Precision irrigation will always give you higher economic returns. You’ll get consistently higher and better yields using your resources efficiently. And by delivering water and nutrients directly to plant roots, you’ll ensure healthier soil for future years. It’s a secure, long-term crop profitability model that only improves over time.

Sub-surface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are most suitable for large-scale potato field operations. Compared with on-surface systems, SDIs deliver additional benefits such as lower labour requirements, protection from agro-machinery interference, and enhanced water-use efficiency. One of the biggest advantages of SDI is that it is not wetting the canopy, resulting in significantly reduced leaf disease. On-surface systems are best for small to medium-scale potato growers, or for use on extremely sandy soil plots. They’re also a great option for plots that are deep-tilled. But bear in mind that while they require a lower initial investment, they do carry a higher operational cost.

Again, you’ll still make bigger wins by switching to precision irrigation. You can make sure of that by installing pressure-compensated (PC) dripperlines in your system, so water and nutrients are delivered to each plant with a uniform flow rate – across your entire field.

No, if the attributes of advanced heavy wall driplines aimed at multi-seasonal use is more than your crop needs and your circumstances allow, these driplines become a waste of money and labour. Thin wall driplines can lead to significant cost savings when some attributes are no longer crucial.

When compared to flood irrigation, you can save up to 30% in water and therfore increase yields by more than 30%. Funded research at UCLA 's Agricultural Department —The University of California, Los Angeles is a highly reputable tertiary institution in the State of California, USA— have shown an increase in yield from 82 ton/ha to 104 ton/ha while using less water.

Yes! Other systems require someone more labour throughout the season. Furthermore, less water and fertiliser is used, also reducing input cots.

It’s not about cost, it’s about making the best investment. It’s been proven that drip irrigation increases processing tomatoes yield, while also improving Brix levels. In addition, drip technology leads to significant savings in water, fertiliser and labour.

Drip irrigation and automation are easily combined and make your irrigation more efficient. It is possible to add digital tools, such as soil and nutrient scanners, ground sensors and a remote control to optimise your yields and resources from the palm of your hand.

While yield is influenced by many factors including crop, variety, soil and climate conditions, typical yields can reach 40-60 tons/ha on average per year.

Yes, but organic fertilisers tend to contain more insoluble particles than chemical fertilisers so there is a higher risk of clogging. Some of Everwater's drip products have purpose-built flow paths which have been designed for organic fertilisers and are used in organic blueberry production all over the globe.

In soilless media, pH can be managed by injecting acid into the irrigation water. When growing in soil, lowering the pH will require more sophisticated nutritional practices. These may include the use of ammonium-based fertilisers as a source of nitrogen, in addition to acid injection.

In some scenarios, sprinklers (or micro-sprinklers) are recommended for blueberry irrigation. For example, when the water quality is extremely poor, or when growing in open field with a high risk of frost, a sprinkler system can be used for both irrigation and frost protection.

Ensuring the right EC, pH and nutrient levels in the root-zone is critical for fast-growing and high-yielding crops. This is especially true when growing in soilless media, since the growing medium has low buffer capabilities and demands a fast and precise reaction. A system that can react quickly to any change, be it crop stage or climate, can mean the difference between a profitable crop and one which will cost you dearly.

When growing blueberries in soilless media, drip systems based on compensated non-drainage drippers (CNL) designed for pulse irrigation are best. If plants are grown in the soil, then regular pressure-compensating dripperlines are most commonly used.

A good, commercial yield of tomatoes with sub-surface drip irrigation and best management practices (BMP), would produce between 120 to 180 tons/ha. Other irrigation methods would yield between 80 to 100 tons/ha.

When compared to flood irrigation, you can save up to 30% in water and increase yields by more than 30%. For example, in California, USA studies have shown an increase in yield from 82 ton/ha to 104 ton/ha while using less water.

Yes! Other systems require someone in the field to operate the irrigation process. Precision irrigation systems can be operated by pressing a button on your PC, or via your cell phone.

The amount of water is calculated by both the ETo climate conditions (evapotranspiration) and by the crop phenological stage expressed by the Kc factor (crop coefficient). The amount of irrigation (mm/day) = ETo * Kc. So, for example, if your ETo is 5.5 (mm/day) and your crop correlates to an 0.38 crop coefficient, you should irrigate: 5.5 * 0.38 = 2.09 mm/day.

It’s not about cost, it’s about making the best investment. It’s been proven that drip irrigation increases processing tomatoes yield, while also improving Brix levels. In addition, drip technology leads to significant savings in water, fertiliser and labour. Calculations show that in the long run, drip is the most sustainable system for processing tomatoes production, delivering a higher return on investment than any other method.

Drip irrigation is done throughout the entire crop cycle, as and when needed. This ensures that there are no water shortages, or stress to the crops. Furrow irrigation occurs once every 10 -14 days which creates accumulated water stress in the plant. Another benefit of drip irrigation is the ability to deliver fertilisers via the drip system. This ensures your crops receive the right amount of fertiliser (based on the plant’s phenological development) at the right time. In comparison, furrow irrigation limits application timing, making it less effective and accurate.

Precision irrigation can easily be combined with remote control and automation to make irrigation more efficient, giving you remote access that can be activated by mobile phone, tablet or computer.

With precision irrigation, you can increase yields by more than 10%. Upgrading your quality to ensure higher prices for your mushrooms, with the possibility of a third flush.

Our cutting-edge dripper, the UniRam™ CNL, with a low flow rate of 0.7 ℓ/h provides perfect water-distribution uniformity. The drippers start working simultaneously and are able to irrigate in short pulses, eliminating water drainages and maintaining optimum uniform moisture for casing soil.

It varies. The price depends on three things. Firstly, how you’ll get water from the source to the field – you’d need to choose the right pipelines based on distance and elevation. Secondly, your peak crop water demand, which is governed by climate conditions, crop canopy cover and wine style. Finally, the topography, which will determine emitter spacing. To give you a quote for a precision irrigation system cost per unit area, our agronomists would need to assess these factors. Get in touch so we can get started.

It’s true that precision irrigation isn’t the cheapest method. But it does give you higher quality grapes, every season, in a range of challenging environments. It’ll get you the results you need to meet market demand faster. It’ll save you more water, fertiliser and labour than any existing alternative. So, you get much better economic returns.

Usually, wine grape growers start irrigating just after the end of the rainy season. But several other factors specific to your farm will affect the best time to do so.

BACSTIM® 100 is a microbial based product containing five different spore forming Bacillus spp. strains. The strains have been selected based on proven superiority in cropping systems. When root colonisation is established by these Bacillus spp, they can perform a wide variety of actions such as the breakdown of organic matter to supply nutrients to the crop, production of phytohormones and improved resistance of plants against pathogenic microorganisms and adverse conditions.

Bacillus is a wider classification of bacteria and within the Bacillus group exists different species of Bacillus. Strains are a subgroup within bacterial species with minor differences in their DNA. Bacterial strains are the equivalent of breeds within a species like dogs. Just like dog breeds can vary widely and are useful for a range of purposes, so different Bacillus strains have different activity in the way they interact with plants.

The Bacillus found in BACSTIM® 100 are categorised as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). They are bacteria that inhabit soils and can populate plant roots, the rhizosphere or both. When these are applied to seeds or crops, they enhance or maximise the yield and growth of plants. PGPR’s have characteristic mechanisms which they use to enhance plant growth in various crops, including: Phytohormone (Plant Hormone) Production Bacillus produce plant hormones or stimulate plants to produce plant hormones from within. They can promote plant growth by inducing plant cell growth and division. These hormones include indole acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid, cytokinins, and jasmonic acid. Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) Production Bacillus can form biofilms by secreting EPS which increase water potential around plant roots. EPS can also improve permeability thereby increasing nutrient uptake by both plants and microbes contributing toward increasing plant growth and drought tolerance. Enzymatic Activity Bacillus are known to perform a wide range of enzymatic reactions which make a range of nutrients and metabolites easily available to plants by directly breaking down organic matter. These enzymes include cellulases, amylases, lipases, chitinases, proteases, glucanases, ureases, tannases, and xylanases. Enzymes such as chitinases have been shown to directly breakdown the cell walls of plant pathogenic organisms thereby exhibiting biocontrol activity. Siderophore Production Bacillus access iron by secreting iron chelators called siderophores which increase the amount of soluble iron available to the plants and themselves. Biocontrol Activity Bacillus can reduce the growth or effects of plant pathogenic microorganisms on plants. Some enzymes produced by Bacillus, such as chitinases, have been shown to directly breakdown the cell walls of plant pathogenic fungi and insects thereby exhibiting biocontrol activity. Siderophores also have antifungal and anti-microbial activity because they chelate the iron required by the pathogens.

The Bacillus in BACSTIM® 100 are in the form of endospores. Endospores are resistant dormant cell structures which remain dormant but viable under unfavourable growth conditions such as nutrient deprivation, heat, cold, desiccation or drastic pH changes. Endospores are highly stable and can remain dormant for long periods of time until conditions- for growth become favourable. If field conditions become unfavourable, the Bacillus in BACSTIM® 100 can potentially produce their endospore form again, ready to germinate again once conditions improve. Non-endospore forming microorganisms on the other hand are susceptible to harsh environments as they do not possess the thick casing of endospores. As such, they can die out quickly without the ability to repopulate. The dormant state of the Bacillus endospores ensures consistent product quality from production to application. The shelf-life of endospore based microbial products can be well over a year, unlike the nonendospore forming based products which have a lower shelf life.

BACSTIM® 100 consists of non-GMO soil borne naturally dominant Bacillus strains. The product contains a highly concentrated amount of Bacillus endospores ensuring successful root colonization. BACSTIM® 100 has proven plant growth promoting properties. BACSTIM® 100 has been statistically evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions on a range of BACSTIM® 100 BACSTIM® 100 is scientifically formulated and produced using a commercial scale GMP fermentation facility. BACSTIM® 100 has shown the ability to prime the plant against adverse conditions.

Upon application to the soil, the Bacillus endospores can quickly come out of dormancy when sensing there is favourable conditions,i.e. food source available. Ongoing growth relies on exudates from plant roots. BACSTIM® 100 can quickly multiply exponentially in symbiosis with plant roots.

BACSTIM® 100 must be applied once at planting for broadacre crops, and 2-3 times during the active growing season for permanent crops.

Produce phytohormones encouraging root growth Increased above ground and root biomass Improve nutrient mineralization and uptake Improve stress resistance Increased chlorophyll content Increased root and shoot length Increased rate of emergence Potential yield increases

BACSTIM® 100 can be used on all crops. The product has been successfully tested on a wide variety of crops, which include numerous broadacre, annual and permanent horticultural crops.

BACSTIM® 100 is supplied as a highly concentrated liquid suspension. The product should be applied at 1 L/ha per application. Mix well before use. It is recommended that you dilute the product with water. Municipal water sources that include chlorine can be used. BACSTIM® 100 should be applied close to the root area, seed or applied directly on seed in the planting furrow. BACSTIM® 100 is compatible with a range of delivery systems including drip irrigation. BACSTIM® 100 can be mixed with other compatible agricultural chemicals, such as herbicides, pesticides and fungicides (except copper containing fungicides). Once mixed, it should be used within 4-6 hours. BACSTIM® 100 should be stored under cool and dry conditions, below 30°C.

BACSTIM® 100 should be applied in the top soil close to the existing plant root area, seed or applied directly on seed in the planting furrow

BACSTIM® 100 can be used in conjunction with humate derivative products for increased biostimulatory results. Improved performance has been observed when combined with the Rhizovator™ range of products. Speak to your local Omnia agronomist for advice on the most suitable Rhizovator™ version for your situation.

BACSTIM® 100 can be mixed with commonly used agricultural fertilizers. For untested mixtures it is advisable to test mixture using small quantities in a small field area before mixing large batches.

BACSTIM® 100 is compatible with irrigation equipment as it is a flowable liquid suspension. Following application, care should be taken to avoid washing out the bacterial endospores from the root zone before colonization occurs. Where irrigation is necessary before colonization, only the required immediate water needs should be met to minimize water movement away from the root zone..

The number of bacterial colony forming units will remain high for the duration of the plant cycle. They will decrease when the plant roots go into dormancy or the roots are harvested but will remain in the soil in low numbers.

BACSTIM® 100 must be applied once at planting for broadacre crops, and 2-3 times during the active growing season for permanent crops.

BACSTIM® 100 starts colonizing plant roots a few hours after the bacteria make contact, and complete colonisation is established after 2-3 days after application. This process will depend on root activity levels and the amount of sugars exuded. Successful colonization of BACSTIM® 100 on plant roots can be observed as a slimy matrix on plants roots or visually by the greater than normal growth in plant biomass.

BACSTIM® 100 should not be mixed with copper containing fungicides. The diluted or mixed product with compatible agricultural chemicals should not be stored for- more than 24 hours. The product should not be stored under extremely high temperatures above 30°C Do not ingest the product. Avoid contact with the eyes and skin. How do you guarantee the analysis of the product? The product is analysed by trained and highly qualified microbiologists using direct count of colony forming units (CFU). CFU is a unit of measure of the number of bacterial cells with the ability to multiply and reproduce.

The quality of the product has been tested by an independent lab, and the results are available.

The shelf life of endospore based microbial products is a minimum of one year, where the optimal function of product is guaranteed. Storage conditions influence the shelf life of BACSTIM® 100, and it should be stored as recommended.

Bacteria: Microscopic single-celled organisms that live in huge numbers in almost every environment on Earth and are vital to the planet’s ecosystems. Bacillus: A group of rod-shaped bacteria that stain gram positive and are widely found in soil and water.] Abscisic acid (ABA): A plant hormone that functions in numerous biological processes in plants, especially in the control of transpiration, seed maturation and dormancy. Colony forming unit (CFU): A unit of measure used to count the number of bacteria or fungal cells with the ability to multiply and reproduce. Cytokinin: A plant hormone involved in several plant processes that promote cell division and differentiation in plant roots and shoots. Cytoplasm: A jelly-like fluid that fills all living cells and is mainly composed of water, salts, and proteins. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): A double helix molecule responsible for carrying all the genetic instructions necessary for the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms. Dipicolinic acid (DPA): A chemical compound implicated in the protection of bacterial spore proteins and DNA from heat inactivation. Endospores: Extremely resilient dormant cell structures produced on the inside of some bacteria cells under unfavourable growth conditions. Enzymes: Protein molecules inside living cells which speed up chemical reactions. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS): Polysaccharide and protein substances, which are actively secreted by the microbial cells and function in their clumping, biofilm formation, and protection from harsh environments. Gibberellic acid: A plant hormone involved in stimulating plant growth and development. Indole acetic acid (IAA): An abundantly available plant hormone which is commonly produced in young leaves of plants and is known to induce cell division and cell elongation. Jasmonic acid: A hormone produced by many plants and found to play important roles in plant defence systems especially against herbivores (plant eating organisms). Plant growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR): Bacteria that live in soils and can populate plant roots or the rhizosphere and promote plant growth. Rhizosphere: The narrow zone of soil surrounding a plant root. Siderophore: Small compounds that are produced by bacteria, with the sole function of binding iron and facilitating its uptake by these cell structures. Strain: A strain is an offspring of a single bacterial species. Microorganisms of the same strain differ from microorganisms of other strains at a genetic (DNA) level. An analogy is the different breeds of dog that exist within the dog species and have a wide range of purposes and abilities.

The Scanner warranty is standard 1 year.

No. In general the Scanner does not require any consumables to analyze materials. However, included in the delivery box are a cleaning brush, calibration cap, charging cable and sample cup/tray - those items can also separately ordered via our webshop.

The Scanner is a mobile device that provides an analysis within minutes, to be used in the field for quick monitoring of soil, leaf and feed materials. The Lab-in-a-Box is a fully equipped Laboratory for soil analysis that includes sample preparation and provides a complete soil status (Macro and Micronutrients) within a couple of hours.

Drip irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation method that offers an incredibly water-efficient irrigation solution. In a drip irrigation system, drippers slowly and precisely deliver water and nutrients directly to a plant’s root zone. This method of irrigation minimises water loss due to evaporation and run-off, which are common with overhead watering systems, like linear irrigators or centre pivot systems.

Drip-irrigation is well-suited to wider spaced crops, including vineyards, most orchards (e.g. orange, mango, apple and pomegranate), vegetables (e.g. tomato, cabbage, pumpkin, cucumber, peas and spinach), cash crops (e.g. blueberries, strawberries and grains such as wheat, rice and corn) and various other perennial crops where higher initial cost and running costs are justified.

Micro-irrigation, or micro-sprinkler irrigation, is a smart and water-savvy approach to irrigating crops. It delivers water, at low pressure and low volume, directly to the surface of the soil, thereby minimising water wastage.

There are various types of micro-irrigation systems. Water can be sprinkled at a low height in various directions through micro-sprinklers, or drippers can carry the correct volume of water and place it near the plant, just to name a few.

Drip and micro-irrigation systems are designed to operate very efficiently. They are easy to set up, require low maintenance and have an extended lifetime. Drip and micro-irrigation systems emit solutions/water directly to the base of the root zone. This provides water savings and energy savings, as drip and micro-irrigation systems only require low pressure to operate effectively. These systems also ensure uniform irrigation and isolate moisture around the plant’s root zone which results in crops with less inhibited surrounding growth.

(1) Drip systems and (2) micro-irrigation systems are tailored around the size of your farm and your farming requirements which influence the cost of your system. The initial costs/set-up costs of a drip and micro-irrigation system for a large farm might be high. However, it is an effective way to save both money and time when it comes to water, energy and maintenance, and also delivers guaranteed increased yields. The capital (set up) cost of irrigation solutions for large scale farming operations will be high, compared to small scale farms, as these require systems with greater capacity, compared to small scale farms. On the other hand, a larger farm’s running cost per hectare in terms of operational expenses, equipment and components associated with irrigation systems is designed to be lower than the equivalent running cost per hectare for a small scale farm. Contact your nearest Agrico agent via the form at the footer (bottom of the page) to discuss the specifics of your irrigation needs and personalised solution.

There are a wide variety of surface, sub-surface and drip irrigation systems out there consisting of various components. Our irrigation components are designed for use with irrigation systems such as drip irrigation systems, micro irrigation systems and overhead irrigation systems (centre pivots; linear irrigators) and may form part of an agricultural or industrial irrigation system setup. Contact us to find out more about which irrigation system is ideal for meeting your farm’s requirements.

Irrigation solutions are designed based on various factors relevant to the system’s desired application. For example, the type of irrigation system chosen is based on the farm’s size, elevation/topography, based on the crop being cultivated and other key factors. We only design tailored irrigation solutions that meet your exact agricultural needs, and we work with you to achieve your farming objectives through reliable, efficient irrigation. Whether you are looking for centre pivots and linear irrigators, drip and micro irrigation, or custom turnkey irrigation solutions, contact us to find out more today!

Irrigation broadly refers to the process of supplying water to an intended target, such as land and crops to facilitate growth. Irrigation can be used in a commercial, industrial or recreational context and involves a range of components and irrigation systems to ensure water is delivered in a controlled manner from a source for an intended purpose.

An irrigation solution refers to a tailor-made irrigation system that fulfils your growing or landscaping needs. Such a solution incorporates a collection of equipment, components and technology that work together across the area of operations to distribute water efficiently. There are many types of irrigation solutions and systems including drip and micro-irrigation, centre pivot irrigation and sprinkler irrigation systems. Different systems are optimally suited for different farming applications depending on many factors such as crop, climate, soil type, topography and available resources.

Controlled irrigation is a general term that refers to a system that maintains the desired level of moisture for crop growth, with or without the need for a human operator. Control systems come in many forms, from simple solutions to more advanced controlled irrigation systems that use smart technology or software for remote and automatic control.

An irrigation system is designed by taking into account many factors such as the crop or plants to be irrigated, the climate, soil type, available water, and applying knowledge about the available solutions to the situation. In most cases there is an important trade-off to be made between up-front costs and operating costs. For example, installing larger pipes may save enough energy to justify their higher initial cost.

Smart irrigation refers to irrigation that is controlled by, or relies on, autonomous modern digital infrastructure for operation, analysis and maintenance. The owner of a smart irrigation system may be able to access it via the cloud and control various facets of the system while monitoring key performance indicators provided by the digital platform. Smart irrigation can provide a range of benefits, from water savings and cost savings to autonomous scheduling.

You can monitor all the data via the Soilsense mobile app, available for smartphones and tablets. This way, you can check soil moisture levels and receive alerts wherever you are.

Our sensors are designed to last for a minimum of five years, even under harsh environmental conditions. They are water-resistant and weatherproof, they require minimal maintenance.

Soilsense is compatible with various farm management platforms. The data can be exported and integrated into other software for a more comprehensive overview of your farm’s activities.

Absolutely. Our sensors are suitable for monitoring different types of crops, from cereals to vegetables, and even orchards and vineyards. Just place the sensors in representative areas of your fields to get useful data for each crop.

The cost depends on the number of sensors you need and the subscription plan you choose. We offer flexible packages tailored to farms of all sizes. Contact us via the form below. Please specify the nature of your inquiry for ease of reassignment and fast turnarounds.

Soilsense provides advanced solutions for soil moisture monitoring through sensors that help optimize irrigation, prevent water waste, and improve plant health, especially in urban green spaces.

Our sensors provide real-time data on soil moisture, enabling precise, data-driven management for parks, gardens, and other green areas. This helps municipalities save water resources, reduce operational costs, and preserve plant health.

Unlike traditional practices based on fixed periodic interventions, Soilsense enables smart irrigation based on the plants' actual needs. This leads to more sustainable management, with more efficient water use and reduced waste.

Absolutely. Our sensors are suitable for monitoring different types of crops, from cereals to vegetables, and even orchards and vineyards. Just place the sensors in representative areas of your fields to get useful data for each crop.

Municipalities using Soilsense experience improvements in water resource management, reduced water waste, and lower operational costs. Additionally, they contribute to healthier green areas, with stronger, more vibrant plants and trees.

Agrico’s advanced irrigation systems have the backing they deserve. Agrico has 33 branches located across southern Africa to provide you with dedicated after-sales service and support for your irrigation system. We have developed long-lasting and valuable relationships with our customers throughout 116 years of service. Our reliable, knowledgeable and friendly agents go out of their way to help you with whatever you might need. An irrigation system uses various components to distribute and apply water to a medium. Different water application methods are used, such as overhead, surface, or subsurface irrigation, and usually form part of a complete irrigation solution or strategy.

An irrigation solution pertains to a customised irrigation system, or set of systems, designed to meet specific agricultural, commercial or industrial needs. On an agricultural scale, irrigation solutions are usually implemented to save water, increase yields, maintain consistent moisture, optimise droplet distribution and provide other key benefits for farms.

An irrigation system is specified and designed based on the agricultural demands of a client, the needs of the crop, farm typography and available resources. The design has to be done in accordance with a variety of agricultural factors and requirements to ensure abundant growth for plants while conserving the use of water and fertilizer. The process usually starts with an in-depth consultation and survey of the area to assess its suitability for irrigation. A skilled team of engineers then completes detailed hydraulic designs, layout drawings and pump station blueprints to ensure an efficient irrigation system.

The cost of a complete irrigation system varies, depending on the choice and capacity of the irrigation system, as well as the demands of your crop and farm. When discussing costs, it is important to distinguish between capital cost and running costs. The capital cost of irrigation solutions for large scale farming operations will be high, compared to small scale farms, as these require systems with greater capacity, compared to small scale farms. On the other hand, a larger farm’s running cost per hectare in terms of operational expenses, equipment and components associated with irrigation systems is designed to be lower than the equivalent running cost per hectare for a small scale farm. Irrigation solutions are customised and personalised based on your needs and key insights into your operations. Contact your nearest Agrico agent via the form at the footer (bottom of the page) to discuss the specifics of your irrigation needs and personalised solution.

There are various irrigation supplies and components that drive and support the performance of an irrigation solution, such as pumps, valves, pipes, fittings, filters and much more. Usually, water is pumped from a water source (such as a river or a dam), whereafter filters remove particles that may cause clogging down the line. The water is then transported via pipes to the irrigation system. These pipes are connected with fittings of many shapes, sizes and materials and flow is controlled by valves within the pipeline. Finally, sprinklers or other types of emitters distribute water over the crops. Agrico supplies irrigation components from leading global brands in the industry and manufactures top-quality, and highly durable irrigation components in-house.

Centre pivot systems provide irrigation for crops in a circular pattern spread. These incredibly efficient systems are made up of multiple sprinklers or a sprinkler pipeline that rotates around a central pivot point. This creates a circular pattern when the irrigated land is viewed from above. Agrico offers extensive expertise on centre pivots, including design, manufacture, delivery, installation and thorough after-sales and maintenance service. Agrico centre pivots are built with high-quality materials and provide a wide range of benefits for small and large-scale agricultural applications.

Micro-irrigation delivers water at a low pressure and low volume, directly to the surface or subsurface of the soil, thereby minimising water wastage. Drip irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation that utilises drippers to deliver water and nutrients directly to a plant’s root zone slowly and precisely, eliminating water loss due to evaporation and run-off. Drip and micro-irrigation are suitable for a wide variety of crops and can provide multiple benefits for farmers. Agrico provides a full range of services to get the most out of your drip and micro-irrigation systems, including survey, design, manufacture, delivery, installation and dedicated after-sales service. We are also a proud supplier of equipment from other market-leading producers of drip and micro-irrigation systems, ensuring that you receive the optimal solution for your farm layout, crops and resources. Agrico drip and micro-irrigation systems are designed using materials of the highest quality that provide a wide range of benefits for agricultural applications.

Subsurface drip irrigation systems (SDI) are most suitable for large-scale maize productions. Compared to surface systems, SDI delivers additional benefits such as lower labour requirements, and operational simplicity. SDI also favour modern tillage practices such as no-till or minimum tillage. Surface systems are best for small to medium-scale farmers, and for use on extremely sandy soil plots. It is also a great option for plots that are deep-tilled or for plots that are rented where growers would prefer to avoid investments in non-mobile equipment. Bear in mind that while it requires a lower initial investment, it does carry a higher operational cost.

Definitely. While having ample rainfall is a huge advantage, rain is rarely timely enough to allow the crop to reach full yield potential. This is even more evident with sandy soils that have a lower water holding capacity. On top of that, drip is also a nutrient delivery system that allows you to nutrigate and control the nutrient levels in your soil in a precise and economic way. Applying all the fertilizer in a single application can be wasteful, especially in rainy conditions that provoke leaching. Splitting nutrient applications throughout the season guarantees that your crop gets what it needs when it needs it. This is what makes drip systems the perfect tool for increasing productivity on previously rainfed plots.

Drip irrigation fits all plot shapes and sizes, all soil types and all topographies. You can use pressure compensating dripper lines that maintain the same flowrate across different pressure levels, so every plant in the field gets exactly the same amount of water and nutrients despite elevation changes or large distances from the water source.

Drip is the irrigation method that brings the best return on investment compared to any other irrigation system. When working with a limited water source it is an easy decision since drip has the highest water-use efficiency. This will allow you to take the water resource further by increasing productivity or allowing you to add more hectares using the same water quantity. Unlike any other irrigation method, it also allows precision application of plant nutrients (Nutrigation™). This boosts yields and extends ratoon life by optimising the use of plant nutrients according to the crop development stage, and by improving overall plantation health.

Subsurface drip irrigation systems (SDI) are the most recommended solution for large-scale sugarcane production. Compared with on surface systems, SDI has lower labour requirements and lower operational complexity. On-surface systems are best for small to medium-scale sugarcane production. While these systems require a lower initial investment, they do carry a higher operational cost.

Definitely. While having ample rainfall is obviously a huge advantage, rain is never timely enough to allow the crop to reach its full yield potential. This is even more evident with sandy soils that have a lower water-holding capacity. On top of that, drip is also a nutrient delivery system that allows you to fertigate and control the nutrient levels in your soil in a precise and economical way. Applying all of your fertiliser in just a few applications can be wasteful, especially under rainy conditions that provoke leaching. Splitting your nutrient application along the season guarantees that your crop gets what it needs when it needs it. This is what makes drip systems the perfect tool for increasing productivity in previously rain-fed plots.

Drip irrigation fits all plot shapes and sizes, all soil types and all topographies. You can use pressure-compensating drippers that maintain the same flow rate across different pressure levels, so every plant in the field gets exactly the same amount of water and nutrients no matter the elevation changes or distance from the water source.

Micro-sprinklers can be excellent precision irrigation emitters in avocado plantations as they create a wetted pattern that is well-correlated to the avocado's root zone. Some farmers prefer micro-sprinkler systems because not only can they tolerate poor quality water, but the visual inspection of the system is easier, and the water jets can be clearly seen. Micro-sprinklers are also a good fit for rocky soils where water distribution may be disrupted by the inconsistent soil texture. However, micro-sprinklers require 20 - 30% more water than drip irrigation, and potential damage, or wear-and-tear, mean higher maintenance costs. Although both methods are recognised, we have seen a global shift towards drip irrigation using two dripperlines per row of trees.

In rainy areas, drip irrigation will allow you to deliver water during dry spells and offer an efficient Nutrigation™ system all year round. Precision irrigation lets you spoon feed the tree to prevent nutrient leaching and ensure that every drop of fertiliser is delivered directly to the root zone.

Yes. Advanced digital tools allow you to activate and manage your irrigation and nutrition from the palm of your hand, It is further possible to add other digital tools, such as soil scanners, smart soil sensors or weather sensors, to optimise your yields and resources.

Avocado production requires an intensive farming, which is simplified with precision irrigation. Farm employees can work in the orchard without being tethered to irrigation or Nutrigation™ scheduling. The delivery of plant protection and fertilisers via the system itself reduces operational complexity.

Yes. Not only can you use fertilisers, you can have full control over how much fertiliser you use. Through different trials and best practices from around the world, we have learned that fertilising in small doses throughout the growing period keeps the nutritional elements continuously available near the plant root zone. This is more effective than fertilising in large, less continuous doses.

There are three common greenhouse structures: glasshouses, poly houses, and net houses. All three are suitable for producing tomatoes. The questions you should ask are: What are the local environmental conditions? How much do I want to/can I invest? Glasshouse structures are suitable for commercial production of tomatoes in mild to cold climates (heavy snow load) and require high investment. Poly houses are suitable for diverse climatic conditions. Net houses will be more suitable for dry or hotter climate conditions (NON-rainy climates).

Net houses: 10 to 15 kg/m2 (short cycle crop). Low-tech / simple poly houses: 25 to 30 kg/m2 per year (1 long cycle of 10-11 months, or two short cycles of five months each). High-tech greenhouses with climate control system: 40 to 70 kg/m2 (1 long cycle of 10 months).

Short cycle: 140 to 150 days from planting to harvest. Long cycle: 10 to 11 growing months, including nine months of harvesting.

Ensuring the right EC, pH, and nutrient levels in the root zone is critical for fast-growing and high-yielding crops. This is especially true when growing in soilless media, since the growing medium has low buffer capabilities and demands a fast and precise reaction. You need a system that can react quickly to any change, be it crop stage or climate. This can be the difference between winning and losing. Precision drip systems are based on non-drainage drippers, designed for pulse irrigation and special dosing systems that allow you to keep all parameters exactly where you need them, and react to changes on demand.

Irrigation of soilless media is characterised by short irrigation pulses (minutes). With CNL drippers, you increase Nutrugation™ uniformity by eliminating the refilling time of the system and preventing system drainage. This means that all the drippers start and stop at exactly the same time every irrigation cycle, guaranteeing equal quantities of water and fertiliser to all plants.

There are three common greenhouse structures: glasshouses, poly houses, and net houses. All three are suitable for peppers production. The questions you should ask are: What are the local environmental conditions? How much do I want to/can I invest? Glasshouse structures are suitable for commercial production of peppers in mild to cold climates and require high investment. Poly houses are suitable for diverse climatic conditions. Net houses are more suitable for hotter and dry climates (non-rainy climates).

Planting time in greenhouses depends on marketing time. It is common to have one growing cycle per year that lasts 90 days, from planting to first harvest. In good climate conditions, the harvest period will take seven to eight months.

In net houses: 8 to 10 kg/m2 (short cycle crop). In low-tech / simple poly houses: 15-16 kg/m2. In hi-tech greenhouses: 32-34 kg/m2 due to plant density and number of cycles per year.

Ensuring the right EC, pH, and nutrient levels in the root zone is critical for fast-growing and high-yielding crops. This is especially true when growing in soilless media, as the growing medium has low buffer capabilities and demands fast and precise reaction. You need a system that can react quickly to any change, be it crop stage or climate. This can be the difference between winning and losing. Precision drip systems are based on non-drainage drippers, designed for pulse irrigation and special dosing systems that allow you to keep all parameters exactly where you need them, and react to changes on demand.

Irrigation of soilless media is characterised by short irrigation pulses (minutes). With CNL drippers, you increase Nutirgation™ uniformity by saving the refilling time of the system and preventing system drainage that causes uneven water distribution. This means that all the drippers start and stop at exactly the same time.

There are two common greenhouse structures suitable to cucumber production: glasshouses and poly houses. The questions you should ask are: What are the local environmental conditions? How much do I want to/can I invest? Glasshouse structures are suitable for nursery cultivation and commercial production of cucumbers in mild to cold climates and require high investment. Poly houses are more suitable for diverse climatic conditions.

Usually, there are two to three growing cycles per year. In warm climate conditions, it takes between 20 and 24 days from planting to first harvest, and the harvest period takes 7 to 8 weeks. In high-tech greenhouses, the harvest cycles are very long and can take up to 16 weeks. In this case, there will only be two growing cycles per year. The harvest period can differ from season to season. For example, a summer cycle will take approximately 10 weeks, while a winter cycle will take around four months.

In high-tech greenhouses: 200 kg/m2 per year, due to plant density and number of cycles per year. In mid-tech poly houses: 40 to 80 kg/m2 per year.

Ensuring the right EC, pH, and nutrient levels in the root-zone is critical for fast-growing and high-yielding crops. This is especially true when growing in soilless media, as the growing medium has low buffer capabilities and demands a fast and precise reaction. You need a system that can react quickly to any change, be it crop stage or climate. This can be the difference between winning and losing. Check out the unique drippers on offer for cucumber production, or our super-precise dosing systems.

Irrigation of soilless media needs short irrigation pulses (minutes). With CNL drippers, you increase Nutrigation™ uniformity by saving the refilling time of the system and preventing system drainage that can cause uneven water distribution if done frequently. This means that all the drippers start and stop at the same time.

Drip irrigation provides optimal, uniform water application for optimal soil moisture and outstanding aeration, which is critical for producing marketable table grapes. As no water is wasted due to run-off or evaporation, drip saves 30% on water and energy costs when compared to other irrigation methods. Delivering nutrients directly to the root zone means that there is no weed growth between vine rows, and more importantly, moisture levels within the canopy remain low, reducing the risk of threatening foliar diseases.

Yes. Advanced digital farming tools allow you to activate and manage both irrigation and Nutrigation™ from the palm of your hand, wherever you are. You can also use additional digital tools like soil scanners, soil moisture and plant sensors to optimise yields and resource use.

Drip irrigation enables optimal uniform soil moisture and outstanding aeration. It delivers water and nutrients directly to the root zone of the plant. Drip irrigation uses up to 40% less water and energy than sprinkler irrigation.

This depends on a range of factors, such as soil type, phenological stage, climate, tree age, etc. A general indication is that in heavy soils, irrigation should be applied every two to four days, and in sandy/light soils irrigation should be applied daily.

Everwater combines irrigation expertise, with over 50 years’ real-world involvement in the citrus growing regions of the Mediterranean, Southern and Eastern Africa, USA, Australia and Brazil. This experience has enabled us to develop and implement solutions tailored to a broad range of parameters, such as climate, soil and water conditions, individual irrigation cultures and practices, and other environmental constraints.

Drip irrigation can be easily combined with remote control and automation tools to make your irrigation more efficient. It is possible to add other digital tools, such as soil and nutrient scanners, soil sensors and weather sensors, to optimise your yields and resources. Learn more about our digital farming solutions.

Yes. Precision irrigation is easily combined with remote control and automation to make irrigation easier and more efficient.

With drip irrigation, you control uniform distribution of water and fertilisers, eliminating wind effects and evaporation from the soil surface. Micro-sprinklers are another possible option, as they are designed to help reduce water use and allow for uniform distribution of water.

Yes. Not only can you use fertilisers, you can have full control over how much fertiliser you use. Through different trials and best practices from around the world, we have learned that fertilising in small doses throughout the growing period keeps the nutritional elements continuously available near the plant root zone. This is more effective than fertilising in large, less continuous doses.

Frost damages both flowers and fruit, which can lead to a massive yield loss. To mitigate this risk, take advantage of our full frost mitigation solutions. Choose from classic total area coverage with MegaNet™ or a localised solution with GyroSA™. Enquire via our contact form near the footer of your page.

Compared to flood irrigation, precision irrigation can save you more up to 50% of water, with subsequent savings on electricity, fertilizers and labor costs.

Yes! Not only can you use them, but you also have full control over how much fertilizer you use. You can ensure next year’s high yields with precise and alternate Fertigation, which guarantees healthy crops today to boost your production capacity tomorrow.

Yes. Advanced digital tools allow you to activate and manage your irrigation and macadamia nutrition from the palm of your hand, giving you remote access by mobile, tablet or computer - wherever you are.

Yes, using subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) eliminates physical damage to the irrigation system. SDI allows farmers to irrigate without obstructing field access for spraying or harvest crews or equipment.

Using micro-sprinklers as precision irrigation solution will allow you to wet the ground surface, reduce dust and prevent environmental hazards.

Yes, the almond root-zone stretches all along the line, so it’s important to wet the entire length of the planting row.

Another common irrigation method for almond production is micro-sprinklers. Drip irrigation uses up to 25% less water than micro-sprinkler irrigation. It is also the most efficient way to apply fertilisers as well as keep the surface dry to prevent unwanted weed growth. Nevertheless, if water-saving is not a top priority, micro- sprinklers can be a good solution as a precision irrigation method on almonds

It’s true that precision irrigation isn’t the most affordable method. It does however ensure higher yields and a better-quality crop - every season, in a range of challenging environments, using minimal resources. As lucerne is such a thirsty, sensitive crop you’ll want to avoid wasting water and nutrients through methods such as flood or pivot irrigation. Not just because those methods deplete your resources – it also throws them on the soil without directing them to plant roots, which jeopardises the uniformity of your crops.

The price depends on three aspects. First, how you’ll get water from the source to the field. Second, peak crop water demand, which is governed by climate conditions and crop canopy cover. And finally, soil type, which will determine emitter spacing. To give you a quote for cost per unit area, our agronomists would need to assess these factors, among others. Get in touch so we can get started.

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are most suitable for lucerne production. Compared with on-surface systems, SDI delivers additional benefits such as lower labour requirements, protection from machinery interference, and enhanced water-use efficiency. SDI systems also favour modern tillage practices such as no-till or minimum tillage.

Definitely. While having ample rainfall is obviously a huge advantage, the major disadvantage is that rainfall doesn’t allow you to control and optimise nutrient delivery. With precision irrigation, nutrient delivery is targeted, dosed in controlled quantities according to the plants’ needs, to maintain consistent crop health and quality throughout. The concept is called ‘precision Nutrigation™’, and it’s a core feature of every precision irrigation system.

Precision irrigation works just as well on uneven topographies. All you need is to install pressure-compensated (PC) dripperlines in the system, so water and nutrients are delivered to each plant with uniform flow rates – across the entire field.

There are three common greenhouse structures: glasshouses, poly houses, and net houses. All three are suitable for producing tomatoes. The questions you should ask are: What are the local environmental conditions? How much do I want to/can I invest? Glasshouse structures are suitable for commercial production of tomatoes in mild to cold climates (heavy snow load) and require high investment. Poly houses are suitable for diverse climatic conditions. Net houses will be more suitable for dry or hotter climate conditions (NON-rainy climates).

Net houses: 10 to 15 kg/m2 (short cycle crop). Low-tech / simple poly houses: 25 to 30 kg/m2 per year (1 long cycle of 10-11 months, or two short cycles of five months each). High-tech greenhouses with climate control system: 40 to 70 kg/m2 (1 long cycle of 10 months).

Short cycle: 140 to 150 days from planting to harvest. Long cycle: 10 to 11 growing months, including nine months of harvesting.

Ensuring the right EC, pH, and nutrient levels in the root zone is critical for fast-growing and high-yielding crops. This is especially true when growing in soilless media, since the growing medium has low buffer capabilities and demands a fast and precise reaction. You need a system that can react quickly to any change, be it crop stage or climate. This can be the difference between winning and losing. Precision drip systems are based on non-drainage drippers, designed for pulse irrigation and special dosing systems that allow you to keep all parameters exactly where you need them, and react to changes on demand.

Irrigation of soilless media is characterised by short irrigation pulses (minutes). With CNL drippers, you increase Nutrugation™ uniformity by eliminating the refilling time of the system and preventing system drainage. This means that all the drippers start and stop at exactly the same time every irrigation cycle, guaranteeing equal quantities of water and fertiliser to all plants.