01/22/2025
Share a case we spent a lot of time.
Last year, the farm manager told me they have to replant a lot of trees every year. They thought it was irrigation not putting enough water and not fixing on time.
I thought this was a good use for drone monitoring.
Then we started to use drone monitoring irrigation in April.And, yes, in the beginning, we found a lot T are broken. Then precisely locate them and send the team to fix. Then, some other contractors came in, mowed the w**d, sprayed chemicals, fertilizer, all suddenly broken hose, Tee, even 2 inch vents broken. The hill was like a fountain show. Check the photos.
Then we did an emergency fix again. Then things get to interesting. We started to notice some areas had no enough water in some zones, but not all zones. Go back to check the main pipes. Found nothing wrong.
Started to looking for other possibilities.
1), irrigation well water level going down?
2), some main pipes underground broken, leaking? (We found some small leaking already)
3)pump has problems? But can't explain some zones are OK.
4) irrigation design problems? This farm is not first year, if design problems, should not so any years without notice?(We found some minor vent issues)
It was June now
The later we run, the lower pressure we got, but not all zones. Very confused.
Double check all the pressures we collected these few months. Started to think the worst possible, design problems.
Use done to mapping the whole area, calculates every zone precise size. Bomb, the different zone's size are big different. How that was possible?
Went back to check the irrigation company design. They used Google maps and copy the shape into their design.
The company doesn't know the terrain, it doesn't know the contour, it treated the farm as a flat land, and equal divide to all zones. Then realty is some zones have many areas unplannable because of too deep slope. Then the results are many zones are much bigger than others. When the well or pump has decreased pressure, everything went wrong.
In July, I also notices a tiny mental sound came from somewhere. Notice to well company. Found out something wrong with the end.
Long story, but glad to find out the root cause. Hope this farm can grow in the next few years, at the same time save a lot money.
