Irrigation and water management
Our irrigation and water management services have been developed to provide excellent crop performance together with full justification and economy of water use. In addition we believe the services described will generate the information required by SEPA and the EA as part of a licence application or licence defence.
The environmental regulators in Britain have the duty to promote both the protection of the water environment and to encourage the efficient use of water resources. It is part of the application for abstraction authorisation to justify the amount and periods of use. In addition, farmers are required to report storage, use and discharge of water, which will be related with the long term environmental monitoring in the catchment. Therefore, in order to fulfill these requirements, farmers are expected to put enough effort on effective management of water and pursuing water efficiency.
The E C Water Framework Directive is the piece of legislation which gives attention to the conservation of water and avoidance of diffuse pollution.
Planning Services - to develop best strategy
1. Irrigation strategy development and water efficiency planning
Consultation on the methods available to limit the water demand in specific situations is provided. Best practice for efficient water use is defined accounting for the implications of soil types, available equipment, rotations, cultivations, crops, varieties and market requirements. A strategy to suit is developed and defined.
2. Determination of seasonal demand
An estimate of water likely to be used within the season, indicating peak demand per day, month and throughout the year is calculated and reported.
Management Services - to make every drop count
1. Irrigation scheduling and advice including continuous moisture monitoring and recording
Detailed irrigation scheduling and monitoring, to include specific advice of when and where to irrigate is provided. Advice includes the quantification of needs in order to satisfy crop demand for quality and bulking. Scheduling involves the use of local weather data, weather forecasts, soil moisture sensing equipment, and crop canopy and root development to predict and justify water use. Reporting weekly or more frequently in accordance with customer's needs.
This service provides the key elements of water use management and is an essential component of abstraction licence maintenance and defence.
2. Weather data reporting
Recording and storage of local weather data, including rainfall, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and solar radiation. This service generates daily values of local potential evapotranspiration (ET0) from which crop water use (Etc) can be calculated. Local rainfall is recorded as it arrives and knowledge of this enables effective daily fieldwork planning. A variety of access rights and reports can be configured and a relationship of current data with seasonal averages can be calculated.
3. Soil moisture sensing
Continuous soil moisture sensing , generating accurate and up to date information on soil moisture content and deficits and crop response to the prevailing climatic conditions and applied irrigation. Continuous information on the soil moisture status allows irrigation to be fine tuned precisely to maximise crop performance and water economy. A choice of sensor types is available to exactly suit the customer’s application and preferences.
A variety of reports and alerts can be configured.
4. Water movement monitoring and leaching aviodance
Multiple depth moisture sensing equipment detects the presence of all drying zones even when the top layer is moist. The better informed irrigator applies sufficient water to satisfy the needs of the critical layer without over watering so that diffuse pollution through the leaching of nutrients is avoided.
5. Flow metering and reservoir level sensing
Continuous flow monitoring and recording through remote sensing of reservoir levels and abstracted quantities of water (ground water, surface water, piped water).
6. Season irrigation review and report
An overview of the seasons water use detailing, how much water was applied, when, where and why - all presented in a bound report to be kept in the farm office and suitable for licence maintenance and renewal.
The environmental regulators in Britain have the duty to promote both the protection of the water environment and to encourage the efficient use of water resources. It is part of the application for abstraction authorisation to justify the amount and periods of use. In addition, farmers are required to report storage, use and discharge of water, which will be related with the long term environmental monitoring in the catchment. Therefore, in order to fulfill these requirements, farmers are expected to put enough effort on effective management of water and pursuing water efficiency.
The E C Water Framework Directive is the piece of legislation which gives attention to the conservation of water and avoidance of diffuse pollution.
Planning Services - to develop best strategy
1. Irrigation strategy development and water efficiency planning
Consultation on the methods available to limit the water demand in specific situations is provided. Best practice for efficient water use is defined accounting for the implications of soil types, available equipment, rotations, cultivations, crops, varieties and market requirements. A strategy to suit is developed and defined.
2. Determination of seasonal demand
An estimate of water likely to be used within the season, indicating peak demand per day, month and throughout the year is calculated and reported.
Management Services - to make every drop count
1. Irrigation scheduling and advice including continuous moisture monitoring and recording
Detailed irrigation scheduling and monitoring, to include specific advice of when and where to irrigate is provided. Advice includes the quantification of needs in order to satisfy crop demand for quality and bulking. Scheduling involves the use of local weather data, weather forecasts, soil moisture sensing equipment, and crop canopy and root development to predict and justify water use. Reporting weekly or more frequently in accordance with customer's needs.
This service provides the key elements of water use management and is an essential component of abstraction licence maintenance and defence.
2. Weather data reporting
Recording and storage of local weather data, including rainfall, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and solar radiation. This service generates daily values of local potential evapotranspiration (ET0) from which crop water use (Etc) can be calculated. Local rainfall is recorded as it arrives and knowledge of this enables effective daily fieldwork planning. A variety of access rights and reports can be configured and a relationship of current data with seasonal averages can be calculated.
3. Soil moisture sensing
Continuous soil moisture sensing , generating accurate and up to date information on soil moisture content and deficits and crop response to the prevailing climatic conditions and applied irrigation. Continuous information on the soil moisture status allows irrigation to be fine tuned precisely to maximise crop performance and water economy. A choice of sensor types is available to exactly suit the customer’s application and preferences.
A variety of reports and alerts can be configured.
4. Water movement monitoring and leaching aviodance
Multiple depth moisture sensing equipment detects the presence of all drying zones even when the top layer is moist. The better informed irrigator applies sufficient water to satisfy the needs of the critical layer without over watering so that diffuse pollution through the leaching of nutrients is avoided.
5. Flow metering and reservoir level sensing
Continuous flow monitoring and recording through remote sensing of reservoir levels and abstracted quantities of water (ground water, surface water, piped water).
6. Season irrigation review and report
An overview of the seasons water use detailing, how much water was applied, when, where and why - all presented in a bound report to be kept in the farm office and suitable for licence maintenance and renewal.