Sprinklers for Irrigation Purposes

Horticulture is the art and science of growing plants -- flowers, fruits or vegetables. Horticulturists are tasked with nourishing the plants with their needs from the time they are planted until they mature. These needs include a place to grow, the proper temperature, air, light and water.

Irrigation is a response to plants need for water. There are different irrigation methods being used nowadays, namely, surface irrigation (border or furrow irrigation), overhead irrigation, trickle or drip irrigation, and sub-surface irrigation and plastic mulch.

1. Surface Irrigation. Surface irrigation is the simplest form of irrigation because it uses natural flooding -- ideal for farmlands where crops are more or less deemed worthless, or fields solely intended for grazing and recreation. What is needed is an appropriate water source. In border irrigation, the field is inundated with water from one end and drained from the other.

2. Overhead Irrigation. Overhead irrigation is an irrigation method that is similar to that of a lawn sprinkler. Water is suctioned and dispersed from flat nozzles onto the plants. Overhead irrigation is ideal for vast land areas, and therefore needs abundant high-pressure water supply. Overhead irrigation can be disassembled and transported from one field to another with ease. The more complicated the overhead irrigation system is, the more expensive it becomes.

3. Trickle or drip irrigation. In contrast to surface irrigation and overhead irrigation where water supply seems unrestrained, trickle or drip irrigation operates otherwise -- water is controlled. In this method, water is dispersed near the plant roots through a channel of drip emitters, while the upper parts of the plant are kept dry to minimize fungal infection. Since water application is regulated, the trickle or drip irrigation system is deemed economically feasible.

4. Sub-surface irrigation. Sub-surface irrigation is an irrigation method that is a variation of the trickle or drip irrigation where an irrigation tube is embedded 5" below the ground to target the water directly to the plant roots. Water evaporation is mostly eliminated in sub-surface irrigation, and no water wastage takes place. Plastic mulch is a protective device of organic material placed around the plants to lessen evaporation, prevent weed growth, protect roots from frost damage and aid in keeping fruit off the ground.

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