Valley Irrigation in Holland is one way of applying water to crops through an artificial method. Irrigation is a necessity in areas that are subject to drought conditions or have unpredictable and sporadic rains. The soil must receive adequate water via irrigation or nature to ensure a successful harvest. The water sources for agricultural irrigation are groundwater, rivers, ponds, wells and surface water.
The most basic of all irrigation systems is manual. Farm workers use cans of water to soak the soil and saturate the crop. This is very time consuming and labor dependent and is usually used on small-holdings or in poverty stricken areas of the world.
Surface irrigation was at one time the most sophisticated method used for large scale watering of cash crops. When surface irrigating, little canals are dug across the area to be irrigated and water is introduced into the high point of the canal system. Gravity is used to distribute the water across the crop area, there are no pumps used.
There are certain crops that are sub-irrigated; two examples are tomatoes and peppers. Sub irrigation is when water is delivered to the plant roots from below the surface of the soil. A pipe which is perforated is laid beneath the soil where the rows of plants will be. Water is introduced into the pipes; the water is then taken to the plant roots via pumps.
Sprinkler systems are used when the farmer wants to water the crops from above. Valley Irrigation in Holland systems use overhead sprinklers or high pressure water guns to distribute the water. In the case of sprinkler systems, there are two types, center pivot and those that traverse laterally.
Center pivot irrigation is very popular and can water up to 130 acres with a single system. The center pivot system consists of a core where the water is supplied and a series of pipes, trusses, and wheel towers. The sprinkler heads are attached to the pipe which travels the full length of the arm and the entire apparatus rotates about the center core. The speed of rotation is determined by the speed of travel of the outermost wheels. Center pivot irrigation is the choice when the fields are flat and spacious, they are ideal for grain crops.
Valley Irrigation in Holland is but one of the fine companies represented by Aqua-Tec irrigation, Inc. In addition to the center pivot and lateral machines, Aqua-Tec can provide unique irrigation solutions for blueberry fields.
