Micro-irrigation, also called Micro-spray,localized, low-volume, low-flow, or trickle irrigation, is an

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...

method with lower water pressure and

flow Flow may refer to: Science and technology * Fluid flow, the motion of a gas or liquid * Flow (geomorphology), a type of mass wasting or slope movement in geomorphology * Flow (mathematics), a group action of the real numbers on a set * Flow (psych ...

than a traditional

sprinkler Sprinkler may refer to: * Irrigation sprinkler, a device for watering lawns or crops * Fire sprinkler, a device for fire suppression * Sprinkler (dance), a dance move See also * * Feynman sprinkler A Feynman sprinkler, also referred to as a F ...

system. Low-volume irrigation is used in

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

for

row crop A row crop is a crop that can be planted in rows wide enough to allow it to be tilled or otherwise cultivated by agricultural machinery, machinery tailored for the seasonal activities of row crops. Such crops are sown by drilling or transplanti ...

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...

s, and

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

s. It is also used in

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...

nurseries, in

landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal o ...

for civic, commercial, and private landscapes and gardens, and in the science and practice of

restoration ecology Restoration ecology is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human interrupt ...

and

environmental remediation Environmental remediation deals with the removal of pollution or contaminants from environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water. Remedial action is generally subject to an array of regulatory requirements, and may al ...

. The lower volume allows the water to be absorbed into slow- percolation soils such as

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

, minimizing

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...

System components

Sustaniable Micro irrigation in Northern Syria

A wide variety of system components are used in micro-irrigation systems. Most include a filter, such as pre-filters,

sand separator A sand separator is a device that separates sand or other solids from water. One version of sand separator utilizes centrifugal force to separate sand or other heavy particles out of the water. The separated material drops down into a tank or re ...

media filter A media filter is a type of filter that uses a bed of sand, peat, shredded tires, foam, crushed glass, geo-textile fabric, anthracite, crushed granite or other material to filter water for drinking, swimming pools, aquaculture, irrigation, storm ...

s, screen filters, and

disc filter A disc filter is a type of water filter used primarily in irrigation, similar to a screen filter, except that the filter cartridge is made of a number of plastic discs stacked on top of each other like a pile of poker chips. Each disc is covered ...

s. The level of filtration required depends on the size of the emission device and the quality of the water source.
pressure regulator
or regulating valve may be required to reduce the system pressure to the desired level. Automatically or manually operated valves are required to switch from one irrigated section to another. An irrigation controller is used with automatic systems and may be needed for back flushing the filter or sand separator. Since water conservation is a main reason for choosing micro-irrigation systems, soil moisture sensors, rain shutoff sensors and sometimes even weather stations may be installed to further reduce consumption.

Emission devices

Microtubing

Microtubing Microtubing or ''spaghetti tubing'' is a very fine plastic tubing used in drip irrigation, typically in gardens and greenhouses, with a small inside diameter which may be 0.05" or smaller. It was introduced in the 1950s in the United States, i ...

is one of the oldest types of drip irrigation devices and was used in

greenhouses A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.These s ...

in the 1970s. It consists of small diameter tubing. Flow is regulated purely by the tubing's length and diameter. Weights or stakes can be attached to the end of the tubing to keep it in place.

Flow drip emitters

Low-flow irrigation systems in gardens using drip apply water through two methods: *Pre-installed small holes in small diameter tubes placed on or below the surface * Self-cleaning emitters, in different precipitation rates, with different rate emitters on a supply line (i.e. trees-higher, perennials-lower). The Flexible supply pipe can be buried either underground or pinned on the surface. Low volume irrigation systems often use the two delivery components of drip systems to apply water through small holes in small diameter tubes placed on or below the surface. This is done instead of agricultural surface irrigation and

furrow irrigation Surface irrigation is where water is applied and distributed over the soil surface by gravity. It is by far the most common form of irrigation throughout the world and has been practiced in many areas virtually unchanged for thousands of years. S ...

for vegetables, fruits and berries, and other high-value crops.

Adjustable drip emitters

Trickle emitters, also called "spider sprays," come in fixed or adjustable radius shapes and diameters, and are installed directly on the flexible supply pipe or on tubing connected to it, and mounted on small stakes. Trickle emitters work well for plants with more fibrous root systems, tree and large shrub basins, and in pots and container gardens—allowing automated watering on decks and patios.

Mist Mist is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in the cold air, usually by condensation. Physically, it is an example of a dispersion. It is most commonly seen where water vapor in warm, moist air meets sudden cooling, such a ...

emitters can be used in pot, both on the ground and hanging, with humidity-fog watering for

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

s and

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

s replicating habitats. In the

industry,

growers and plant nurseries often use trickle emitters for and larger container stock, to automate watering. Attached to longer supply tubing on short stakes, they are easily movable to new containers when stock is moved or sold.

emitters are used for

propagation Propagation can refer to: *Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism *Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials *Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda *Reproduction, and other forms ...

, epiphytes, and other plants needing higher

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

Micro-sprinklers

Low volume micro-sprinklers or high-efficiency nozzles may be attached to hard plastic risers or attached to standard sprinkler heads, but are also mounted on stakes and attached to small diameter micro-tubing connected to polyethylene tubing with a barbed connector. Some micro-sprinklers have a fixed spray or stream pattern, while others rotate. These are installed above ground and are often used for fruit and nut

s and

vineyards A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

. These systems are expensive, even for large-scale agricultural use, and are predominantly reserved for high-value crops.

Macro-drip irrigation

High-volume, low-pressure irrigation systems for container gardening are known as Macro-Drip. A pressure regulator lowers the water pressure to under 30 pounds per square inch while a relatively large diameter hose or pipe delivers the water directly to a sprinkler head. This allows a larger volume of water to reach the flowerpot in a short amount of time, which will then be absorbed into the roots of the plant.

Sprinkler

Sprinkler irrigation sprays water onto the land. Sprinklers spread water in an equal balance. It decreases labor costs and saves up to 20%–40% in water supply. It can be applied to any soil that helps to increase crop production. A wide variety of sprinklers available in the market; one can choose carefully from the best of sprinkler systems.

Ecological restoration and phytoremediation projects

Low-flow irrigation systems are used on

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

and

projects. The lower operating pressure can be the only choice for remote locations with wells or small storage

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

water sources. It is used in temporary installations during initial establishment periods, and on the soil surface is easily removable with minimal damage to the recovering plant community. An example is its use in riparian zone restoration, and environmental remediation projects using phytoremediation and bioremediation techniques.

Water conservation

As municipal and agricultural water supplies become more constrained due to increasing population, droughts and

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

; city, water district, and state-province level regulations and codes are beginning to encourage or mandate reduced water consumption. Use of micro-irrigation systems on green building candidate projects can help them to accumulate points for LEED - (''Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design'') certification rating and awards.

References

External links

DWP-Be Waterwise blog: "The Garden Spot"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Low-Flow Irrigation Systems Irrigation Low-flow irrigation systems Water conservation Sustainable agriculture Sustainable gardening