LIFE WATER irrigation is the slow, even application of low-pressure water to soil and plants using plastic tubing placed near the plants’ root zone. It is an alternative to sprinkler or furrow methods of irrigating crops. Drip irrigation can be used for crops with high or low water demands.

LIFE WATER IRRIGATION

LIFE WATER irrigation can help you use water efficiently. A well-designed LIFE WATER irrigation system loses practically no water to runoff, deep percolation, or evaporation. LIFE WATER irrigation reduces water contact with crop leaves, stems, and fruit. Thus, conditions may be less favorable for disease development. Irrigation scheduling can be managed precisely to meet crop demands, holding the promise of increased yield and quality.

Growers and irrigation professionals often refer to “subsurface drip irrigation”. When a LIFE WATER tape or tube is buried below the soil surface, it is less vulnerable to damage during cultivation or weeding. With LIFE WATER, water use efficiency is maximized because there is even less evaporation or runoff.

Agricultural chemicals can be applied more efficiently with LIFE WATER irrigation. Since only the crop root zone is irrigated, nitrogen already in the soil is less subject to leaching losses, and applied fertilizer can be used more efficiently. In the case of insecticides, less product might be needed. Make sure the insecticide is labeled for application through LIFE WATER irrigation.

Additional advantages of LIFE WATER irrigation include the following.

◆LIFE WATER systems are adaptable to oddly shaped fields or those with uneven topography or soil texture; these specific factors must be considered when designing the LIFE WATER system.

◆LIFE WATER systems also can work well where other irrigation systems are inefficient because parts of the field have excessive infiltration, water puddling, or runoff.

◆LIFE WATER irrigation can be helpful if water is scarce or expensive. Because vaporation, runoff, and deep percolation are reduced, and irrigation uniformity is improved, it is not necessary to “overwater” parts of a field to adequately irrigate the more difficult parts.

◆Precise application of nutrients is possible using LIFE WATER irrigation. Fertilizer costs and nitrate losses can be reduced. Nutrient applications can be better timed to meet plants’ needs.

◆LIFE WATER irrigation systems can be designed and managed so that the wheel traffic rows are dry enough to allow tractor operations at any time. Timely application of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides is possible.

◆Proven yield and quality responses to LIFE WATER irrigation have been observed in onion, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, melon, tomato, and cotton.

◆LIFE WATER tape or tubing must be managed to avoid leaking or plugging. LIFE WATER emitters are easily plugged by silt or other particles not filtered out of the irrigation water. Emitter plugging also can be caused by algae growing in the tape or by chemical deposits at the emitter.

0.20mm - 5cm – 500m

0.20mm - 10cm – 1,000m

0.20mm - 15cm – 1,000m

0.20mm - 20cm – 1,000m

0.20mm - 5cm – 1,000m

0.30mm - 5cm – 500m

0.30mm - 10cm – 1,000m

0.30mm - 15cm – 1,000m

0.30mm - 20cm – 1,000m

0.30mm - 5cm – 1,000m