The need for more efficient irrigation

“When will we have a real summer again?” asked Rudi Carrel in his hit classic from 1975.  The years 2018 and 2019 certainly let everyone feel the summer.  Peak temperatures of over 40°Celcius and long periods of drought, however, caused considerable problems for agriculture.  In particular, irrigation-intensive crops such as potatoes and feed maize suffered from the extreme weather conditions. Agricultural businesses that otherwise irrigated little or not at all suddenly had to deal intensively with this topic. We discussed this topic several times with our customers at trade fairs and information days, with one very specific term always being the focus of the conversations:  water abstraction rights. This right depends on various factors and basically says whether and how much water a company can take from the ground in a season for irrigation of the used areas. To the detriment of farmers, in some areas of Germany the water rights were never granted or severely restricted. These decisions are not without negative consequences for many companies in Germany, but make it clear that the distribution of water must become even more efficient.

In addition to irrigation with drum irrigation machines, so-called linear or circular irrigation systems for the above-mentioned crops have become the mainstream in Europe. The latter two types of machines distribute the available water with less evaporation and, above all, with less pressure on the surfaces. The conservation of resources is the focus of the consideration here. The use of center pivot systems, however, has limits.  If there are no suitable spaces available, HÜDIG offers an alternative.  It is a combination of a classic irrigation machine and nozzle irrigation.  With the use of the HÜDIG “DW55” jet car, we combine the strengths of both alternatives.  By using a conventional irrigation machine, the farmer remains flexible in the application and can also irrigate widely spaced areas. The jet car uses the more efficient technology for applying the water, as is the case with linear or circular irrigation machines.  With a construction width of 55 meters and a working width of over 80 meters, the DW55 covers a wide range and enables use for a wide variety of crops. The DW55 is fully hydraulic and completely unfolds within six minutes.   The nozzle carriage is supported by an optional electronic level, which continuously compensates for unevenness in the surfaces and guides the nozzle bar practically parallel over the terrain.  Thanks to this design and the use of nozzles, which require approx. 2 bar less pressure than the large area sprinkler, the water is applied with relevantly less energy.  In addition, with this system we have better distribution accuracy when dispensing the water and less susceptibility to wind.