WorldWide Drilling Resource

Basic Irrigation Terminology Part 7 Adapted from Information by Rain Bird Corporation and Washington State University S Salinity (Saline) - Concentration of salt in the water. Sets Per Line - The number of times each line must be moved. Siphon Tube - Relatively short, light- weight, curved tube used to irrigate fur- rows or borders. Smart Controller - A control system which uses weather-based calculations and environmental conditions to deter- mine how much water to apply based on the plant water needs. Soil Moisture Deficit - Also known as soil moisture depletion, this is the difference between field capacity and the actual soil water content in the root zone. Soil Type - The texture and structure of soil particles which affects its ability to take in and store water for use by plants. Solenoid Valve - An automatic valve operating under low voltage which may be remotely located in the landscape and controlled via a signal cable from the cen- tral controller. Solid Set - Refers to a stationary sprin- kler system. Water supply pipelines are generally fixed, below the soil surface, and sprinkler nozzles are elevated above the surface. Sprinkler Irrigation - Irrigation water applied through a pressurized system. The pressure causes the water to flow through the sprinkler nozzle, through the air, and falls onto the soil surface. Commonly used irrigation systems in- clude center pivots, wheel lines, hand lines, solid set, and big guns. Sprinkler Spacing - An individual pipe section length. Static Pressure - Pressure in a closed system, without any water movement. Subirrigation - Water applied to open ditches or tile lines to bring the water table up to where it is high enough to be used by the plants. Surface Irrigation - Irrigation method where the soil surface is used to transport water via gravity flow from the source to the plants. Common surface irrigation methods are furrow irrigation, corrugation irrigation, border irrigation, basin irrigation, and flood irrigation. Surge Irrigation - Water is sent down a furrow in pulses. After the initial surge, the furrow is allowed to dry. This wetting and drying cycle continues throughout the irrigation event. Surge increases uni- formity for furrow irrigation and increases application efficiency. Swing Assembly - An assembly of flex- ible swing pipe and fittings used to con- nect a sprinkler to the lateral pipe. Swing Joint - A threaded connection of pipe and fittings which allows movement to be taken up in the threads rather than as a sheer force on the pipe. It can also be used to raise or lower sprinklers without plumbing changes. System Capacity - The ability of a sys- tem to deliver water to an acreage. We’ll have more Basic Irrigation Terminology next month! 37 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® NOVEMBER 2015