Irrigation

Night-frost irrigation

Aquaned specialises in night-frost irrigation for fruit cultivation and horticulture to avoid the damage caused by night-frost in the spring. For night-frost protection a good sprinkler that meets all the requirements is essential. This means that the sprinkler has to make a complete revolution in one minute, during which time the flow is interrupted at least 100 times. By definition, each night-frost installation has to be custom made. For instance, the pipe diameter must be accurately calculated. The pressure difference between the pump and the last sprinkler must not be more than 1.5 bar. If the difference is greater, the trees closest to the pump will get too much water. The excessive ice formation this causes may result in snapped branches. With a high pressure difference, the last trees in the row will not get enough water, so the protective effect of night-frost irrigation will be counteracted and frost damage can still occur. 

The right choice of pump type also plays a big role. This pump must be able to supply enough water: at least 30-35m3/hour/hectare. The pump performance and the related energy costs are also becoming increasingly important. Night-frost irrigation is constructed for immediate use as soon as frost starts to set in. Regular testing and maintenance is required so users can rely on the installation to work as soon as it is actually necessary. Good maintenance prolongs the lifespan of your installation and prevents unplanned standstills.

Drought irrigation
Drought irrigation places much higher demands on water quality than night-frost irrigation. Bad quality water can cause damage to the plants above ground level, such as russeting and burning or below ground level through the accumulation of undesirable salts in the root system. Brown stain fungus and residues on plants can lead to stagnated growth. Assessing the harmful effects in irrigation water is not always easy. Some elements even give positive results in low concentrations and cause damage in high concentrations. Damage is usually caused by a combination of different factors. The sensitivity of different plants is also diverse. The irrigation specialists are happy to advise you, and perform an extensive water analysis on your behalf in advance. If the analysis indicates that the water quality could cause problems, the Aquaned specialists can offer technical solutions using deferrization, water softening or reverse osmosis.

AquaNed Watertechniek BV Oudenbosch T 0165-313350