The Future of Landscaping Irrigation

It’s no secret that landscaping is incomplete without irrigation. That said, the landscaping industry has been undergoing innovation after innovation in every sector–and irrigation isn’t excluded from that. The future of irrigation is more sustainable, will change based on climate change, and will adopt new advanced technologies. Sustainable Irrigation It’s common knowledge that agriculture uses most of the world’s water. For this reason, sustainable irrigation has become a much bigger concern in recent years. It helps with climate change adaptation, energy, labor, and money conservation and can lead to higher crop yields. Four sustainable irrigation methods are drip irrigation, precision agriculture, monitoring, and the water balance method. Drip irrigation is widely discussed and used because of its water conservation abilities. It’s a form of smart irrigation that delivers small amounts of water slowly to a plant's roots. It eliminates any water waste from evaporation, runoff, or wind. It’s one form of precision agriculture, using the right inputs at the right time and place to save resources. No more water is being used than necessary. Monitors are another version of sustainable and smart irrigation. They use sensors to determine plant water use and moisture dynamics based on the soil, weather, or specific plant. The water balance method uses the information from the monitors to schedule irrigation based on water needs and climate conditions. It balances the water inputs with the expected outputs, so you don’t have to try and figure out the optimal amount of water and waste some in the process. Climate Change’s Impact on Irrigation Ultimately, climate change disrupts the delicate balance of water security. As the planet heats up, evaporation, water depletion, and water scarcity increases. Climate change and irrigation affect each other, but climate change's main four impacts on irrigation are water availability, crop yields, irrigation demand, and salinity. Climate change directly affects the weather. It can increase the frequency and intensity of droughts or heavy rainfall, which can lead to water scarcity or pollution in irrigation systems. This directly affects crop yields, particularly through temperature-related effects and changes in precipitation patterns. If the climate is significantly warmer or cooler or produces significantly more or less rain, yields will decline. Climate change also increases the demand for water in agriculture, which not only puts pressure on irrigation systems and hinders their performance but also uses more water. Climate change can even increase salinity in downslope areas, which could limit crop production. Irrigation Innovations Luckily, many are working to combat climate-change-related irrigation issues, which is where innovative irrigation technology, methods, and system design come in. Advanced technologies like soil moisture sensors, weather stations, evapotranspiration probes, variable-rate technology, and smart controllers collect data on your plants, local climate, and soil conditions to optimize irrigation schedules. Even the system designs are different. Advanced irrigation systems can be tailored to specific conditions to optimize water distribution and minimize loss. They can be programmed to match soil type, crop type, or field typography, providing in-depth insight into your landscape’s performance and adjusting automatically. There are more irrigation methods now than ever. The focus is on precision irrigation, which allows you to apply water and nutrients at exactly the right time, place, and rate. The four currently most advanced irrigation methods are micro-irrigation, center pivot, pressurized drip, and gravity-powered micro-irrigation. Conclusion All in all, the future of irrigation is bright. These technologies and new ways of thinking encourage sustainability and automation that nurtures more self-sustaining landscapes. Now that you know where the future of irrigation is headed, you can plan accordingly and adopt it into your lawn maintenance practices.