subject: Irrigation Systems And Equipment For Agriculture Needs In Tasmania [print this page] Many years ago, when half the current number of people inhabit the planet, it was a common perception that water was an infinite source. Less water was needed in agriculture as there was less demand for food. Rainwater, rivers and lakes and other water sources satisfy the needs of the nearby soil and crops. Today, the competition for water resource is much more intense. There is the increased competition for water from industry, urbanization and biofuel crops. This competition pushes the farmers to find ways to use water more efficiently in order to increase productivity and to meet the growing demand for food.
Successful agriculture is dependent upon farmers having sufficient access to water. Irrigation Systems and equipment give the farmers the alternative to use enough water to meet the demands of production while at the same time allowing the ecosystem to function effectively. Irrigation systems and equipment help the farmers achieve maximum crop yield. However, irrigation may cause problems to the soil and the environment in general.
Irrigation system that safeguards the soil doesnt mean going back to the manual irrigation system which uses buckets and watering cans like in most African countries. The goal is to supply the entire field uniformly with water, so that each plant gets the amount of water it needs, neither too much nor too little.
Tasmania, being an agricultural state that is not exempted from the present scarce of water is backed by companies like Van Diemens Land Irrigation Pty Ltd. that offers irrigation solution to farmers to help them attain maximum crop yield. Irrigation equipments common in Tasmania are Center Pivot Irrigation, Travelling Irrigator, Pump sets and Hard Hose.
Center pivot irrigation is a form of pivot irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe joined together and supported by trusses, mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length. The irrigator moves in a circular pattern and is fed with water from the pivot point at the center of the arc. This kind of pivot irrigation is used in all types of terrain.
Lateral move is a kind of traveling irrigator that consists a series of pipes, each with a wheel about a meter in diameter permanently affixed to its midpoint and sprinklers along its length extending at one edge of the field. Water is supplied at one end using a large hose. After sufficient water has been applied, the hose is removed and the remaining assembly is rotated either by hand or with a purpose-built mechanism, so that the sprinklers move across the field. The hose is reconnected, the process repeated until the opposite edge of the field is reached. This traveling irrigator system is less expensive to install than a center pivot irrigation, but much more labor intensive to operate, and it is limited in the amount of water it can carry. One feature of a traveling irrigator is that it consists of sections that can be easily disconnected. This kind of traveling irrigator is often used for small or oddly shaped fields, such as those found in hilly or mountainous regions, or in regions where labor is inexpensive.
Hard hose irrigators that come in different sizes and capacities, this irrigator is heavy duty and field proven it is expected to give an optimal performance even at very low pressures and flow rates.
Pump sets like electric pump set, pump set diesel, sprinkles also come in various sizes and deliver the performance that the customers require. With the different pumping system designs a uniform water application can be expected.
With Van Diemens Land Irrigation Pty Ltd. around Tasmania, water distribution and irrigation problems are already given solution . Agriculture has no other way but up.
