Benefits of Automated Irrigation Systems

Automatic irrigation allows the flow of water to start and stop, or be directed to different areas, without the need for any manual effort. While irrigation is a vital part of farming, automatic irrigation has many benefits for both farmers and other landowners. Here’s what you need to know. 

Save Money

Automatic irrigation saves you time. Therefore, you also save money. Depending on the number of pumps you have and the number of hours you need to water, you can also save money on your water and power bills. 

As there isn’t a need to inspect pump sites as often in a vehicle, you will likely use less fuel and suffer less wear and tear expenses.

Less Manual Labor 

With an automated irrigation system, you can monitor and control almost all aspects of irrigation. For example, at the touch of a button you can do things like:

• Turn pumps on and off
• Cut off the flow from one area and direct it to a different area
• Keep an eye on pivots, sprinklers and control all types of diesel and electric motors.

“When we’re on full irrigation, the job was 24 hours a day, seven days a week for half the year,” Cane grower Denis Pozzebon said. “Now I’ll be in Sydney this weekend irrigating.”

Even if you don’t have power, your system can be set up using solar. 

Improved Water Efficiency

The layout of an irrigation system needs to be properly planned so your plants and crops receive the right amount of water at the right time. Provided your irrigation system is installed and set up by a professional, any under-watering and over-watering issues will be eliminated. This is beneficial to the crops and plants, as well as your water bill. 

Are Automated Irrigation Systems Worth It? 

Whatever type of automatic irrigation system you go for, time does need to be invested in the initial setup, and in ongoing maintenance to ensure your system works properly and keeps running efficiently. You also need to factor in the cost to purchase the system and ongoing maintenance expenses before deciding whether an automatic system is financially viable.

Read more about the benefits of automated irrigation systems in the full article from Grain Central. And if you need help designing or installing an irrigation system, contact Goulburn Valley Sprinklers & Landscaping today!