Automation and Controls for Irrigation

What Is Automation in Irrigation?

“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” – Benjamin Franklin

Automatic irrigation uses devices, such as controls and sensors, to turn water flow on and off and adjust the flow rate without owner or operator intervention. There are numerous applications across multiple industries and property types, including:

• Agriculture 
• Commercial and Residential Landscaping
• Golf Courses 
• Campuses
• HOAs
• And many more

 

Vanden Bussche Irrigation offers automatic irrigation supplies, including weather-based and soil-based controllers. Keep reading our FAQs on automation and controls for irrigation for a fuller understanding of these important systems.

How Does an Automatic Irrigation System Work?

The components of an automatic irrigation system include sensors that control essential system functions, such as start, stop, and water flow. The control module consists of an electrical controller attached to valves that are buried in the ground. The primary water source breaks off in different zones depending on how you have programmed the system for your client or the property you manage.

Keep reading to find out other components of these eco-friendly systems.

 

Essential Automation System Components

Let's take a look at the major components of an automated irrigation system:

• Valve system: The main valve is attached to the water supply, and all the irrigation pipes radiate from this point. You can manage them with a timer that sends electrical signals telling the valve when to open and shut. You can still turn the valve off manually in case of a leak or for other troubleshooting purposes.
• Underground Piping: Most automatic sprinkler systems contain polyurethane or PVC piping. It's easy to cut these materials to size, and they provide weather resistance and longevity. You install the pipes underground, connecting them to the main water source. These systems are designed to provide even water flow throughout the irrigated area. However, you can program zones to control water flow to different areas using timers and other devices. 
• Sprinkler Heads: This is the part of automatic irrigation systems that you can see above the ground. These tiny devices, when set up in different zones, sprinkle water on your turf, crops, or landscaping. There are three different kinds of sprinkler heads: 
   
• Spray heads are ideal for smaller areas
• Rotor heads pop up or retract for easier landscape maintenance
• Bubblers release water close to the ground to minimize evaporation
• Emitters, while not technically ‘sprinklers’, are also widely used in drip irrigation and are ideal for watering the root zones of plants, trees, and container plants
  
  Your Vanden Bussche Irrigation sales representative can help you determine the best sprinkler for your landscape or farm area. Note that placing sprinkler heads too close together can leave some areas overwatered and other areas dry.
   
• Sensors and controllers: Leading-edge smart technology makes the most of every drop of water. Programmable controllers and weather and soil sensors make it easy to develop the perfect irrigation system and strategy for the properties under your care.
   

Top manufacturers, such as Hunter, Rain Bird, Netafim, Bauer, Zimmatic/Lindsay, develop products with the latest technology at the fingertips of irrigation system designers. Every aspect focuses on conserving water without sacrificing the health and well-being of your plants, trees, and grass. With the right decisions and equipment, you’ll deliver a lush, colourful landscape and a thriving farm without wasting water. 

Vanden Bussche Irrigation is committed to education and training as well as supplying industry-leading, water-wise products to our customers. Feel free to visit our Online Training Portal, with courses available on installing irrigation systems of various configurations.
 

What Is an Automated Drip Irrigation System?

Automated irrigation simply refers to running your sprinkler system with minimal manual effort. It involves timers, sensors, mechanical devices, and controllers. They reduce the need for water and fertilization by delivering moisture to the root system or targeted surface area. 

There are several benefits of switching or upgrading to automated drip irrigation:

• Timely irrigation when and where you need it
• Control higher flow rates
• Accurate water cut-off 
• Preservation of water and nutrients runoff
• Less wear and tear on vehicles used to check irrigation 

Why Is an Automatic Irrigation System Important?

“All the water that will ever be is, right now.” – National Geographic
 

Automated irrigation systems and controls protect your farmland, orchard, or your customer’s yard and turf. Without automation, manual oversight takes additional manpower that may result in overwatered and underwatered areas. A well-designed system can keep crops, plants, and trees healthy and nourished from the roots up.

As a landscaping contractor, you can tell customers to say goodbye to well-watered sidewalks and underwatered turf, and landscaping! Deliver precise coverage to the turf, flower beds, and other plants you care for. Don't forget to add timers that you can set for daily or weekly watering at points of low evaporation. Adding smart moisture sensors that measure precipitation can also prevent excessively dry soil on your clients’ properties.

Which Sensors Are Used in Smart Irrigation Systems?

Smart irrigation systems use numerous sensors, to control components such as:

• Soil moisture
• Soil temperature
• Ambient humidity
• Ambient temperature

With some feedback from the sensors, you can control the irrigation system settings from a mobile app.

Vanden Bussche connects farmers, contractors, landscapers, and irrigation specialists with some of the best products on the market. This includes Rain Bird, Nelson, Netafim, and Hunter equipment with automated sensors and controls. Additionally, we have access to Connected Crops sensors ideal for agricultural applications when you want to continuously monitor ground temperature and soil moisture. However, note that the Connected Crops mobile app doesn’t have automated irrigation features.

Smart irrigation controllers (timers) have sensors that monitor weather conditions to determine optimal run times and ensure healthy farms, orchards, golf courses, landscapes, and lawns without wasting precious water.
 

Product Spotlight: Hunter and Rain Bird Controllers

Hunter AC controllers are designed for easy conversion to a smart system. You just have to add the Hunter Solar Sync. Hunter controllers are EPA-approved as designated WaterSense Smart Irrigation Controllers, including these models:

• HPC
• HCC
• HC
• Pro-HC
• X2 

Rain Bird controllers also intelligently manage water usage, as follows: 

• Rain Bird weather-based sensors adjust the irrigation schedule based on various weather scenarios. 
• Seasonal adjust controllers account for forecasted precipitation. 
• Flow-sensing devices make leak detection a breeze for simplified maintenance. 
• Pressure-regulation tools combined with the brand’s high efficiency nozzles eliminate fogging for uniform coverage. 

Both brands feature bubblers, drip lines, and emitters that carry low-volume irrigation directly to the root system. Vanden Bussche Irrigation carries a variety of Rain Bird and Hunter controllers, built to fit your specific projects. Among the most popular ones we carry is the Rain Bird ESP-ME3 Series controller. 

 

What Are the Benefits of Automated Irrigation Systems?

Canada may have the world’s largest supply of renewable water sources (79,000 cubic metres per resident), and yet, it’s crucial to conserve water and to look at the issue from a global perspective. Water conservation is one of the top reasons to go with an automated irrigation system for your farming operation or landscape.

Smart irrigation systems keep golf courses, yards, landscapes, and cropland lush and beautiful — but that's just one of the benefits of installing automation. Increase property values and make it easy to maintain proper irrigation!

Additional benefits of automated irrigation systems include:

• Delivery of precise water volume to prevent overwatering or underwatering
• Improved plant health through hydration from the roots up
• Reduced labour costs due to the elimination of manual watering and maintenance 
• Ability to cultivate water-conservative parks and green spaces
• Savings on energy and money
   

Product Spotlight: TBOS-II Irrigation Controllers

The TBOS-II buriable irrigation controllers operate on batteries. Therefore, if you have farms, orchards, or customer landscapes in remote areas with unreliable or no power, this might provide the perfect irrigation control solution. It maximizes water efficiency by giving you complete control via customizable programs. 

• Seasonal water adjustment: Set up different run times appropriate for every month of crop management. 
• Time savings: Save common programs for later use and transfer programs between controllers. 
• Flexibility: You can turn on the automated irrigation system for a few minutes or up to 12 hours. You can program up to eight start times daily and run 31-day or 6-day programs (along with many other scheduling options).
• No power, no problem: Battery-power puts control at your fingertips, even if there’s no power where you need your irrigation.

If you have any questions on this or any of the highlighted products, don’t hesitate to reach out to us to go over the specifications together.

What Is a Smart Irrigation Controller?

Traditional irrigation controllers give you the ability to set timers that turn on your sprinklers. However, this is a far cry from truly smart irrigation controllers. Smart irrigation controllers monitor soil conditions, evaporation, weather, and plant water absorption, in order to adjust water delivery accordingly. 

Weather-based Irrigation Controllers

Referred to as evapotranspiration (ET) controllers, weather-based controllers make decisions about your irrigation schedules. Evapotranspiration controllers give you valuable data about evaporation and transpiration, as well as expected wind, humidity, temperature, and solar radiation. 

The most common weather-based controllers include the following:

• Signal-based controllers leverage meteorological data as well as evapotranspiration to send the calculated water flow and schedule to the irrigation controller wirelessly.
• Legacy ET controllers rely on regional water use to program the irrigation system. 
• On-site weather measurement controllers calculate ET measurements and water levels.
   

Soil-Moisture Controllers

While weather-based controllers have numerous advantages, you also need to consider soil conditions. Soil moisture sensors integrate well with automated irrigation systems. These sensors use established technology to measure moisture in your customer’s lawn.
 

Here are the two types of soil controller systems:

• Suspended cycle irrigation systems come with traditional timer controllers with precise water schedules. These systems can stop the next scheduled irrigation if there is already enough moisture in the soil.
• Water-on-demand irrigation only requires a lower and upper threshold to trigger the start or termination of irrigation systems.

Smart Irrigation Controllers Save Water and Money

By designing and installing a smart irrigation system, you can save water. This is the top reason we recommend smart irrigation controllers. 

Automatic controllers track flow rates and collect data to make maintenance a breeze. If you need assistance planning and selecting the right components for irrigation automation and controls, you can reach out to the team at Vanden Bussche Irrigation. We have several convenient locations to make it easier for you to get the parts and services you need. With features such as a mobile app and useful classes on the Training Portal, we make smart irrigation simple.
 

Contact us online to schedule a consultation on how automation and controls can improve the efficiency of your automated irrigation system.