In recent years, drip irrigation has become more and more common, and irrigation companies are designing more products to improve efficiency and simplify installation.
The growing global population, drought, and the entire industry’s shift towards more sustainable options have led to drip irrigation becoming more and more popular.
Because of this, irrigation companies are working hard to provide contractors with products that are more advanced, more environmentally friendly and speed up the installation time.
“This is the most effective form of irrigation because it puts the water directly where it is needed,” said Peter Lackner, Toro’s product manager. “This is especially true for underground irrigation, which places the water directly at the root level.”
Rick Foster, the chief product manager of Rain Bird’s landscape drip irrigation business unit, calls drip irrigation a problem solver because it eliminates overspraying in cars, parking lots, sidewalks, and other areas that don’t need it.
“Drip irrigation can be installed underground… which means you can’t see it. If they can’t see it, they can’t damage it. Unfortunately, the vandals saw the spray that suddenly appeared, and they kicked it. Feet,” he said. “It happened.”
“As the population increases and the demand for infrastructure is increasing, we are losing more water pressure,” said Rick Hall, K-Rain’s director of market development. “Drip irrigation is essentially a low-pressure delivery system. It will not suffer the same long-term effects as overhead systems.”
Hall added that during droughts, water conservation is essential, and some communities have given relief or exemptions to water restrictions for drip irrigation systems.
As drip irrigation is becoming more and more popular, irrigation companies are producing a wider range of products to meet demand.
“Dripline used to have a flow rate of about 0.9 gph (gallons per hour) with a pitch of 12 inches. Most manufacturers still only have one or two flows,” said Mauricio Troche, vice president of professional marketing for Netafim. “With our agricultural background, we understand that multiple flows are needed to meet different soil or plant types.”
Netafim’s equipment has flow rates as low as 0.26 gph and as high as 1.16 gph, with pitches ranging from 6 inches to 24 inches.
Rain Bird has also been improving the check valves, adding them to every emitter in the drip irrigation system.
“In a drip irrigation area or any irrigation area, when you complete the irrigation cycle and the valve closes, usually all the water will drain from the lowest point in the area,” Foster said. “And a lot of water was wasted… So one of the other advances that is happening is the integration of check valves into every tiny drip emitter.
“Therefore, instead of using the large, heavy, fist-sized online check valves that have existed for many years, the industry has developed miniature check valves located in each individual dripper,” he added. “This means that when the area is closed, all the water stays on the drip line.”
“When you go underground, you have to protect the equipment from root intrusion, which is a big problem,” Foster said.
“One of the most important advances is the use of copper in the drip irrigation device itself. As we all know, copper hinders the growth of roots, so when the roots are close to high concentrations of copper, the growth of the roots will be disturbed.”
Hunter has also begun to get involved in the copper industry. Robb Kowalewski, product manager of Hunter’s valve and micro-irrigation division, said that copper drip irrigation pipes will debut in the first quarter of 2021.
However, Kowalewski said that the company’s time-tested real product does a better job of preventing root intrusion.
“We think that the better investment is our Eco-Wrap and Eco-Mat,” he said. “Eco-Wrap is a drip tube surrounded by a wool lining. It is more resistant to roots than copper, and because of wool, it actually transfers water to the soil better.”
Lackner said that Toro still has its flagship product, the DL2000, which uses a cylindrical transmitter and can withstand debris.
“We improved our drip zone valve kit about three years ago. For anything dripping, it is important to install a filter and a pressure regulator in the pipeline,” he said.
“The modification we made is basically to integrate our regulator into a model that can withstand a wider range of flows. We basically have a universal flow pressure regulator… which makes it easier for contractors to install.”
In addition, Toro’s three-lock joints are suitable for drip irrigation pipes of various sizes, which helps contractors when remodeling or dealing with maintenance issues.
“We have developed a pre-assembled unit that we call a control area kit,” Foster said. “We don’t have to find all the individual components and confirm that they can all work together, but all the work is done for them.”
Netafim has created its unicycle tubing distributor and Techlock Fittings with the motto “Keep it simple”.
“The pipe distributor is like that. You put a roll on a wheelbarrow. Just like a lazy Susan, you can easily move it and quickly dispense the pipes,” Troche said.
“When you think you might move the pipe again or want to change the design, you can use Tech Lock fittings instead of plug-in fittings. They are designed for smaller spaces.”
“I remember that a few years ago, drip irrigation was considered a splurge or luxury,” he said. “But today it has become a common practice in many fields. With the increase of the population, the irrigation area is getting smaller and smaller, so drip irrigation has become the mainstream today.
“The need for long-distance water throwing is limited to sports fields, golf courses, large parks and similar places.”
“I suspect that as drip irrigation continues to become popular, you will find more companies offering creative ways to install it quickly,” he said.
“I expect we will see smoother water infrastructure expansion and people will use more backwater to water their landscapes,” he said.
“As more and more water agencies and states require the use of recycled water, we have developed two options,” he said. “We have always had a fully drained recycling option. Through our transmitter filtration and new copper oxide root intrusion technology, we now provide a recycled check valve version for projects with elevation changes.”
Kowalewski also stated that increasing attention to the environment will lead to more landscape architects incorporating dripping water.
“I think drip irrigation will continue to grow faster than overhead spraying,” he said. “I think the way people design may change globally…so drip irrigation will continue to evolve and become more relevant.”
But with so many options, Kowalewski said it may be difficult for contractors to know exactly what to choose.
“I think there are many (products) that are confusing, so I think the company may integrate products,” he said.
“Sometimes, simple innovations like pre-assembled systems can be very helpful to customers,” he said.
“I think this is very important, especially in the tight labor market and COVID-19. Contractors want to work with smaller teams and get in and out of the site quickly.”
Restart and improve your health and safety plan with tips from industry leaders with safety first thinking.
Picture it. A crew member was trimming the edge of the lawn in the suburbs, walking towards the corner while working. Wearing earmuffs, he focused on the finish line—he didn’t see the little boy running wild on the sidewalk. Suddenly, the trimmer fought back when it hit the root, and when the boy passed by him, he lost control of the equipment. The blade jammed the child’s leg, and suddenly, an ambulance drove over.
This is just one of the cases that the affiliated ground maintenance company in Erie, Pennsylvania shared with employees during the weekly safety tailgate. The president of Crystal Arlington and her husband Rich (the company’s business manager) also run an expert witness company. “When we come up with a case proposal, it makes people think,” Crystal Arlington said.
The head of the team operating the lawn mower ignored the safety shots. A stone jumped into the client’s kitchen window.
“The best thing I have ever done is to hire expert witnesses as employees,” Arlington said, adding that several other employees also have this certificate and like safety.
The safety talk involves training. Over the years, the affiliated ground maintenance company has created a series of protocols to guide everything from operating the lawn mower to washing clothes contaminated by pesticides. Don Mahoney said that the security agreement of Mahoney Associates in Southampton, New York “originally came from a strict school,” but as the company grew and grew, it relied on industry resources and peer networks to adopt formal procedures and agreements.
“In the beginning, safety was almost wearing earmuffs,” he said, comparing the basic method with today’s thorough safety culture. Each new team member received ear and eye protection, as well as a five-point split high-visibility vest.
“There are a lot of resources there,” Mahoney said, sharing how his company eventually became the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Stars Safe. “One of my favorite ways to learn about security training and policies is what I call’R&D’ or looting and copying. If you are in the network or have a good team of peers, they have figured out the manuals and procedures Put it together, usually they are willing to share with you.
“For many reasons, safety is so important,” Mahoney continued. “It separates you from the package. When we buy insurance or prepare for renewal, if we can go to the supplier and give them a binder showing your safety training and equipment in the past few years, it shows that you are committed to safety. .”
Team members sign in at each training meeting so that there is a running record to track attendance and emphasize accountability.
You can never assume that someone knows safety. “The experience of using all equipment does not mean that they have to work on the side of a highway or a main street,” said Chris Testa, general manager of United Right-of-Way in Phoenix, Arizona. His company serves the Department of Transportation (DOT) and municipalities, where transportation is a real risk.
As Testa said, just because a new employee shows up with a decorated resume does not mean you can cancel the safety training. Different companies have different training methods.
Post time: Nov-01-2021
