Irrigating

Check out our Buyers Guide for Irrigation Equipment.

New agricultural water pump program

Hydro One and Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc. recently announced the AgriPump Rebate Program, the first program of its kind in Ontario to offer instant rebates to customers who purchase a high-efficiency pump kit. The program is ideal for all farming applications, including livestock, greenhouse and vineyards. Upgrading to a high-efficiency…

The dos and don’ts of running a drip irrigation system

Drip irrigation is no longer the ‘new kid on the block,’ and nearly 10 per cent of U.S. farms rely on it to grow their crops. Each year, new growers dabble with drip and many learn by trial and error. Reaching out with some helpful tips to those growers is…

Improving irrigation efficiency in orchards and vineyards

July 20, 2017, Ontario - Grapes and apples are high-value crops that require adequate water to grow properly. low water conditions such as drought stress have a negative impact on grapes and apples, lowering yields and reducing fruit quality.The Water Adaption Management and Quality Initiative project is using a suite of technology…

Time to Consider Utilizing Drip Irrigation

Of the 2,150 hectares of vegetables grown in the Fraser Valley, only 1.6 per cent use drip irrigation for watering.

Drip irrigation systems have seen a lot of improvements since their invention in the mid 1960s. They are worth considering as a watering system, says Bruce Naka, an independent irrigation consultant who spoke to growers at the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford, B.C.

Scheduling with drip irrigation webinar

January 17, 2017, Edmonton, Alta – The HortSnacks-to-Go 2016-2017 Webinar Series continues on January 30, 2017, at 3 p.m. MT (5 p.m. ET). “The webinar will feature Rebecca Shortt from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs,” says Dustin Morton, commercial horticulture specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF).…

Semios offering free soil moisture monitoring

June 22, 2016, Vancouver, BC – Semios, a provider of real-time agricultural information for precision farming, is offering two years of free soil moisture monitoring for their customers to optimize irrigation efficiencies, improving crop quality and yield. “Water shortages have been tough for farmers,” says Michael Gilbert, company CEO. “By…

Eastern Ontario drip irrigation workshop Feb. 2

January 21, 2016, Kemptville, Ont – Rebecca Shortt, OMAFRA water specialist, will be leading a drip irrigation workshop Feb. 2 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Kemptville area. Shortt will take growers through a step-by-step process to optimize farm irrigation water use. By the end of the workshop session,…

Ontario farmers put environment first in crop irrigation

Nov. 2, 2015, Ontario – Climate change is making Ontario’s farmers look carefully at water conservation and efficient use. Agriculture is a significant water user in the province, and after experiencing drought-like growing conditions in 2012 and watching regions in the United States deal with severe water restrictions, Ontario agricultural…

Researcher finds way to cut cost, save water

UF/IFAS researcher Sanjay Shukla cut costs, saved water and helped the environment by changing the size of soil rows.

September 22, 2015, Gainesville, FL – Sanjay Shukla looked out over row upon row of tomato and pepper plants and had an idea: What would happen if he made the compacted soil rows taller and more narrow? Would the plants need less water, fertilizer and fumigation? Would the plants grow…

Controlled drainage in hort production

Each controlled drain, placed just before the outlet, consists of a plastic tube 45 cm wide and almost two metres long.

Popular across many U.S. states with both field crop and horticulture crop farmers, controlled drainage (CD) is making inroads in Ontario. Now, a joint study on these innovative systems, being led by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) and McGill University researchers, is aiming to make Canadian horticulture crop growers…

Protecting irrigation equipment from winter damage

November 21, 2013 – Broken pipes from freeze damage and electrical equipment failure are results of poor winter preparation of irrigation equipment. Spending time now on your irrigation equipment can help avoid irrigation start up repairs and delays next spring.Irrigation risers from underground lines often cost $200-$300. Z pipes, pivot…

New micro water sensor can aid growers

Vinay Pagay, PhD candidate in horticulture (HORT), holds a tiny water-sensing chip that is embedded in plants to measure moisture content.

Crop growers, wine grape and other fruit growers, and food processors all benefit from water sensors for accurate, steady and numerous moisture readings. But current sensors are large, may cost thousands of dollars and often must be read manually.Now, Cornell University researchers have developed a microfluidic water sensor within a…

Subsurface irrigation: Higher yield, lower pollution

August 6, 2013, Hastings, FL – The recent introduction of sub-surface irrigation may well preserve the future of Florida farming by protecting Florida’s aquifer.Danny Johns, owner of Blue Sky Farms, whose family has farmed in Hastings for generations, cultivates 680 acres of 23 different kinds of potatoes at his efficient…

Irrigation volumes change during crop development

May 23, 2013 – Maximum economic yield with minimum amount of irrigation is a goal for most irrigators. Efficient irrigation water use means providing enough water to avoid drought stress, but not so much that water is lost out of the rooting zone or to runoff from the surface. This…

Irrigation, disease development in vegetables

February 25, 2013 – The dry conditions experienced in 2012 point out how critical irrigation is in reducing risk when producing high value vegetables. Even with dry conditions, growers were surprised at how much disease they encountered. Improper irrigation can create situations conducive for disease development, but a little fore…