Modern Methods of Irrigation

3 Modern Uses of Irrigation from Zero Point Irrigation Supply on Vimeo.

Modern methods of irrigation are a turning point marked by the design and implementation of piping systems, the impact sprinkler, and drip irrigation. Even though there were technical advances in the 1860s with the invention of a pipe-based drip and drainage hybrid system, most farmers still used ancient and inefficient methods. The first real quantum leap was the invention of the impact sprinkler in 1933. Piping technology allowed for pressurized systems, and the impact rotor allowed for a more efficient and uniform application of water. The patent awarded for the impact sprinkler was the kernel that eventually became Rain Bird.

The invention of the drip emitter in the late ‘50s in Israel was the next quantum leap in watering tech. Drip technology had previously been limited because the small holes necessarily used were prone to clogging. Simcha Blass discovered a way to use plastic pipes with larger holes, and a revolution was born. The experimental drip irrigation systems that followed were a prelude to the company Netafim, followed by Rain Bird and Hunter. Using this new technology, the Israelis were able to bring the desert back to life. Today, there is no comparison to the efficiency and control that drip irrigation affords farmers and landscapers.