Azusa, California, United States: Every July, the Irrigation Association (IA) hosts Smart Irrigation Month, an annual celebration of the solutions that irrigation professionals provide to landscapes, golf courses and farms through best practices and efficient technologies.
For decades, Rain Bird’s guiding vision, The Intelligent Use of Water, has inspired many of the innovative technologies and products that have made these solutions possible.
“The Intelligent Use of Water fully aligns with the principles behind Smart Irrigation Month, and at Rain Bird, we live and breathe it every day,” said Barbara Booth, Vice President of Micro Irrigation at Rain Bird, an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
“We’ve always felt it’s our responsibility to help others conserve water for future generations. While our industry has come a long way over the past few decades, there’s always room for improvement. That’s why our product development teams are constantly seeking new ways to help the landscape, golf and agriculture industries use water more efficiently,” added Booth.
Landscape Irrigation
Landscape contractors, maintenance crews and property managers are facing more challenges than ever before, from water restrictions and liability concerns to labour shortages and budgetary constraints.
Designed for commercial sites, like schools, parks and homeowners’ associations, Rain Bird’s Cloud-based IQ4 Platform provides irrigation professionals with modular irrigation central control.
Remote water management and state-of-the-art command and control features make it possible to run logs and reports that help ensure every drop is being used efficiently.
When it comes to drip irrigation, Rain Bird’s new XFS-CV Dripline can be used for both on-surface and sub-surface applications. It features Copper Shield Technology to prevent root intrusion and a patent-pending, 4.3-psi check valve in every emitter that keeps the dripline charged with water in elevation changes of more than 10 feet – the highest hold-back in the industry.
This heavy-duty check valve prevents inefficient drainage from the drip system’s lowest point, making XFS-CV suitable for any dripline application.
Golf Course Irrigation
For years, superintendents have led the charge toward greater irrigation efficiency while still maintaining beautiful, playable golf courses. As the only manufacturer committed exclusively to irrigation, Rain Bird provides them with easy-to-manage, more efficient, fully integrated solutions that address the challenges of new installations and system renovations.
The Integrated Control (IC) System delivers control and diagnostics for every single rotor and valve while eliminating the challenges of satellites and decoders.
With IC System, superintendents can connect their Central Controls directly to rotors and valves to streamline installations, check diagnostics and troubleshoot from anywhere via smartphone, tablet or computer.
Advanced two-way communication helps catch issues before they become real problems for enhanced water efficiency. Throughout the course, Rain Bird’s new 752 Series full- and part-circle rotor offers golf irrigation’s largest throw range – 19 to 84 feet (5.8 to 25.6 metres). When changing nozzles, its self-adjusting stator automatically modifies flow to control rotation speed and optimise performance.
Agricultural Irrigation
Rain Bird got its start in agricultural irrigation nearly 90 years ago, and the company continues to find new ways to help growers maximise crop yields while minimising water use.
Featuring Rain Bird’s exclusive Rain Curtain Technology, LF and LFX Series Sprinklers are built to withstand the harsh conditions of agricultural applications. The LF Series combines the advantages of an impact sprinkler with stream height flexibility that delivers precise, uniform and unrivalled water distribution.
Meanwhile, the LFX Low-Volume Series offers valuable operational flexibility with interchangeable brake assemblies and nozzles to meet the needs of numerous applications. Rain Bird technologies help ag professionals improve their bottom lines and get the most from every acre.
Smart Technology = A Brighter Future
Throughout July, the Irrigation Association is encouraging everyone to support present and future irrigation innovations by sharing posts and tweets using the #SmartIrrigationMonth hashtag. Irrigation professionals can download numerous free resources, social media graphics and tips from the IA website to demonstrate their personal commitment to water efficiency.
“Smart Irrigation Month is an ideal time to acknowledge the many innovations that have improved irrigation system efficiency over the years,” said Michael Roberts, Rain Bird’s Vice President, Technology and Innovation.
“As a member of the Irrigation Association’s Board of Directors, I encourage everyone in our industry to take steps to educate others about how to use water wisely. This includes sharing the many ways that engineers and product development teams in our industry continue to help homes, businesses, farms, golf courses, sports fields and ranches by introducing new products that make it easier to use less water with impressive results.”