Irrigation method

Abstract

Large crop areas are irrigated, for instance by pivot irrigation, by being sprayed with water into which a substantially stable dispersion in a liquid of water soluble polymer particles has been metered at a predetermined low rate.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is an application filed under 35 U.S.C. §111(a) claiming benefit pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e)(1) of the filing date of the Provisional Application 60 / 050,032, filed Jun. 18, 1997, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §111(b).FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to the irrigation of large crop areas by spraying water onto the crop area.BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION[0003]It is common practice to irrigate crop areas in those regions where there is a shortage of rainfall. One method of irrigation is by furrow irrigation. A problem with furrow irrigation is that the irrigation water flowing along the furrow is liable to erode the furrow. Also infiltration of the water through the furrow may not be as efficient as is desired. It is known to include synthetic polymer in the furrow irrigation water, the polymer often being the type which is commercially available for improving the structure of soil by direct application of the poly...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The invention provides a method of irrigating a large crop area by pumping water through feed ducting and a mixing zone to a spray manifold supplying one or more spraying devices by which the water is sprayed onto the crop area, and in this method a substantially stable dispersion in a liquid of water soluble polymer particles is metere

Problems solved by technology

A problem with furrow irrigation is that the irrigation water flowing along the furrow is liable to erode the furrow.

Also infiltration of the water through the furrow may not be as efficient as is desired.

However erosion problems can occurs especially when the irrigated area is on a slope.

Also infiltration may not be as efficient as is desirable, especially when the irrigated soil is allowed to dry out between irrigations, for instance as is likely to occur in large pivot irrigation systems where there may be a day or more between irrigations.

Also not all the spray water is effective for irrigation, for instance due to run-off or evaporation.

Unfortunately existing methods are not practicable.

It is impracticable to provide this make-up apparatus at the crop area, and if the solution is made up at a point distant from the crop area it is then necessary to transport the solution to the crop area and this is inconvenient because of the large volume of the solution.