Wet sidewalks and roads are a common thing due to poorly set sprinklers. Whether it’s water whisked away by wind or a head set too close to a hardscape, water can easily be wasted.
Researchers in the New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences are determining methods to improve irrigation efficiency. One consideration for the problem of wasted water is subsurface irrigation.
The newest and most reliable method for turfgrass efficiency is subsurface drip irrigation. Although drip irrigation is nothing new in agriculture, it is just gaining popularity in the turfgrass industry. It’s the only system that limits irrigation to exactly the area that needs to be irrigated.
A team from the New Mexico University College of Agricultural led a project to install a subsurface drip irrigation system in several tee boxes at a golf course. The project was solidified with collaboration among NMSU, Las Campanas, United States Golf Association and irrigation manufacturers Toro and Rain Bird.
Half of the park used traditional pop-up sprinkler watering system, and the other side on used a subsurface drip irrigation system. One of the goals was in support of water conservation. The team had been studying this method of conservation but until now were unable to set it to scale. The experiment will be conducted for the next 3-5 years.
Other focuses of the research were on salt and drought tolerance. Ever detail was accounted for, including the type of water. Higher salinity levels, such as saline ground water, treated effluent or recycled water have been growing popularity.
In the long run, these research findings may prove that there is a way for all of us to conserve water and cut costs.
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