Available for growers who use Rivulis Vegi-HE Tape in Seven Counties Along the Central Coast in the United States
The Full Circle Sustainability program focuses on Rivulis’ Vegi-HE tape used exclusively in vegetable applications with a crop cycle of only four to six weeks where growers use new tape every growing season and crop rotation. Currently, the program is available to producers in seven counties along California Central Coast (USA) where the majority of lettuce and other short-cycle vegetable crops are grown. Thanks to Rivulis, this used Vegi-HE tape is now captured, recycled, and reused in many new, high-quality Rivulis products including heavy wall drip lines that have a life cycle of up to 15 years or more.  

GROW BEYOND while securing a sustainable future
Rivulis is proud to be a part of the incredible agriculture industry that feeds the world and to work with growers and our business partners to GROW BEYOND season after season while securing a sustainable future for all. We invite you to learn more and join the Rivulis Full Circle Sustainability program at https://rivulis.com/US_recycle/

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The primary purpose of irrigation, to apply water to plants to enable growth, remains the same; however, the methods in which to apply this water, and their associated efficiency and effectiveness have seen major advancements recently.

The beginning – surface (flood) irrigation

Flooding fields close to river basins has been practiced for at least the last millennia and it had a major impact on farmers’ crop production capabilities. While it has served as a good starting point in the field of irrigation, it is highly inefficient and leads to poor crop uniformity. In fact, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) publishes that flood irrigation delivers only 60% water use efficiency. When we consider a growing population and limited water resources, flood irrigation is not a long term solution for the future of agriculture.

The initial application for sprinklers was for fire safety applications which were followed by the development of lawn sprinklers in the late 19th century. The sprinkler soon started to gain popularity as it enabled the possibility to spray relatively small particles of water over a specified diameter. Especially for agriculture, it is important to note that the sprinkler system was of a fixed nature, and it had to be moved to different locations in order to irrigate large fields. The technology of this irrigation method has improved and is used today as a method to irrigate and also to provide frost protection. Modern impact sprinklers such as the S5000 [link to sprinkler product page] deliver wide wetting patterns and high uniformity.

1940 – Center pivot irrigation

The next step in improving water application over a large surface was to develop a mobile sprinkler irrigation system. This has been realized by the invention of center pivots that use a metal manifold which supplies water along the pipe’s length to hanging sprinklers. . While pivot irrigation is more efficient then flood irrigation, sprinkler irrigation still only has a water use efficiency of 75% according to FAO.

Present and future – Drip irrigation

Drip irrigation represents the latest development and most advanced method of irrigation and water management in agriculture. It consists of a network of piping aimed at evenly distributing water and soluble fertilizer to crops. The game changer that drip brought is unparalleled water use efficiency of 90% (FAO), coupled with the ability to distribute water and fertilizer with high uniformity. Rivulis makes drip irrigation and micro irrigation accessible to growers around the world and is responsible for some of the most significant advancements of drip irrigation technology including:

• Hydro PCND in 1998 – the world’s first no drain drip line that integrates a mini check valve inside the molded dripper. This enables the drip line to remain filled with water even after system shut-off, enabling frequent and short irrigation cycles including pulse irrigation.
• T-Tape drip tape with slit outlet in 1979 – first drip tape with an integrated emitter having an unique reinforced design in which the tape is folded and welded over itself, in turn creating a strong seam along the entire length of the tape. Today’s T-Tape features a knife cut slit outlet that protects the emitter from ingesting soil particles. By not having a molded emitter, T-Tape is able to deliver greater system efficiency and uniform yields by providing closer dripper spacing at no extra cost.
• X-Pell in 2018 – The world’s first insect repellent drip line / tape. A revolutionary solution that blends a pyrethroid into the plastic matrix to provide insect damage protection to the drip line / tape.
• D5000 PC was developed in 2011 and set a new standard in dripline technology when it was launched. The outstanding performance and resistance to clogging is achieved by a unique multi-zone inlet area (3 inlet filter zones), extra wide flow labyrinth, full size diaphragm, and a full-size outlet pool that are stacked on top of each other.

Conclusion

Human civilization has always been dependent on water. For more than 54 years, innovative companies like Rivulis are developing new water saving technologies and, in this way, enabling sustainable water usage for a growing population.

The post Irrigation – Learning from the past, and writing the future with Rivulis appeared first on Rivulis.

Incorporated in 1974, Temasek is a Singapore headquartered global investment company, which owns a USD$214 billion portfolio as of 31 March 2020. Its portfolio includes significant exposure to the agribusiness space, as well as a focus on sustainable living, which is core to Rivulis’ business.

Rivulis is a global micro irrigation leader innovating and deploying smart micro and drip irrigation solutions to help growers achieve higher yields, higher quality and great profitability while safeguarding the sustainability of grower land and livelihood. With the industry’s most comprehensive product portfolio, Rivulis is leading the adoption of micro irrigation globally. With 2,000 employees, 16 factories in 14 countries, 3 R&D centers in agricultural hot spots and 7 design centers globally, Rivulis is close to the market, within reach of the growers. Rivulis represents the successful integration of 4 leading industry pioneers and veterans: Plastro, T-Systems, Roberts Irrigation and Eurodrip.

CEO, Richard Klapholz, and the current management team will continue to lead the company. Gregory Curl, President at Temasek, will assume Chairmanship of the Board of Directors, while Erez Meltzer, former Chairman and CEO of multiple, global private and public companies, will assume Vice-Chairmanship.

“During the last 5 years, Rivulis has established itself as a leader in the micro-irrigation industry, with end-to-end smart solutions and a portfolio of recognized brands delivering value to farmers around the world. In the face of rising uncertainty from the impact of climate change and increasing pressure on scarce water resources, it is fundamental to provide growers with effective answers to these challenges through a demonstrated reduction in water consumption and increased, stable yields. Rivulis, with its track record in innovation and its global manufacturing footprint and distribution network, is well positioned to lead the rapid adoption of sustainable irrigation solutions and support the growth of the industry, and the Board looks forward to working with the management team to further build on this record,” explained Gregory Curl, incoming Chairman of the Board.

Richard Klapholz, Rivulis CEO, commented: “Water-efficient, environmentally-sustainable technologies, such as micro irrigation, are needed to holistically address the global food and water security challenges. With the support of our forward-looking, generational investors, Temasek and Jaya Hind Industries, we are excited to enter Rivulis’ next chapter to realize our GROW BEYOND mission and to become a global sustainability champion.”

About Temasek

Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$306 billion (US$214 billion) as at 31 March 2020. Its three roles as an Investor, Institution and Steward, as defined in the Temasek Charter, shape Temasek’s ethos to do well, do right and do good.

Temasek’s investment direction is shaped by structural trends: longer lifespans, rising affluence and sustainable living drive social progress, enabled by technological solutions for sharing economies, smarter systems and a more connected world. It actively seeks sustainable solutions to address present and future challenges, as we capture investment and other opportunities that help to bring about a better, smarter and more sustainable world.

Headquartered in Singapore, Temasek has a global portfolio, and offices in 8 countries. For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg

About Rivulis

Rivulis is a global micro irrigation solutions visionary offering the broadest portfolio in the market featuring the industry’s most recognized product brands, including T-Tape, Ro-Drip, D5000 PC, Supertif and Eurodrip Eolos and Eolos Compact. Established in 1966, Rivulis is headquartered in Israel and has 16 manufacturing and distribution facilities, 2,000 employees, 3 R&D Centers (Israel, California, and Greece) and 7 Design Centers around the globe.

We work with over 3,300 business partners worldwide to provide full turnkey micro irrigation solutions for any, and all, grower needs from individual growers to large corporate plantations in the agriculture, horticulture, greenhouse, landscape and mining industries. Leading the mass adoption of micro irrigation globally, Rivulis is committed to increasing accessibility to all growers everywhere through simple, affordable and smart technology for a more sustainable future for all. To learn how Rivulis can help you GROW BEYOND your highest expectations season after season, visit www.rivulis.com.

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A key success factor of farming is to minimize risk.

There are many factors you cannot control, but one factor you can control is the irrigation system you choose to install. Strawberry is a high value but extremely sensitive crop. Using a less than ideal drip irrigation system may save a small amount of money, but you add extra risk to your entire cropping system and therefore results. As strawberries are one of the highest revenue crops per square meter, it does not make economic sense to risk significant yield loss to make a small saving during installation. Whether growing in open-field, under tunnel, or using soilless, you can reduce your risk and maximize your success by using the best drip irrigation system.

Are there alternatives to drip?

Technically – yes. Commercially viable – not really.

Furrow (flood) irrigation is not viable for the production of fresh market strawberries. In regards to sprinklers, drip irrigation continually applies the most uniform application of water, which makes a big difference in potential revenues. Additionally, with sprinklers you increase your risk of plant disease and fruit damage due to water being sprayed on the leaves and fruit. Strawberries are very sensitive to disease and growers are under pressure to reduce spraying of chemicals on their crop. Sprinklers are often required at the initial stages of growing, however they should not be used for the majority of the cropping cycle.

Open Field & In Soil Tunnel Application

Growing open field and in soil with tunnels require very similar irrigation techniques

Considering growing in tunnels? Your environmental conditions and desire to have the ability to grow earlier in the season will define whether you should use tunnels. An advantage of growing in tunnels is that they protect your crops from environmental elements; however in warmer climates, you need to be careful the tunnels do not create too much heat and humidity which can lead to disease, insect problems and fruit rot.

First – getting runners off to a flying start

If you grow from runners which are far more economical than seedlings, you should install a supplementary sprinkler irrigation system for the initial growing stage.

Runners have virtually no functioning roots, so you need to keep your leaves turgid while their roots form. Overhead sprinklers are the best solution during this initial stage of growth.

Typical System

• In open field systems, use Rivulis S5000 Plastic Impact Sprinklers
  • Spacing: 9 m (down rows) x 10 – 11 m (across rows depending on bed configuration)
  • Model: Rivulis S5000 High Angle Single Nozzle sprinklers will deliver high uniformity of crop coverage
• For tunnels, either use Rivulis S5000 Plastic Impact Sprinklers as per above, or use inverted Rondo Sprinklers
  • Inverted Rondo sprinklers are chosen based on criteria to ensure adequate coverage of the plants including the height of the sprinkler above the grow bags, the slope of the tunnel roof and the distribution of the grow bags

Helpful Hints

• Operate your sprinklers during planting to minimize strawberry runner stress
• In later crop growth stages, use sprinklers for cooling and to wash dust off plants

Growing your Crop with Rivulis T-Tape

4 reasons why Rivulis T-Tape is your go to drip irrigation product for strawberries:

Minimize Risk

Rivulis T-Tape is a premium drip tape that strawberry growers prefer above all else due to its uniform flow, unique internal design and turbulent flow channel emitter manufactured into the tape itself that delivers clogging resistance, even under poor water quality conditions. Rivulis T-Tape is one of the most popular drip products worldwide and is extremely common in California, Mexico, Spain, Italy and Australia strawberry production.

Use Close Dripper Spacing

Strawberries are typically planted at 25 – 30 cm intervals. Each plant will typically yield between 0.75 – 1.3 kg of fruit. This makes close dripper spacing very important.

In addition to helping with crop uniformity, closer dripper spacing makes it easier to leach accumulated salts both below and to the edge of the bed. Strawberry has a long crop cycle and using close dripper spacing helps prevent accumulated salt build up between drippers by making it easier to push the salts away from the crop. Wider dripper spacing can result in residual salts being left in the root zone between the emitters.

We recommend dripper spacings of 15 – 20 cm (maximum) to provide very uniform fertilizer and water distribution, even with short irrigation times commonly used by strawberry growers. Rivulis T-Tape has an integrated emitter design that allows for easy close dripper spacing, even as low as 10 cm.

By applying dye through a drip irrigation system and then cutting away the soil, we can observe how water moves through different soils. In more sandy soils, lateral water movement sideways is much lower compared to the movement of water down the soil profile. In these environments, close dripper spacing is critical to ensure all strawberry plants receive adequate water and fertilizer.

Rohan Prince. Using dye to show water movement below drip irrigation. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Government of Western Australia. (2016)

Slit Outlet to Prevent Soil Ingestion

While the tape is installed under plastic mulch, it should also be shallow buried a few centimetres to prevent it from ‘snaking’ under the plastic mulch. A challenge when burying drip lines is soil ingestion at shut off. Rivulis T-Tape was specifically engineered with a slit outlet that closes at shut off to help prevent soil ingestion.

Seam Design for Easy Retrieval

At the end of the season the plastic mulch and tape is often removed at the same time. Rivulis T-Tape has a seam along the length of the tape that provides an extra layer of strength to help prevent snapping during retrieval.

Typical Rivulis T-Tape System

• Standard bed: 1 – 2 lines of plants per bed.
  • 1.2 – 1.4 m between beds
  • 0.25 – 0.30 m between plants
  • Density 40,000 – 60,000 plants / hectare
  • Generally use 1 row of Rivulis T-Tape per bed
• Wide bed:
  • 3 – 4 lines of plants per bed
  • 1.5 – 1.8 m between beds
  • 0.25 – 0.30 m between plants
  • Density 40,000 – 60,000 plants / hectare
  • use 2 – 3 rows of Rivulis T-Tape per bed
• Rivulis T-Tape:
  • 16 – 22 mm depending on run length
  • 6 – 12 mil wall thickness depending on insect risk
  • 0.5, 0.75 or 1.0 lph dripper and 15 – 20 cm dripper spacing. Dependent on soil, water and hydraulic requirements

Helpful Hints

• The benefit of having wider beds with extra lines of plants should be considered along with the additional difficulty and cost for harvest as wider beds make it more difficult to reach over to pick strawberries and perform other activities
• Do not run your tape or submains up-hill. If you have sloping ground, it is better to run downhill where the friction in the pipe can help balance the increased pressure due to gravity

Soilless / Hydroponic Systems

Why choose a soilless system?

A common reason is labor saving. Harvesting strawberries is expensive. The harvest season is drawn out and it is time consuming, difficult work. In soilless installations, harvesters can pick while standing which is much more efficient than reaching over multiple rows on the ground. The second reason is it avoids poor soil and soil borne plant pathogens such as Verticillium dahlia and Macrophomina phaseolina. When growing in soil, the soil must be disinfected. Methyl bromine is banned in most countries and finding suitable options to disinfect soils is difficult and expensive. This challenge is effectively removed when growing strawberries using soilless. The third benefit is environmental protection and ability to control the growing climate if combined with protected cropping.

Typical System:

• Use Rivulis Supertif PCND drippers
  • The world’s most advanced dripper, with pressure compensation, no-drain feature for pulse irrigation, and a self-cleaning mechanism
  • 1.1 lph flow-rate and intervals of 15 cm is generally sufficient if using a 1 peg per dripper design in long grow bags that contain multiple plants. In single plant per grow bag systems, 1.2 – 2.2 lph is common
  • Use for multiple seasons with amazing reliability

Helpful Hints

• It is best to use 1 dripper with 1 hose and peg instead of 1 dripper to multiple pegs
  • This system of 1 dripper distributed to multiple pegs is less recommended because if one dripper fails, damage will be multiplied by the amount of pegs connected to it. The small savings benefit of using fewer drippers does not make it worth the risk.
  • One ripper and 1 peg provides the best protection to your crop.
• Similar to in soil tunnel applications, if growing from runners, Rivulis Inverted Rondo should be installed according to specifications of the greenhouse design to assist with the development of the roots of runners.

Innovation Showcase:

Greenhouse installation with Rivulis D5000 PC

Highlighting a new innovation for growing strawberries.

• Hanging Styrofoam trays (10 cm x 10 cm) are installed
• Rivulis D5000 PC 16 mm, 40 mil wall thickness, 15 cm dripper spacing, and low-flow 0.65 lph is installed to run along the length of the trays.
• Trays are filled with peat and planting at a rate of 9 x strawberry plants per meter.
• The trays hang at a gradual decline so that water can be reclaimed at the end of the rows. The goal is for 35 – 40% of applied water to flow-out to help protect against salinity. This water with remaining nutrients, is applied to other in-soil crops grown on the farm with additional reuse options available with the correct treatment.

Unique Benefits:

• Lower cost than typical greenhouse systems
• The drip line can be used for multiple seasons
• Much easier to install – no individual one-by-one insertion of drippers and pegs
• No need to worry about workers knocking pegs or damage to the irrigation system

General Tips for a Great Strawberry Harvest

• Strawberries prefer a full wet-up and dry-down irrigation cycle. A common mistake is to over irrigate. In wet conditions, the strawberries uptake more of the highly soluble nutrients only. However, it is only as the soil dries that the strawberries can efficiently take-up insoluble nutrients as well. Water stress is an absolute no for strawberries, so you need to carefully manage the dry-down to not reach a stress point.
  • Calcium is important for growing strawberries with good cell strength. Calcium applications should be considered for high quality fruit. Calcium uptake will be most effective when a sufficient wet-up and dry- down irrigation schedule is implemented.
• When planting in soil, managing soil disease and nematodes is critical. This is achieved mainly through disinfection or moving the location of your strawberry production.
• Match the variety to the cropping season and climate. For example, do you want short day, day neutral, or long day flowering? While it can be tempting to plant early to maximize early harvest yields, if you plant too early, you may have reduced yield as the plants undergo a period of dormancy.
• For best dripper spacing, keep dripper spacing under 20 cm, and ideally at 15 cm.
• Rivulis T-Tape is designed for a nominal pressure of 0.55 bar. However for most uniform application in strawberries, it is recommended to run at a slightly higher pressure with approximately 0.85 bar pressure at the start of the tape. This will ensure the best application of water on lightly undulating terrain, even as pressure decreases along the length of the tube. The Rivulis hydraulic design center can help design the best irrigation system to minimize flow variability and to increase uniformity.
• Strawberries are sensitive to salinity. If you have slightly saline water, manage this risk by using close dripper spacing and applying enough water to push the salinity away from the root zone.
• Save fertilizer and improve yield and fruit quality by undertaking regular sap and soil tests during the cropping stages.

Case study outcomes are for information purposes only and actual results may vary. This literature has been compiled for worldwide circulation and the descriptions, photos, and information are for general purpose use only. Please consult with an irrigation specialist and technical specifications for proper use of Rivulis products. Because some products are not available in all regions, please contact your local dealer for details. Rivulis reserves the right to change specifications and the design of all products without notice. Every effort has been used to ensure that product information, including data sheets, schematics, manuals and brochures are correct. However information should be verified before making any decisions based on this information.

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Bananas are a high yield crop with 40 – 80 t / ha production per year. The plant is herbaceous and the orchard is renewed every year. Bananas are unique in that they provide a full yield in the first year of growth. However, they are highly susceptible to root disease and are extremely nutrient and water ‘hungry’. In addition, for each ratoon year of the crop, careful water and nutrient management is required to maximize the yield, reduce the need for replanting and ultimately, to maximize profit.

Success Story: 1000 ha Banana Project in Ghana

1000 ha banana plantation

• 400 mm main lines and PEHD submains.
• Automated primary filtration system and semi-automatic secondary filtration.

Using Rivulis Hydro PCND 17 mm drip line

• Unique award winning drip line with pressure compensating and no drain drip line feature. The 17 mm diameter allows for longer run lengths than common 16 mm configurations without the cost of upgrading to 20 mm diameters.

Making the Case for Irrigation

Irrigation is critical to maximizing your crop’s growth potential, even in areas with high rainfall. Irrigation requirements in tropical areas are often different than those of sub tropical areas.

Tropical areas
The purpose of irrigation is generally supplemental and enables efficient distribution of fertilizers through the irrigation system. Like many crops, bananas have a critical growth stage. Bananas are a continual production crop, meaning this critical growth stage will occur during the three months of dry season for a large number of plants.

If the crop is not irrigated during this dry season, it will severely impact the yield and size of the bananas.
Therefore, the purpose of irrigation in tropical areas is supplementary to ensure yield growth during the season.

Sub-tropical areas
In sub-tropic and even newer developments in arid / semi-arid areas, conventional irrigation is used. The purpose of this irrigation is year-round irrigation to ensure the crop receives its full water requirement, and therefore maximizes yield potential.
Flood Irrigation & Drainage
Poor drainage can result in water logging.
This is also a common problem with flood irrigation and why it is not advised if you want high yielding crops. The impact of water logging includes shallow root systems, small plants and bunches, pseudo-stem breakage, reduced finger length and increased nematode damage.
A well-designed drip / sprinkler system with good drainage will help alleviate the risks of water logging and the subsequent damage.

Precision Nutrition Management

Bananas need huge volumes of fertilizers, especially nitrogen and potassium. A high yielding crop also requires Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Cu, Zn, B, Mn and Mo. Deficiency in any of these elements will impact the crop.
Precision nutrition management is key to growth and can be achieved efficiently and effectively through a well-designed drip or micro sprinkler / sprinkler irrigation system, which delivers nutrients directly into the system. Manual application by hand has low uniformity and requires more fertilizer to be applied which means higher costs. Fertilizer through overhead irrigation also has very poor uniformity as the fertilizer falls on the leaves and then falls in a random pattern to the ground.

Online Drippers for Uniform Propagationt

Banana propagation irrigation can easily be delivered through Rivulis Supertif & Eurodrip Corona online drippers.
The drippers are installed into LDPE tubing and then connected to a PE hose and drip peg.
Both Rivulis Supertif and Eurodrip Corona drippers feature pressure compensating and no drain options for uniform regulation and pulse irrigation.

Sprinkler & Micro Sprinkler Irrigation

Sprinklers and micro sprinklers are the most common systems in tropical environments where supplementary irrigation is required.

Micro sprinklers such as Rivulis RFR and Rivulis S2000 PC provide pressure compensation and excellent agronomic advantages due to their wide water distribution diameter. Typically micro sprinklers are connected to LDPE tube along the rows at intervals of 3 – 4 m according to the planting scheme. Impact sprinklers such as the Rivulis S5000 provide continued reliability season after season. For good crop management, it is important to visually inspect all micro sprinkler and sprinkler systems to ensure there is no damage (e.g., from a banana leaf falling on a sprinkler).

Drip Irrigation for Bananas

Heavy wall pressure compensating drip line is an excellent irrigation solution for bananas.

The drip line is installed along the rows of the crop with generally 1-2 drip lines per row.
Lengths of run are generally 120 –150 m which can be achieved through pressure compensating drippers such as pressure compensated (PC) drip lines including Rivulis Hydro PC, Rivulis D5000 PC and Eurodrip Olympos PC.

Product Feature: Rivulis S2000 PC Micro Sprinkler

Product Feature: Rivulis D5000 PC Drip Line

40 independent inlet filters across 3 zones in every D5000 PC emitter	Extra wide flow labyrinth to help prevent clogging

40 independent inlet filters across 3 zones in every D5000 PC emitter

Extra wide flow labyrinth to help prevent clogging

D5000 Flow x Pressure: Uniform flow over a wide range of pressures

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Incorporated in 1974, Temasek is a Singapore-headquartered global investment company, which owns a US$214 billion portfolio. Its portfolio includes significant exposure to the agribusiness space, as well as a focus on sustainable living, which is core to Rivulis’ business.

Rivulis is a global micro irrigation leader innovating and deploying smart micro and drip irrigation solutions to help growers achieve higher yields, higher quality and great profitability while safeguarding the sustainability of grower land and livelihood. With the industry’s most comprehensive product portfolio, Rivulis is leading the adoption of micro irrigation globally. With 2,000 employees, 16 factories in 14 countries, 3 R&D centers in agricultural hot spots and 5 design centers globally, Rivulis is able to be close to the market, within reach of the growers. Rivulis represents the successful integration of 4 leading industry pioneers and veterans: Plastro, T-Systems, Roberts Irrigation and Eurodrip.

Richard Klapholz, Rivulis CEO, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Temasek to our register as our largest shareholder. They are a forward-looking, generational investor focused on investments addressing global sustainability challenges. As we all know, micro irrigation is a transformative technology, which offers the only viable solution to water scarcity and to the resulting global food constraints. Temasek’s investment in Rivulis should be welcomed by our employees, our business partners and the growers, who are our customers.”

Gillon Beck, the outgoing Chairman of Rivulis, and Senior Partner, FIMI Opportunity Funds, said: “The investment by Temasek is a major milestone for Rivulis. We are proud of what the company has achieved in the past few years. The Board, together with the company’s management, did an incredible job in turning the company around. This team has enabled the company to build a world recognized brand, achieve rapid growth, and expand to new geographies while innovating new breakthrough technologies. We are excited for the company’s next chapter. Thank you management and all employees for such tremendous and relentless efforts, and wish you good luck.”

About Temasek

Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$306 billion (US$214 billion) as at 31 March 2020. Its three roles as an Investor, Institution and Steward, as defined in the Temasek Charter, shape Temasek’s ethos to do well, do right and do good.

Temasek’s investment direction is shaped by structural trends: longer lifespans, rising affluence and sustainable living drive social progress, enabled by technological solutions for sharing economies, smarter systems and a more connected world. It actively seeks sustainable solutions to address present and future challenges, as we capture investment and other opportunities that help to bring about a better, smarter and more sustainable world.

Headquartered in Singapore, Temasek has a global portfolio, and offices in 8 countries. For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg

About Rivulis

Rivulis is a global micro irrigation solutions visionary offering the broadest portfolio in the market featuring the industry’s most recognized product brands, including T-Tape, Ro-Drip, D5000 PC, Supertif and Eurodrip Eolos and Eolos Compact. Established in 1966, Rivulis is headquartered in Israel and has 16 manufacturing and distribution facilities, 2,000 employees, 3 R&D Centers (Israel, California, and Greece) and multiple Design Centers around the globe.

We work with over 3,300 business partners worldwide to provide full turnkey micro irrigation solutions for any, and all, grower needs from individual growers to large corporate plantations in the agriculture, horticulture, greenhouse, landscape and mining industries. Leading the mass adoption of micro irrigation globally, Rivulis is committed to increasing accessibility to all growers everywhere through simple, affordable and smart technology for a more sustainable future for all. To learn how Rivulis can help you GROW BEYOND your highest expectations season after season, visit www.rivulis.com.

The post Temasek signs agreement to acquire a majority stake in Rivulis appeared first on Rivulis.

With so much pressure on growers, challenging terrain and conditions, and with very little innovation in drip line technology in many years, Rivulis set out to make a real difference.
Using the latest technology and innovation mixed with some of the world’s greatest minds in irrigation engineering, we set out to design the most reliable and durable irrigation that would work in even the harshest places on earth. A drip line designed and manufactured to such a high level that it lets nothing get in its way.

The greatest drip line on Earth (and under it), the Rivulis D5000 PC Drip Line.
The most significant advancement in pressure compensating drip technology in the past decade. Every component maximized for outstanding performance and long-term resistance to clogging.

It’s trusted in the driest, the steepest, the remotest and the most intensive environments and in the places with the dirtiest water. In fact, it’s trusted on every populated continent on earth. So trusted that we’ve made enough to circle the Earth 20 times.
The breakthrough flat pressure compensating dripper has set new standards, so you can stop worrying about it ever stopping. Because unlike other drippers that lay each component next to each other, the D5000 PC stacks each component on top of each other to give the largest filtration area, the widest labyrinth and the largest outlet pool.
That means 300% more functional filtration area compared to its main competitor. So even if one inlet filter on the D5000 PC does get blocked, there’s 39 more to keep it going. And to always keep it flowing, we developed a bigger, taller and wider flow labyrinth to prevent clogging, that amazingly fits in the same space as a traditional one, yet expels more contaminants. Then combined with a self-cleaning mechanism to expel any contaminants that enter the dripper.
And if you’re concerned about soil ingestion at shutoff, in the D5000 AS dripper we added anti-siphoned diaphragm technology to kick into action when there is negative pressure in the hose, giving you even more peace of mind.
Then the pressure compensating mechanism ensures that every plant is getting the same water application, even in the most challenging terrain.
The Rivulis D5000; the greatest drip line on Earth, and under it!

Which PC drip line provides the best clogging resistance? To find out, we injected 100-500 micron sand and silica into drip lines under lab conditions. After 6 weeks we counted how many drippers clogged – 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝟓𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐂 vs 2 leading competitors. See for yourself…
Don’t compromise your plant’s life source:

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By Romeo Dragan – Product Manager Rivulis Irrigation

We would like to delve deeper into the importance of Soil Water Content Management in today’s agriculture and to explain concepts such as Total Available Water (TAW) and Readily Available Water (REW). Monitoring and adjusting the soil water balance according to the crop requirements in different growth stages is a key success factor to achieving desired crop growth and quality.

We first need to review terminology and calculations for Soil Water Content to help us understand the different interaction between plant and Soil Water Balance:

• Total soil moisture: Refers to the total quantity of water that can be found in the soil at any given moment.
• Readily available water: Refers to the quantity of water the plant can access from the soil.

Different levels of Soil Moisture

• Saturation: When we say the soil is saturated with water, it means that the water has occupied all the spaces in between the soil particles and as a result there is no air in the soil. This phenomenon can occur when we irrigate too much or we have too much rainfall and the soil has a low drainage capacity.
• Field capacity: Refers to the quantity of water which the soil is able to retain once soil drainage has stopped and the water content in the soil has stabilized.
• Wilting point: When the quantity of soil moisture is so low that the plant is no longer able to extract water from the soil. The difference between field capacity water content and the wilting point water content is the Total Available Water, and is affected by the soil type and the root zone depth. In proper Soil Water Balance management in order to provide the optimum growth conditions for the plants, growers keep the level of Soil Moisture in the soil below the saturation point and field capacity but above the wilting point.

Readily Available Water

For optimal plant growth and development, different levels of soil moisture are required throughout the different plant growth stages. The following example is a common requirement for maize/corn:

1. Early vegetative stage – The optimum soil humidity is 90-95% of the field capacity. Above 95% of field capacity, we risk soil saturation; roots stop developing and no longer have the capacity to extracts water and nutrients.
2. Flowering and pollination –In this stage, the plants’ water consumption reaches its peak. In this stage, the total soil moisture should not drop to 20% or lower than field capacity otherwise yield potential can be reduced.
3. Fruit/grain – In this stage, the plant is focused on fruit and grain development and overwatering may cause plants to abort fruit/grain limiting yield potential. Underwatering can cause low sugar content fruits and low tests weight grains.
4. Maturation and pre-harvest – Proper moisture management required to maintain fruit and grain quality. For grains, Total Soil Moisture should be maintained at ~40% of Field Capacity. For fruit, Total Soil Moisture should be maintained at ~30% of Field Capacity. Overwatering delays the maturation process and under watering reduces crop yield.
   Note: The above example is a general guide only. Of course, consult with an agronomist for your specific crop needs.

Conclusion

In Soil Moisture Content Management, it is important to understand the soil type we are dealing with, the water quality as it is influencing the infiltration rate and the water movement in the soil both vertically and horizontally and the plant’s water requirements.
Farmers have tools available to help them manage the Soil Moisture Content and these tools can range between physical hardware installed in the field to satellite imagery that can detect the plant’s health and development from space. Rivulis has developed Manna Irrigation Intelligence, its satellite-based software solution which makes irrigation decisions simple.Learn more about how Manna Irrigation helps growers know how much and when to irrigate in order to achieve the correct Soil Moisture Content in the soil.

Read more about Soil Considerations for Water Management.

The post Soil Water Content Management appeared first on Rivulis.

If you manage a vineyard, you are not just growing grapes. You are in fact growing the final product – wine Growing great wine is about getting the balance of quality and yield right. You need to find the optimum balance based on the desired end product. The target depends on whether you are growing table & bulk wine, good-medium quality wine, or high quality wine. Drip irrigation gives you more control to achieve the optimum yield / quality balance, every year.

Wine Market Segments

There are 3 wine market segments, with 70% of the global production being for table and bulk wine

Table & Bulk Wine US$1 – 4 / bottle		bottle Good – Medium Quality Wine US$5 – 25 / bottle		High Quality Wine US$30+ / bottle

Table & Bulk Wine

US$1 – 4 / bottle

bottle Good – Medium Quality Wine

US$5 – 25 / bottle

High Quality Wine

US$30+ / bottle

The goal in most regions is to increase wine quality in a repeatable process every season. Wine grape quality improvement can be achieved through Reduced Deficit Irrigation (RDI) techniques, combined with drip fertigation which is covered later in this brochure.

Case Study: The Financial Challenges of Growing Bulk Wine in Australia

As shown in the table below, there is a significant difference in the grape price based on grape quality
Quality Grape Price (AUD) Domestic Retail Price (AUD) Export FOB Price (AUD)

Grape price by grape quality classification (A-F).

In a report compiled for the Winemakers Federation of Australia1 , it was found that: Vineyards producing A & B quality groups are profitable on average 47% of vineyards producing C quality grapes are unprofitable 84% of vineyards producing D quality grapes are unprofitable 70% of vineyards producing E/F quality grapes are unprofitable In 2014, it was reported that less than 15% of all Australian wine grape growers made a profit!2 To be profitable, a business strategy is required to minimize the risk of poor seasons for lower quality grapes where profit margins are already thin. This is also combined with increasing the quality of grapes to reach higher grape prices. Drip irrigation is instrumental to achieving these goals. Grape price by grape quality classification (A-F).

Wine Industry Report – Australian Grape and Wine Authority 2013 2 Australian Broadcasting Commission, 8 April 2015

Myth Busting:

Irrigation Reduces Grape Quality

FALSE
In some regions, there is a historical view that vineyard irrigation increases yields and conversely reduces quality.
Naturally, if the crop is over irrigated, you will end up with large fruit with low sugars. However, numerous pieces of research, and the demonstrated success of ‘new world’ wines where irrigation is standard practice, show that irrigation, when managed correctly, actually improves the quality of wine.
Irrigation ensures the vine receives sufficient water during the budding and flowering period, but is then reduced during the ripening period to allow the vines to develop the grape bunches instead of foliage.
Drip irrigation, when coupled with drip fertigation that delivers nutrients directly to the roots of your crop, can allow you to improve the quality of your grapes.

Reduce your Dependence on Weather

Reduce the impact that adverse weather has on your crop.
Viticulture is extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and rainfall. (1)

Therefore, consider the following:
In many traditional wine growing regions, temperatures are increasing while rainfall is decreasing. For example, in the wine producing area of Côtes-du-Roussillon-Villages in Southern France, temperatures have been increasing since the mid-1980s and are projected to increase further. Additionally, research has found that precipitation is becoming more variable, and lower in summer with further droughts expected. (2)
One year of high water stress will adversely impact several years of future harvest.
Too much water stress results in a decline of the oenological potential of grapes – less sugar in the grapes resulting in reduction in aromas, acidity and colour stability. If soil moisture from winter and spring rains is depleted and no supplementary irrigation is available, you increase risk of lower quality wine.
As young vineyards require additional water, they are more susceptible to weather unpredictability.
If you do not irrigate, you leave your grape crop to chance as the weather around the world is generally becoming less favourable and more and more unpredictable. The result is inconsistent yields each year as you are reliant on climatic conditions. In very poor years, you can severely damage your vines for future years.
1. Gladstones J (2011) Wine terroir and climate change.
2. Lereboullet, Anne-Laure & Beltrando, Gérard & Bardsley, Douglas & Rouvellac, Eric. (2014). The viticultural system and climate change: coping with long-term trends in temperature and rainfall in Roussillon, France. Regional Environmental Change.

Drip irrigation gives you greater consistency of production every year compared to relying on unpredictable rainfall that results in variable production outcomes.

Climate change causes France to adopt irrigation in vineyards for survival. Excerpts from Irrigazette Magazine, August 2018

Irrigating the Vineyards of the Var Region (Provence Rosé Wine, France)

A weakening of the vine stock, aroma loss and deterioration, a reduction in the acidity of the wines, excessive tannins and loss of yield, with serious repercussions for several years’ harvests, even leading to the phenomenon of a dieback in the vineyards of the south of France, are just some of the consequences of the increased level of water stress over the last few years.
In the face of the recent higher temperatures, the frequency and intensity of the droughts, the vineyards have come up with a number of possible adaptation options:
Replacing the more sensitive vine varieties with more resistant ones, improving the physical properties of the soil or using well-managed irrigation techniques.
Without adaptation, the quality of the controlled designation of origin (AOC) wines will suffer…. The challenge facing the industry today is the sustainability of the vineyard, which has an economic impact on the whole of the wine industry.
Irrigation is the main mechanism used in the alleviation of plant water stress.
In view of this fact, the Company Canal de Provence, in partnership with the wine-growers’ associations and Chamber of Agriculture, is planning to develop its irrigation networks throughout the area concerned, i.e. about 20,000 ha over the whole Var region

Irrigation Delivers Optimum Quality

Depending on the characteristic of wine you wish to achieve, different irrigation programs are required.
An irrigation program combined with a fertigation program and other crop management techniques will determine your yield and quality balance.
As the table below shows, even in traditional dryland regions such as the south of France, when the relevant ET (evapotranspiration) calculations are made considering current average rain falls, irrigation is required in order to achieve optimum yields.
Average water requirements for red wine in the south of France

Greater Control

Producing great wine requires precision control of water and nutrients.
Drip irrigation gives you control of both

Correlation analysis between the chemical attributes of grapes and the sensory components of wine.
Casassa, Larsen, Beaver, Mireles, Keller, Riley, Smithyman, Harbertson. Sensory Impact of Extended Maceration and Regulated Deficit Irrigation on Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon Wines. (2013)
Water: Water is controlled through drip irrigation lines based on high quality hydraulic design. The Rivulis design team can develop an irrigation and hydraulic system that ensures uniformity of water application to every plant in your vineyard.
Nutrients: Control nutrients via drip fertigation. This is the process where fertilizer is injected directly into the irrigation system and is delivered to the vines as part of the irrigation process. This application allows precise rates of fertilizer to be applied and reduces waste. Feeding roots grow healthy and close to the dripper for maximum intake
Growing great wine grapes requires the right balance of macro, secondary and micro nutrients. Drip irrigation gives you the best control to develop and implement the right fertigation program.

Common nutrients applied to wine grapes

Although it is beyond the scope of this brochure to prescribe every variable of water and nutrients, here are a few examples of how drip irrigation can provide greater control of your grape production:

• Easy and accurate application of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and other micro elements. As these elements are key drivers for your crop, any variation will impact the crop significantly. Drip irrigation makes it easy to develop and implement a fertigation protocol based on the grape you want to achieve. With the ability to create different irrigation zones, subtle differences of fertigation prescription can be applied to each block (and even areas of blocks) based on different varieties, soil and other factors.
• Irrigation Scheduling. Drip irrigation provides options that you do not have if you just rely on rain fall. You can calculate your water application to develop different variations of grape. For example, in a study of three drip irrigation treatments in the Napa Valley, different irrigation schedules achieved different sensory attributes of the grapes. For vines with higher levels of irrigation, the sensory attributes were more vegetal aromas. For vines with strong deficit irrigation treatments, the grapes had more fruity aromas and flavours (1).
• In the Cognac region in France, the white wine needs the correct acidity and nitrogen balance. With drip fertigation, growers found they can double the amount of nitrogen in their grape.
  1 M. Chapman, Dawn& Roby, Gaspar & E. Ebeler, Susan & Guinard, Jean- Xavier & Matthews, Mark. (2008). Sensory attributes of Cabernet Sauvignon wines made from vines with different water status. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. 11. 339 – 347.

Two Fertigation Periods

Vineyards have two distinct fertigation periods – one before harvest, and one after. Each fertigation regime has unique requirements.
The variance of regimes can be most clearly seen with the application of nitrogen which is used to control the plant vigor.
As the table below shows, the most important time of application of nitrogen is post-harvest. This regime is significantly different than pre-harvest. In-fact in many instances, the only application of nitrogen is post-harvest. Without drip irrigation, you need to wait for winter rains before nitrogen application. With drip irrigation, you can apply nitrogen immediately after harvest which is vital for a healthy plant reserve for the following season, especially in moderate – high vigor applications. Drip fertigation is the most efficient tool for post-harvest fertigation, which in turn leads to improved yield and quality the next season.

Typical Nitrogen Fertigation Program

Irrigate to Remain Competitive: Old World vs New World Production

Europe (‘Old Word’ Production)

• Represents 76% of total wine grape area.
• However, only 10% of vineyards are irrigated.
• Irrigation adoption increasing rapidly to remain competitive globally and due to climate change.

Regulated Deficit Irrigation: Striking the quality x quantity balance

Irrigation scheduling for vineyards uses a different approach (and formula) compared to most crops.
If you are growing table grapes, or many other crops, bigger fruit = greater yield = greater revenue. Therefore, the goal is to maximize yield. The standard formula to calculate irrigation requirement for maximum yield is: ETC= ET0 x Kc
For wine grapes you don’t want maximum yield. You want to reach the optimum balance of quality and yield for the market you want. This is achieved through Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI).
The formula for vineyard irrigation is therefore: RDI = KS x KC x ET0
Ks : The estimate of RSI required (changes at different intervals)
Kc : Crop coefficient
ET0 : Evaporation + transpiration
Regulated deficit irrigation: Water stress is implemented intentionally during specific growing stages
Vineyards require a moderate level of water deficit. The goal is to maintain vegetative growth and good sugar accumulation.

Table Grapes Irrigation Goal:

Table Grapes Irrigation Goal: Maximum Yield. Big fruit Irrigation Formula: ETc = ET0 x Kc		Wine Grapes Irrigation Goal: Optimum quality x quantity balance Irrigation Formula: RDI = Ks x Kc x ET0

Table Grapes Irrigation
Goal: Maximum Yield. Big fruit
Irrigation Formula: ETc = ET0 x Kc

Wine Grapes Irrigation
Goal: Optimum quality x quantity balance
Irrigation Formula: RDI = Ks x Kc x ET0

To demonstrate another example of the impact of RDI, the photos below show the significant difference of fields irrigated with and without RDI protocol.

Without regulated deficit irrigation		With regulated deficit irrigation

Without regulated deficit irrigation

With regulated deficit irrigation

Know RDI method changes throughout the growing season

The irrigation protocol must vary throughout the season to meet the wanted objectives for the final grape.

The graph below shows the impact RDI can have on various stages of the crop cycle. It is through RDI using drip irrigation, that you can finely tune your crop.

Recommended Drip Irrigation Systems

There are three common drip irrigation systems that you can install based upon your needs.
The most common irrigation method for vineyards.

Drip Line Suspended on Wire

Advantages:

• Does not interfere with machinery
• Appearance

Recommended Drip Line:

• Rivulis D5000 PC or Hydro PC
• 40 – 45 mil wall thickness
• 1.0 – 2.2 lph drippers with 0.4 – 1.0 m spacing depending on soil type

Disadvantages:

• More expensive for installation
• Increased weeds near the vines
• Needs to install a “drop stopper” so that water falls directly below the dripper and does not run along the length of the tube

The most common irrigation method for vineyards

Drip Line on Surface

Advantages:

• Most easy and economical to install
• Drips fall directly under the dripper

Recommended Drip Line:

• Rivulis D5000 PC or Hydro PC
• 40 – 45 mil wall thickness
• 1.0 – 2.2 lph drippers with 0.4 – 1.0 m spacing depending on soil type

Disadvantages:

• Interferes with machinery
• Increased weeds near the vines

Many pesticides and herbicides are now forbidden. A subsurface drip irrigation system irrigates direct to the root zone and minimizes moisture on the surface reducing the need for pesticides and herbicides

Advantages:

• Most efficient water and fertilizer application
• Does not interfere with machinery
• Water not applied on the surface so reduced weeds and plant disease from moisture

Recommended Drip Line:

• Rivulis D5000 AS (Anti-siphon to prevent soil suck back)
• 40 – 45 mil wall thickness
• 1.0 – 1.5 lph drippers with 1.0 meter spacing depending on soil type

Disadvantages:

• Interferes with machinery
• Increased weeds near the vines

Recommended Drip Lines

Drip irrigation provides uniformity across years of production due to less reliance on rainfall.

However, just as important, is uniformity across the field. You do not want uneven water and fertilizer applications where some vines receive too much treatment, and others receive too little. For a high quality harvest, you need uniform application to all vines. This is achieved through Pressure Compensating (PC) Drip Lines.
PC Drip Lines contain drippers that each have a flow regulating membrane. This membrane compensates for changes in pressure across the line so that every dripper emits the prescribed water flow per hour.
As the diagram below shows, over a slope of five meters, the pressure increases by 26% toward the bottom of the slope. Without a PC drip line, the result would be that vines at the lower end of the slope would receive 25% more water and nutrients then those at the highest elevation. With PC drip lines, all vines receive the same water regardless of the pressure.

START OF VINEYARD ROW

• ELEVATION: 5.0 m
• PRESSURE: 1.5 bar (the pressure at start of lateral)
• ACTUAL FLOW RATE FOR 2.0 l/h NON-PC DRIP LINE: 2.0 l/h
• ACTUAL FLOW RATE FOR 2.0 l/h PC DRIP LINE: 2.0 l/h

END OF VINEYARD ROW

• ELEVATION: 0.0 m (variation -5.0m)
• LATERAL LENGTH: 125 m
• PRESSURE: 1.9 bar (increased pressure due to gravity)
• ACTUAL FLOW RATE FOR 2.0 l/h NON-PC DRIP LINE: 2.5 l/h (+25%)
• ACTUAL FLOW RATE FOR 2.0 l/h PC DRIP LINE: 2.0 l/h (constant)

It is not just sloping ground; pressure also fluctuates across blocks due to friction of the tube. For vineyards where precision is critical, PC drip lines are a must. Rivulis has the widest range and highest quality pressure compensated drip lines available. Options include cylindrical, flat and on-line drippers, anti-siphon and no-drain options (for subsurface irrigation), and a wide range of flow rates and diameters.

Rivulis D5000 PC/AS

The world’s most advanced PC drip line with. anti-siphon (AS) option available for sub-surface application.

Rivulis Hydro PC/PCND

The Hydro PC/PCND Drip line is a Trusted for over 20 years. Dependable and robust cylindrical dripper with PCND option for pulse irrigation.

Eurodrip Olympos PC/AS

Uniformly delivers water over extra-long run lengths and sloping ground.

Eurodrip PC2

Dependable cylindrical PC drip line for uniform flows for a wide range of multi-season applications.

Rivulis D4500 PC/AS

Ensure crop uniformity over a wide range of conditions with this flow regulating drip line.
The Rivulis D4500 PC/AS available with an anti-siphon option for sandy conditions where soil-suck back is a risk.

Rivulis R5000 PC

Combining the expertise of Israel and Greece research and development teams, Rivulis R5000 PC is the newest cylindrical drip line offering.

Please note: Case study outcomes are for information purposes only and actual results may vary. This article has been compiled for worldwide circulation and the descriptions, photos, and information are for general purpose use only. Please consult with an irrigation specialist and technical specifications for proper use of Rivulis products. Because some products are not available in all regions, please contact your local dealer for details. Rivulis reserves the right to change specifications and the design of all products without notice. Every effort has been used to ensure that product information, including data sheets, schematics, manuals and Information should be verified before making any decisions based on this information.

The post Achieve Great Wine – Every Year appeared first on Rivulis.

You can increase your yield and reduce your cost of production by reducing water stress through:

As the table below shows, permanent yield loss occurs depending on the stage of growth. Water stress during pollination can lead to permanent yield loss of 8.0% per day. In today’s competitive environment, this amount of yield loss can lead to lower production and less profit.

Yield loss per day due to water stress

Source: Rhoads and Bennett (1990) and Shaw (1988)

Choosing the Right Irrigation Method

There are three main options for irrigation of corn Crop: furrow (flood), sprinkler (pivot or lateral move), or drip (on-surface or subsurface). Here we will discover the many unique advantages drip irrigation provides for both increasing your yield and minimizing your inputs.

Maximize Your Land with Drip Irrigation

If you have 1,600 ha of land and you chose to irrigate with center pivots, 21.46% (343 ha) of your land would not be irrigated due to pivots not reaching the corners.

Australia Case Study: The Australian Government’s Scientific Research Agency (CSIRO) conducted a study comparing the yield and net irrigation water productivity of subsurface drip irrigation to lateral move sprinkler irrigation and flood irrigation. The study was held in Murrumidgee, Australia from 2004 – 2006. The results clearly show the benefits of using drip irrigation over other irrigation methods:

• 30% Yield increase Drip vs. Flood Irrigation
• 15% Yield increase Drip vs. Sprinkler Irrigation
• 40% Higher water productivity Drip vs. Flood Irrigation

Financial Benefits of Using Drip Irrigation Over Pivots

The table below shows the total pressure required to operate a center pivot compared to a drip irrigation system calculated by each component of the total irrigation system

Portugal Case Study: Pivot vs. Surface Drip

Fundação Eugénio de Almeida | Évora in Sao Maço District, Alentejo, Portugal
Center pivot vs surface drip irrigation system results:

• 30% Increased Yield Using Drip

Financial revenue impact (assumption of € 210 / t, with the market pricing at time of the trial)

• Yield Using Drip: 15.6t/ha
• Yield Income Using Drip: €3,276 / ha
• Yield Using Center Pivot: 12.0 t/ha
• Yield Income Using Center Pivot: €2,520 / ha

For a 1600 ha farm, drip irrigation would provide €1.2m extra income

Pivot Long-term Running Costs

Some factors often overlooked when evaluating pivot vs. drip irrigation for corn:

• Center pivots can bog if poor soil quality or high rainfall
• Wheel tracks can be hard to maintain and require regular maintenance
• Pivots with 10+ spans can have double and triple sprinkler packs on the end spans that can cause soil crusting, runoff, poor germination and poor drainage
• Pivots can blow over in mid-high wind which can be expensive to repair
• Copper wire, generators and diesel fuel used on pivots are attractive to thieves
• Gearboxes, universal joints, drive-shafts, tires and electric motors can fail without warning
• Cost of gearbox repairs and flat tire replacements can be expensive
• Unlike pivots, drip irrigation does not irrigate the furrows, therefore fewer weeds and less herbicide spraying required
• Drip irrigation will still work effectively in windy conditions. Sprinkler irrigation will drift causing uneven watering
• Because drip irrigation does not wet the crop foliage, there is less risk of the spread of fungal and bacterial disease
• Foliar spraying operations can occur at the same time as drip irrigation, and no irrigation spray means more insecticide and fungicide stays on the foliage
• Pollination is not affected by lack of overhead irrigation, as pollen stays dry, it has greater longevity and wind-borne pollen is very effective

Rivulis Subsurface Drip Irrigation in Mexico

By using Rivulis subsurface drip irrigation, Agrícola Granos del Valle was able to achieve the following results (over furrow/flood irrigation methods)

• 20% Higher Yields
• 50% Water Savings
• 50% Power Savings

What growers say about their experience using drip irrigation for corn/maize

“We need to switch completely to subsurface drip irrigation urgently… I’m planning to have zero hectares under furrow irrigation in 5 years from now. I want to switch the whole system to subsurface drip irrigation; we won’t install any other pivot. Drip irrigation is very simple and we are saving lots of water.” Jacobo Enns, Agrícola Granos del Valle, Mexico

“Monsanto wants to be at the cutting edge, and drip irrigation is one of the leading technologies because it saves water, a very scarce resource, and also gives higher yields, due to the efficient delivery of water and fertilizers.” Mario Ruiz, Plant Manager of Monsanto’s Villagran plant

Surface Drip System: Typical Design

• One drip lateral every 2 corn rows
• Drip laterals every 1.5 m
• Corn rows at every 0.75 m spacing
• On lighter soil types, it is advantageous to move corn rows closer to the drip line (0.60 – 0.55m spacing)
• Sub-mains are above the surface
• Use 6 – 8 mil wall thickness drip lines

Subsurface Drip System: Typical Design

• One drip lateral every 2 corn rows
• Drip laterals every 1.5 m
• Corn row spacing can be reduced to 30 cm to the side of drip lateral to minimize water use
• Sub-mains are installed below the surface
• Drip tape is installed 20 – 25 cm below the surface
• Use 15 – 30 mil wall thickness drip lines with 30 – 40 cm emitter spacing
• Use media filtration to minimize blockage potential, maximizing longevity of drip lines
• GPS guided tractors critical for bed forming and sowing operations
• Rivulis will match system water output with maximum daily crop requirement
• Careful cultivation required over the top of drip lines
• Can use offset deep rippers either side of the drip line to “renovate” beds with GPS guidance

Please note that case study outcomes are for information purposes only and actual results may vary. This literature has been compiled for worldwide circulation and the descriptions, photos, and information are for general purpose use only. Please consult with an irrigation specialist and technical specifications for proper use of Rivulis products. Because some products are not available in all regions, please contact your local dealer for details. Rivulis reserves the right to change specifications and the design of all products without notice. Every effort has been used to ensure that product information, including data sheets, schematics, manuals and brochures are correct. However information should be verified before making any decisions based on this information.

The post Take control of your Corn / Maize Production appeared first on Rivulis.