Flood Irrigation Indicator – The Solution To Water Waste
Alfalfa is a thirsty crop. It uses more than 20 percent of all of the irrigation water in California. The primary way of watering alfalfa is by flood irrigation. This normally results in heavy runoff, which wastes water and sends nutrients from the field into the water supply. It is difficult to estimate when to shut off the water at the right time to prevent runoff, the current practice for determining when to cut off the water supply was compared to a more automated method using dataloggers and sensors. The conventional method for determining water shutoff time requires the irrigation personnel to make several trips to the field. When testing the outcome of this practice, 6,000 to 10,000 l (1,600 to 2,600 gal) was wasted from each check every time. [https://www.campbellsci.com/ca-irrigation]
The invention of modern drip irrigation, also known as micro-irrigation. The method runs water through plastic tubes that release the flow through small holes directly to crop roots or stems.
The precise application allows drip-irrigated crops to be watered more frequently than with traditional sprinkler methods. Yet farmers waste fewer resources because most water is absorbed through transpiration. As a result, many governments have encouraged drip irrigation as a water-conserving technology that can boost crop yields.
But drip irrigation may have a downside, according to a study published in last week’s Proceedings of the National Academies of Science [http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2008/11/17/0805554105.full.pdf?sid=cdce4d4d-d3fb-4759-a8a6-19dd6369759d.].
In traditional flood or sprinkler irrigation, “wasted” water – the water not absorbed by crops – seeps into the ground and recharges the below-surface aquifers used by area farmers. As drip irrigation becomes more common, recharge of groundwater may be less frequent, the study said.
Amid one of the worst droughts in state history, environmental advocates say farms are where the big gains in water conservation will come from, not in the residential and commercial sectors. That is because farms use 62 to 75 percent of all the water diverted in California for human purposes, depending on how that consumption is measured.
“There are still a lot of farms that are using very inefficient forms of irrigation, where you just basically release the water onto your field,” said Kari Hamerschlag, a senior agriculture analyst at Environmental Working Group in Oakland. “There should be some policy that holds farms to a higher standard.” [http://www.mullerranch.com/making_news/sacbee_drip_2_2014.html]
Introducing the Simple Higher Standard!! Ag Flag – Flood Irrigation Indicator
“The lowest cost water management system on the market”
Everyone who flood irrigates a crop can save using the Ag Flag. It can be used in a furrow, ditch, check, row, block or even an open field. [Read More]
See Our Instructional Video for the Ag Flag
Just Three Easy steps to begin flood irrigating using the Ag Flag. Watch this instructional video for easy directions and get started today! [https://www.emersonag.com/instructions/]
The Ag Flag is designed to signal you when your water reaches your “Water Shut Off Location” it can help you save money and water the first time you … [Read More]
The Ag-Flag from Flag-R-Mon Products was the Five Star Attendees’ Choice at the 2011 World Ag Expo in Tulare, California. It was chosen top product of … [Read More]
World Ag Expo Announces Top-10 New Product Attendees’ Choice Award Winner
TULARE, Calif. — More than 4,800 votes were cast in the second annual World Ag Expo Top-10 Attendees’ Choice Award Contest. With 1,584 votes and an average ranking of 4 stars per vote, Ag Flag is the winner.
Mounted at the end of a 5-foot-long Fiberglass pole, which is bent over in a U shape, the Ag Flag springs up when irrigation water dissolves a strip of paper that secures the flag end of the pole to a stake in the ground. Once released and standing upright, the bright orange flag can be seen up to a mile away in daylight.
See how inexpensive getting started with this simple water management tool can be. Packages suited for your farming needs…[Enter Store]
