Hey! If you have decided to switch your lawn from water-wasting place to a lawn which only uses the right amount of then you are helping the earth in a significant way. Kudos!

Are you aware that most of the sprinkler systems are not efficient and lead to a 50% wastage of water? At this alarming stage where saving water has become so crucial, we must contribute towards this cause. So, choosing the right irrigation system is essential.

 

  1. Hand-moved sprinklers –

This system consists of a setup of aluminium pipe, which is used to distribute water from the source to the ground. One main line extends out across the field along with a series of lateral pipes that are moved with hands to sprinkle the water in the field in sections.

This system comes with a major advantage, which is that the total cost of the system is relatively low. When we talk about the benefits of something, its flaws come along. The disadvantage of this is that it is labor-intensive.

 

  1. Hand-moved big guns –

It is almost the same as hand-moved sprinklers. The only difference is that in this system, small and low volume sprinklers are replaced with big and high volume gun sprinklers. As the big guns cover a larger area, hence they require less labor.

The major advantage of this system is that it saves time as large fields can be irrigated quickly. The disadvantages are that it requires labor to set up and operate, and it sprinkles large droplet size, which has the tendency to harm the tender crop.

 

  1. Drip Irrigation –

It is also referred to as trickle irrigation. This is a slow and precise system of irrigating the plants because it provides 100% of water to the crops. When compared to traditional spray heads, which used to release approximately five gallons of water per minute, the drip irrigation system release a comparatively higher amount of water per hour. This system provides both the water saving as well as environmental advantage. It minimizes evaporation, prevents runoff, and avoid overspray. The water reaches deep into the roots, thus making the roots system healthier.

The disadvantage of this system is that freezing can lead to broken lines and blocked emitters.

 

  1. Solid-set sprinklers –

This system covers the entire field with laterals that are positioned in the field for the entire growing season. The header valves regulate these lateral lines. The advantages of this system are that they are suitable for frost protection; they are easy to operate because they are set in the field and need not to be moved. This system also requires less labor.

The disadvantage of solid-set sprinkler is that it is a capital intensive system. The other problem is that the pipes can block the operations such as cultivation, spraying, and harvesting.

 

  1. Traveling big sun sprinklers –

It possesses big gun sprinkler that is mounted on a wheeled cart. Further, it is connected to a hard plastic pipe on a mechanical reel. These systems are used to irrigate large areas that too, with little labor.

Its advantages are, it requires less labor work to set up and operate, irrigates more area, enhanced water distribution, and it can easily adapt to the field of any size and contour.

The disadvantages are that it demands high operating cost and are not suitable for frost protection. They have the potential to cause runoff and erosion.

 

  1. Center Pivots –

It has a moving pipeline for irrigation. The water is distributed along the length of the pipe that rotates around fixed, central water supply.

They are the best suitable for fields with a single crop. Its installation cost is quite high.