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How Pulse Irrigation System Works

By Eliza Mendoza


With the increasing need for food and reduction in arable pieces of land, the use of irrigation farming is increasing. We have many types of irrigation systems available depending on need and budget of the farmer. Among these is pulse irrigation.

Used together with drip or even sprinkler systems, this system makes it possible to manage water usage effectively. It is scalable to whatever level one desires for maximum water saving features. It is applicable also with the low flow systems and the ultra low flow systems of irrigation.

For areas with very scarce water like in the deserts, this system has proven to be effective in saving water while satisfying the plants. The operation works by allowing water to passively flow into a reservoir at controlled rate. This builds pressure steadily till it reaches a predetermined level. The pressure then forces open the outlet valves and a pulse of water goes out.

Once the pressure reduces in the reservoir, the valves close allowing pressure to recharge again. As long as the inlet flow is lower than the outlet, the recharge and discharge cycle will continue. For this to work, a drip flow controller is used at the inlet to control rate of water flow into the reservoir.

Once set, this system can operate without any other input for long periods of time. This constant and frequent irrigation helps reduce water demand by the plant while also lowering water usage very efficiently. The plants are also protected from water stress due to the intermittent water supply to the soil.

The outlet valve has strong magnets holding it closed as the pressure builds. When the pressure in the reservoir is strong enough, it overcomes the strength of the magnets forcing the top set of the magnets to open. A reduction in pressure allows the magnet to drop down and the recharging phase begins again and the cycle goes on and on.

When used with sprinkler system, this water control is so effective. During seed germination, it can be set to sprinkle for 5 seconds ever minute till two weeks passes. This is then adjusted as the plants grow till it sprinkles for between 8 to 10 hours three times a week. The frequency is however subject to many factors like sunlight intensity, weather condition and plant age. Hot weather causes rapid evaporation hence the need for shorter sprinkling intervals.

The advantages of using this pulse irrigation system are numerous. When used for drip and sprinkler systems, there are no run off on if using heavy soil. In sandy soil, you have no leaching and water is not lost even though sand has low water retention capabilities. In hilly areas and shallow soil, water can still be applied efficiently without any run off. Temperature control can be achieved through evaporative cooling by use of the intermittent sprinkling and use of foggers. Given the very low discharge rate, growing plants in containers or greenhouse will require less space. It allows for the use of lower capacity pumps and smaller conduits hence reduced system costs in general.




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