When asked to mention one, single advantage that investing in an irrigation system could yield, our constant answer is insurance. Insurance against crop/turf failure and insurance that land will be better utilized (increased profitability without purchasing more property). Combined with improved growing conditions plus -- for agricultural and turf customers alike -- the benefits of better product quality/appearance, the system you employ will pay for itself many times over. Vanden Bussche experts will lead you to a greener world, utilizing the finest equipment in any of the following, irrigation methods.

Sprinkler Irrigation
Pumped water is distributed through a network of buried or above ground pipes to sprinkler head arrays in a circular pattern with up to a 50% overlap - it can be applied as an aerial spray either above or below the crop canopy. For golf courses, automatic controls are often integrated into the turf irrigation system.

Hand-Move Portable and Semi-Permanent Systems
Evenly spaced lateral pipes are fed by a movable main truck line; each lateral irrigation set waters one section of the field and is then moved until the sequence covers the entire area. In a permanent system the main line(s) is buried and often more than one lateral line is employed.

Solid-Set Permanent Systems
A network of lateral and main supply pipe, and riser pipes with sprinklers, cover the entire field. In operation, either all or part of the area can be irrigated which allows flexibility of both rates and volumes (i.e., smaller volumes applied more frequently). This is an excellent system for frost protection/cooling, plus buried pipe does not obstruct machine traffic or require moving.

Fixed-Volume Big Gun (Hand-Move and Travelling Systems)
Water is supplied by aluminium, rigid or flexible plastic pipe to a series of high-volume, circular-action, brass sprinklers (guns) that can project water up to 150 feet. Guns are moved by hand from setting to setting. Travelling gun systems use a mobile reel device, located at the end of a row, to pull a sled-mounted gun down the field - irrigating as it goes. Only semi-circle gun sprinklers are used in travelling systems, to avoid the sled being pulled through wetted soil.

Low Pressure Boom Travelling System
Rather than using a big gun, in this system, water is applied by a boom equipped with low pressure, rotary spray nozzles. As with travelling systems, a reel pulls the boom across a large field area.

Center Pivot and Lateral Move System
In many large acreage applications, pumped water is fed to a single lateral - equipped with many sprinklers - supported by trusses and towers on wheels. One end of the system is anchored to a fixed pivot centre and the other end is free to move in a circle about the pivot. Towers supports, often 200 feet apart, are driven by electric or hydraulic energy and auxiliary guns are often installed at the end to irrigate corners. In a lateral move configuration, the entire elevated unit moves sideways down the field to cover a rectangular section.

Micro-Irrigation
This form of irrigation is very precise, easily automated and it can also be used to add chemigation/ fertigation to the water application operation. Often called 'trickle or drip', micro-irrigation consists of a pumped water source, filtration system, flow meter, mainline, header lines, lateral lines and in-line emitters that can compensate for flow rate variances over a wide range of line pressure. The pressure compensation feature is essential to overcome the problem of slope and distance over small-diameter plastic pipe. Some trickle designs use micro-jet emitters that are inserted into the pipe; the decision to employ spray, drip or trickle type emitters and the distance between units, depends upon the zone to be wetted and the crop. For example, emitters can be placed at each plant - apple and peach orchards - or closer together to provide a continuous row (such as tomatoes, strawberries, melons, blueberries, ornamentals, greenhouse propagation beds, etc.).

Nutrient Management
Involves low level spreading of slurry or liquid manure. Slurry is usually collected in a central pit or lagoon and stored until the nutrients are needed for application (usually in the spring & fall). A slurry pump pushes the liquid through pipes or hose to the field. At the field, Polyethylene Pipe or Dragline is connected to a low level applicator and applied. The slurry may then be incorporated in a second pass with an implement or the incorporating tool may be directly attached to the applicator bar.