For farmers and agricultural professionals managing land far from their residences, ensuring an adequate water supply is a persistent challenge.
Fortunately, remote irrigation control systems have become increasingly reliable, allowing users to automate the operation of valves, pumps, and other irrigation components based on preset conditions and schedules.
These systems consist of several essential tools and components:
Irrigation Controllers
The irrigation controller is the heart of the remote irrigation system.
This computerized device is programmed to open and close valve circuits and start/stop pumps on the scheduled irrigation cycles.
Some controllers have advanced features such as adjusting watering intervals based on weather data, soil moisture levels, or other environmental inputs from sensor arrays.
Most professional irrigation controllers today are electromechanical or solid-state, using electrical circuitry, programmable microprocessors, and web-based software interfaces. These controllers are adaptable, offering many more features at a reasonable cost.
Flow Sensors and Meters
The flow sensor is another important part of the remote irrigation setup, sending data to the controller to adjust watering schedules or trigger alerts if abnormalities like leaks, clogs, or excessive flow are detected.
The actual work of the flow sensors is to measure the rate of water flowing through pipes and fed lines, while meters track the total volume of water applied over time.
To do their work, many flow sensors use impeller, turbine, or propeller designs that spin as water passes through them, with each revolution counting toward the measured flow rate and volume.
Newer magnetic and ultrasonic flow meters provide non-invasive monitoring without any moving parts.
Soil Moisture Sensors
Soil moisture sensors measure the water content in the soil for better irrigation.
While irrigation schedules are traditionally based on the evaporation rate, soil moisture sensors offer a more accurate, real-time picture of plant water needs,
There are two types of soil moisture sensors 1) Sensors that measure volumetric water content and 2) Sensors that measure soil tension when placed in the soil profile. Both measure the amount of moisture present at the root zone, preventing both under and over-watering.
With soil moisture data, irrigation controllers can automatically bypass scheduled waterings when sufficient moisture is present or initiate additional cycles when the soil is too dry.
Weather Stations
The weather station is a solar-powered instrument having a sensor to monitor the weather.
Weather stations typically include an array of sensors to track high and low temperatures, precipitation, wind speed/direction, solar radiation intensity, and more.
With the help of these sensors, the weather station allows controllers to factor air temperature, humidity, rainfall amounts, wind speed, and other climatic data into irrigation schedules. This sensor-driven approach ensures systems only water when conditions require it, conserving resources.
Connectivity and Remote Access
Now, it is possible to operate and monitor irrigation remotely from a distance.
This is achieved through internet-enabled devices and cellular data communication components that provide connectivity between on-site equipment and cloud-based software.
On-field devices connected through hardwired ethernet cables, wifi radios, or cellular modems/data plans.
Web-based software gives farmers and growers a remote dashboard view of their operations. From a computer, smartphone, or tablet, users can make programming changes, view sensor data logs, manually override components, and more.
Electricity Backup
Power is crucial for remote irrigation because many times there is no constant electricity supply available in remote locations, and sometimes no electricity at all.
It is recommended to have solar panels, battery backups, and surge protectors to help keep remote equipment powered when tied to unreliable grid connections.
Installation and Maintenance Tools
In addition to hardware/software and connectivity components, various tools aid in the installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of irrigation systems:
- Trenchers, vibratory plows, and excavators for burying pipe and wire runs.
- Wire locators to find and trace existing underground utilities.
- Soil sampling tools like augers and probes to assess moisture levels.
- Volt/ohm multimeters for testing electrical circuits and components.
- Pressure gauges to measure required PSI and detect leaks/clogs.
- Video pipeline inspection cameras to visualize interior pipe conditions.
- Portable deux-readers for programming controllers in the field.
Tech Support
The most important aspect of remote irrigation is the support provided by the manufacturer and integrators.
For any advanced irrigation system, technical support, product documentation, online resources, and training opportunities are necessary.
The most robust remote management platforms are only as effective as the user’s ability to set them up and utilize them properly.
Even though on-site installation and setup services help ensure a smooth rollout. Many also offer as-needed tech support via phone/email, as well as online knowledge bases and tutorials. Regular software updates not only provide new features but also fix any bugs.
Final Thoughts…
Implementing the right tools and software allows farmers and agricultural operators to maximize the potential of remote irrigation systems.
With real-time monitoring, automated control, and data-driven decision-making, these systems significantly improve water efficiency, crop yields, and overall operational cost-effectiveness.
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