The average size of a U.S. farm is about 435 acres. To ensure that those farms remain healthy and profitable, it’s important for landowners to keep up with their property’s agriculture irrigation needs. In 2013, more than 229,000 U.S. farms with over 55 million acres were fully irrigated.
There are a few different types of agriculture affixation systems that can enable farms to stay productive even when rainfall is scarce or a water supply is too far away. Agriculture irrigation falls into four categories. Here are the farm irrigation systems that are used across the industry:
Sprinkler
Sprinkler irrigation is best used to water landscapes that have irregular shapes, sizes, and slopes. These aren’t your typical neighborhood sprinklers that kids run through, however; these are industrial-size, and range across acres of farmland to properly irrigate it. Agricultural land, in some areas of the country, can feel like a desert and can seem virtually moisture-free. Proper irrigation can improve the moisture levels throughout your entire property, improve crop production, and better your position within the agricultural industry.
Flood
Flood irrigation can be performed through furrow irrigation and graded border irrigation. Furrow irrigation uses water that is passed through specifically graded furrows down a slope. The entire system is aligned with an aboveground PVC pipe that has openings at each furrow to pass water through.
Graded border irrigation uses water that is passed down a narrow strip of land with high borders on each side. The water is then supplied at the highest part of the border on an underground pipeline and irrigates the land with valve and riser equipment.
Micro
Micro irrigation can still cover extremely large farm properties, but can also irrigate individual pieces of land at the property owner’s discretion. By using small, low-volume sprinklers, farmers can water individual acres, a small garden, a patch of trees, or — provided enough micro sprinklers are present — hundreds of acres of farmland.
Drip
Another smaller irrigation process, drip irrigation uses poly tubes to coat a small area, usually the root of the crop, with a light layer of water. By installing emitters on individual plants, trees, or crop, farmers can custom irrigate just about anything on their property. The actual drip system can be installed underground or aboveground to irrigate any specific agricultural object.
If you want to learn more about agriculture irrigation systems, or contact an experienced agricultural equipment part supplier, contact Woofter Construction and Irrigation today!