IRRIG8 Quick is the name we use for a series of do-it-yourself, in-field irrigation system checks. They should only take a couple of hours to complete and the knowledge gained is enormously useful.
Having completed a review of farm dairy effluent systems across New Zealand, we know that performance is variable. There are many causes, ranging from design flaws, through installation, component failure and maintenance. Farmers must know how much effluent their systems are applying to ensure compliance.
We believe irrigators should calibrate their systems at least annually, and that is the purpose of the IRRIG8 Quick guidlines and worksheets. A calibration will tell you if the system is performing adequately.
If you discover the system is not performing to expectation, you can contact us to find a technician to conduct a full system evaluation to determine the cause of non-performance.
As with normal irrigation, the IRRIG8Quick methods are based on in-field measurements to determine applied depth and uniformity. Equipment needs are basic: some buckets, a measuring cylinder, tape measure and some time.
EFFLUENT IS DIFFERENT – it focuses on OVER APPLICATION rather than under application and it includes calculation of nutrient load applied.
At present we have only developed guidelines for travelling effluent irrigators, currently the most common method, by far. Two options are offered, one for system with up to 15% overlap of adjacent runs, and one for systems with over 15% overlap.
Free Downloads for Effluent irrigation calibration
These documents were updated in December 2013- Travelling effluent irrigators with less than 15% run to run overlap. (This should cover most systems with ‘just a bit of overlapping’)
- Travelling effluent irrigators with more than 15% run to run overlap