irrigate. The tubes have emitters or holes at intervals that help deliver water to the roots of the plants. Drip irrigation is best for garden and commercial lawns. It can also be used in high-value crops, including vineyards and orchards.

For drip irrigation, you can place the pipes underground or above the ground. Drip irrigation is trending because it uses 30 to 50 percent less water than other irrigation system. The water drips slowly and only targets the roots of the plants.

Advantages of drip irrigation system

Following are some advantages of a drip irrigation system.

• In this system of Irrigation, water is used at the optimum level.
• As water is applied locally and leaching is reduced, the leaching of nutrients is also reduced.
• Water will be unavailable for weeds, so their growth is less because it cannot absorb moisture.
• The yield of the crop will be maximum because of maximum water and nutrients use efficiency.\
• It also prevents the erosion of soil
• Energy cost is minimal as it is operated at a lower pressure than other irrigation systems.
• In uneven lands, the drip irrigation method can do balance irrigation.

 

Disadvantages of drip irrigation system

Following are some demerits of drip irrigation system

• It may be expensive.
• It needs extraordinary practical knowledge for successful operation.
• In heavy soils, it makes difficulties of movement and water blockages.
• Plants can get nutritional elements in a minimal area.
• Maximum attention has to be taken for holes of drippers since the soil may come along with water at any time, which will prevent water dripping smoothing from holes.

 

Surface irrigation system

In a surface irrigation system, water is applied and distributed over the soil surface by gravity. It is the most common form of Irrigation throughout the world and has been practiced in many areas virtually unchanged for thousands of years.

In this type of Irrigation, water is supplied to the top end of the lawn, and it will flow or advance above the field size. After the water spreads to the end of the field, it will run off or start to the pond. Surface irrigation is also known as flood irrigation. Surface irrigation comes in three major types such as level basin, furrow, and border strip.

 

Basin irrigation: Irrigation of land by surrounding it with barriers to form a basin and flooding it with water.

Furrow Irrigation is a method of laying out the water channels in such a way that gravity provides just enough water for suitable plants.

Border strip irrigation is a type of surface irrigation where the field is divided into strips separated by border ridges, and the area between the ridges is flooded during irrigation.

Advantages of surface irrigation system

Following are the advantages of a surface irrigation system

• The management of surface irrigation systems is relatively easy, and you do not need any recent machinery. If you have limited traditional information, you can do it.
• You do not need the proper economic support. You can be advantageous with small lands too.
• If you have short-time water supplies, then this is the best process for you.
• You need longer tubes if the drainage system is far from you.
• The surface irrigation system is nature friendly. Due to surface irrigation, you can also utilize rainwater.
• The surface irrigation system can also work efficiently at the minimum rate of filtration.
• You can use this type of irrigation process in sloping lands and long commercial landscapes.
• Energy requirements for surface irrigation systems come from gravity. It is a significant advantage in today’s economy using negligible energy means.

 

Disadvantages of Surface Irrigation

The followings are the surface irrigation disadvantages.

• Level lands require high accuracy, and you cannot use them there.
• Not appropriate for soil with a great rate of filtration.
• Plants are continuously enclosed with water even when they do not need it.
• Sometimes limited space gets more water than required.
• No drainage outlet.

 

Centre Pivot Irrigation System

A Centre pivot irrigation system refers to using a mechanical irrigation system that can help irrigate crops by maintaining a circular pattern around a centre pivot. It essentially consists of a long radial pipe that is supported by sprinkling towers. These towers pivot around a centre point of the whole mechanism. The tubes consist of equally spaced nozzles to supply water to the surroundings. As the lines rotate, the water is uniformly released from the nozzles.

The centre-pivot irrigation system is the most popular globally because of its high efficiency, high uniformity, ability to irrigate uneven terrain, and low capital, maintenance, and management costs.

 

Advantages of centre pivot irrigation system

The centre-pivot irrigation system has many advantages, including

• The system can apply the prescribed volume of water to match crop water requirements. It reduces the opportunity for surface runoff or deep percolation.
• It has been reported that the efficiency of the new design machine is 80-95% compared to 50-90% for the surface irrigation system.
• The requirement of labourers is generally low as compared to the surface irrigation system.
• This irrigation system may also be used to apply herbicides and pesticides.
• It May operate at lower pressure, thus may conserving energy.
• There is no need to level the land, saving a lot of money and environmental damage.

Disadvantages of centre pivot irrigation system

There is no perfect irrigation system. Every type has advantages and disadvantages. The negative associated with the center pivot include.

• High initial cost
• High maintenance cost
• The field surface should be flat.
• Not suitable for Irrigation in windy conditions. Uneven water application may occur, and applied fertilizers may be carried away.

 

Subsurface Commercial Irrigation systems 

In this irrigation system, water is applied beneath the land surface through a network of buried perforated or open jointed pipes. As water is passed under pressure in these pipes, it comes through open joints. The depth of pipes should not be less than 40 cm so that these do not cause any interference to the cultivation. The water used in this type of Irrigation should be of good quality, so the perforation does not get clogged. The subsurface irrigation system is growing in importance today. It provides numerous opportunities for large-scale and small growers alike.

Advantages of subsurface commercial irrigation systems

Some advantages of subsurface irrigation systems are

• There is an immediate reduction in coat simply because there is no need for a worker to water plants since the subsurface irrigates the field automatically.
• It costs less to water plants more fully. Less water is lost in the process, and there is no runoff and evaporation.
• Excellent performance in the windy and arid location
• Plants grown in these conditions may grow more uniformly. The water is evenly distributed across all plants, improving the overall growth level.
• Frequent Irrigation allows for optimum soil moisture content in the root zone.

 

`Disadvantages of subsurface commercial irrigation systems

Some disadvantages of the subsurface irrigation system are given below.

• Driving vehicles over a subsurface irrigation system will likely damage piping.
• Bacterial slimes and algae growing on the interior walls of the laterals and emitters combined with clay particles in the water can block the emitters.
• A lot of repair work is caused by rodents chewing the tubes.
• Storage facilities for effluent must exist for extended periods when the ground for subsurface irrigation systems is wet or frozen.

Related Information from Red’s Landscaping Melbourne

5 tips for Drought Tolerant Landscaping in Melbourne

9 Reasons to choose a commercial rooftop garden

 

Commercial Landscaping of Public Spaces.

 

Commercial Landscaping Melbourne

 

© Red’s Landscaping Melbourne – Quality Landscapers Melbourne

 

Irrigation References and Further Information

Drip systems