What Can Affect an Irrigation System in Hot Weather?
Your irrigation system in hot weather may face very different demands than it did earlier in the season. August heat can increase crop water needs and expose irrigation problems that were harder to notice just a few weeks ago.
Quick Takeaways
- Crop water needs can increase during hot weather.
- A running irrigation system does not guarantee even water delivery.
- Flow, pressure, leaks, and clogged components can affect irrigation performance.
- Increasing runtime will not fix an irrigation system problem.
- Monitoring system conditions can help identify issues sooner.
Does My Crop Need More Water?
As temperatures rise, soil can dry more quickly, and crop water demand can increase.
A schedule that worked earlier in the summer may no longer be enough.
Before increasing runtime, check soil moisture within the active root zone and compare healthy areas with stressed areas. If stressed areas are consistently drier, the next step is figuring out why.
Is Water Reaching the Entire Field?
An irrigation system can be running while certain rows or zones receive less water than expected.
Possible causes include:
- Clogged emitters or filters
- Leaks or damaged lines
- Valve problems
- Pressure differences
- Changes in pump performance
These problems can become much more noticeable during periods of high crop demand.
Have Flow or Pressure Changed?
Changes in flow or pressure can provide useful clues about irrigation performance.
Lower-than-normal flow may point to a restriction, clogged component, or water-source issue. Higher-than-normal flow may indicate a leak or broken line.
Pressure changes can also affect how evenly water is delivered throughout the system.
Knowing the normal operating range for each irrigation zone makes it easier to spot when something changes.
Is It the Schedule or the System?
When crops begin showing stress, increasing irrigation runtime may seem like the obvious solution.
But running longer will not correct a clogged emitter, leak, pressure problem, or pump issue. It may simply overwater healthy areas while the original problem remains.
Before adjusting the schedule, make sure the system is operating correctly and water is reaching the intended root zone.
How AgriLynk Helps
AgriLynk gives growers remote visibility into irrigation system performance and field conditions.
Depending on the operation, growers can monitor factors such as flow, pressure, soil moisture, well conditions, and pump activity.
Looking at these measurements together can help identify when something changes and give growers a better idea of where to investigate first.
Keep Up With the Crop, Not Just the Schedule
August heat can put additional pressure on both crops and irrigation systems.
If part of the field begins showing stress, the solution may be more water. It may also be a flow restriction, pressure change, leak, or other irrigation problem.
The key is knowing what changed.
AgriLynk helps give growers that visibility, making it easier to respond before a small irrigation issue becomes a bigger crop problem.
