Automation Kit for Farm Pond IrrigationAs well as the User Manual, the kit includes the following two components: Unpowered Terracotta Valve and...
Published on by Bernie Omodei, Owner at Measured Irrigation
As well as the User Manual, the kit includes the following two components: Unpowered Terracotta Valve and 12 volt 38 watt submersible pump with 19 metres of waterproof electrical cable.
You will need to purchase a 40 watt solar panel to connect directly to the pump (no battery required).
Turn on the water supply from the header tank and the irrigation starts immediately. The control dripper drips water into the terracotta pot during the irrigation. The control volume is defined as the volume of water that drips into the pot during the irrigation event. The control volume is also the volume of water that seeps through the terracotta pot between irrigation events.
The irrigation starts again automatically after the control volume of water has seeped through the pot. The cycle continues indefinitely and so you can leave your plot unattended for weeks on end.
It is important to note here that the control dripper is adjustable. If you reduce the flow rate of the control dripper, it takes a lot longer for the control volume of water to drip into the pot and so the duration of the irrigation event increases and your plants get more water. On the other hand, if you increase the flow rate of the control dripper, the control volume of water drips into the pot more quickly and so the duration of the irrigation event decreases and your plants get less water. Adjust the control dripper so that the irrigation delivers the appropriate amount of water to your plants at their current stage of growth.
The time it takes for the control volume of water to seep through the pot depends on the prevailing on-site weather conditions. When it is hot and dry, the water seeps more quickly and so the interval between irrigation events is shorter. When it is cool and overcast, the water seeps more slowly and so the interval between irrigation events is longer. If it rains, rainwater collects in the saucer and drains into the pot. This means that the start of the next irrigation event is delayed.
The Unpowered Terracotta Valve uses on-site weather data (namely, evaporation and rainfall). Most smart irrigation controllers do not use on-site weather data. Instead, they use weather data from the nearest weather station.
You can adjust the interval between irrigation events by adjusting the gap between the upper and lower floats. The interval between irrigation events if the time it takes for the control volume of water to seep through the porous terracotta pot.
The header tank is filled automatically by the 38 watt pump at the bottom of the farm pond. A 40 watt solar panel is connected directly to the pump.