The importance of irrigation performance checks
Just like getting a health check, your irrigation system needs one too. A performance check will assess whether your irrigation system is operating as designed; including whether it’s applying the right depth and how uniformly.
Performance checks are also important to meet Farm Environment Plan requirements associated with your property land use consent, you need to demonstrate that your irrigation system is designed and operating efficiently.
So, how do you know if your irrigation system is operating efficiently as per design? The only way to know is to carry out performance testing. Performance of your irrigation system may change over time, and issues may arise due to worn components and/or incorrect part replacement. Underperformance of your irrigation system may significantly impact your bottom line, seeing reduced crop growth. If your paddock has dry patches, performance is poor!
What does testing do? And what kind of tests are there? The key purpose of testing is to gather data on the irrigation system performance and identify any areas of improvement. Different tests are available depending on the level of assessment required:
Irrigation Evaluation
An irrigation evaluation is a full evaluation of the irrigation system, checking performance from the water supply right through to when the water lands on the ground. First, checks are made at the water supply to ensure that the design flows and pressure are delivered at the headworks — are you delivering too much pressure (at greater power cost), or not enough pressure (irrigator won’t perform as designed). Next, pressure and flowrate checks are made at various points around the system and at the irrigator. Once these pressure and flows are confirmed to be within the design limits, pressure testing and uniformity testing (also referred to as bucket testing) is then completed at the irrigator to assess irrigator importance. This process is important, as the irrigator will only perform properly if the correct flow and pressure is delivered to the irrigator.
Bucket Test
The ‘bucket test’ is a simplified test which involves testing the uniformity of the irrigator and the application depth applied. This test works best when it is known that sufficient flow and pressure is delivered to the irrigator. Or it can be a quick test to work out whether there is a problem and if more detailed testing is required. It will often reveal the symptoms of a problem, but not necessarily the cause.
If an issue is identified during testing, advice on next steps to improve performance is then talked through. Often, they can be easily done by carrying out repairs/maintenance or making adjustments to the irrigation system. Where a bigger issue is identified, for example where flow/pressure delivered to the irrigator isn’t sufficient, analysis of the water supply, pipe network and irrigators may be required to identify where improvements can be made to the performance, including operational decisions to ensure the system is working optimally.
The thing is, no two irrigation systems are the same. It’s therefore important that the right tests, analyses and interpretations are applied to match your needs. Testing will also help you identify issues early on (such as reduction in irrigation system performance or equipment ageing) which can save you time and money in the long run.
The team at Aqualinc can help with irrigation performance checks and additional analysis to ensure that your irrigation system is operating optimally. This testing will provide you with the confidence that you are maximising the value of your irrigation system by ensuring you are using the water resource efficiently and contributing to optimal crop growth.
