Unpowered Terracotta Irrigation Controller
Published on by Bernie Omodei, Owner at Measured Irrigation for Measured Irrigation
This remarkable invention uses an unglazed terracotta pot as the centrepiece of a state-of-the-art unpowered irrigation controller. An adjustable control dripper is connected to the irrigation system so that it drips water into the pot during the irrigation. The irrigation starts automatically after sufficient water has seeped through the porous terracotta pot. The irrigation stops automatically when the control dripper has replaced the water that has seeped through the pot. The control dripper can be adjusted so that the water usage rate is appropriate for the water requirements of your plants.
This low-cost irrigation controller may enable poor smallholders in remote locations to grow higher-valued crops cost-effectively. The Unpowered Terracotta Irrigation Controller is a game-changer for automated gravity feed irrigation on level ground from a rainwater tank.
Key featues
1. Unpowered (no batteries, no solar panels, no electronics, no computers, and no WiFi)
2. Water supply pressure 10 kPa to 800 kPa
3. Use for sprinkler irrigation or drip irrigation
4. Use for gravity feed or pressurised irrigation
5. Use with PC (pressure compensating) drippers or NPC (non pressure compensating) drippers
6. Adjust the water usage rate by adjusting the control dripper
7. Adjust the interval between irrigation events by adjusting the float
8. Responds automatically to on-site evaporation and rainfall
9. Install above ground or in ground
10. For in ground installation the controller responds automatically to plant transpiration
11. Provided the same drippers are used throughout the irrigation application, the water usage rate is independent of the water supply pressure
12. Irrigate directly from a rainwater tank without using a pump
13. Water in the terracotta pot is protected from algae, mosquitoes and thirsty animals
14. Simple, unpowered, and low tech, and therefore fewer things can go wrong
15. Leave your irrigation application unattended for months on end
The Unpowered Terracotta Irrigation Controller may be purchased fron the Measured Irrigation website.
The Unpowered Terracotta Irrigation Controller User Manual is attached,
Media
Taxonomy
- Irrigation and Drainage
- Sprinkler Irrigation
- Drip Irrigation Design