At Komet we follow our own guiding principle: once we have identified a grower’s needs, we go out of our way to find a solution. In potato irrigation, this means providing pivot sprinklers that are able to meet the particular needs of this rather water sensitive crop.
Potato Irrigation with Komet Pivot Sprinkler Products in Idaho, USA
Irrigation is key for profitable potato production. At the same time, potatoes are considered very sensitive to water stress, meaning that both under- and overwatering can have a detrimental effect on the quality and quantity of the yield. What is more, they are often grown on soils with low to medium water holding capacities, underlining the necessity of proper irrigation techniques.
Consequently, effective potato irrigation needs light, frequent and most of all, uniform water application. A sufficient and well-designed sprinkler package on a center pivot or linear irrigation machine, can tremendously increase chances of success. The key prerequisites are:
- The correct installation of nozzles according to the sprinkler chart
- A sprinkler that is able to distribute the water as uniformly as possible with a consistent and optimal droplet size, such as the Komet Precision Twister (KPT)
- Reliable pressure regulators that provide an accurate outlet pressure, such as the Komet Precision Regulator (KPR)
Komet Precision Twister (KPT) Black, Standard Angle, Nozzle #30 @ 10 PSI
The Komet Precision Twister (KPT) is able to distribute the water uniformly within the entire wetted area, which benefits both irrigation and fertigation. The droplets produced are of optimal size, as they are neither too small, thus prone to wind drift or evaporation, nor too big, producing too much kinetic energy that could be detrimental to seed beds or delicate crops. Potato seed beds need to be irrigated in a gentle manner, given that the immature fruit may not be exposed to sun light.
What is more, these benefits – uniform distribution pattern and consistent droplet size – combined with the correct design of the irrigation machine, will help to reduce the instantaneous application rate (IAR). This is essential to minimize uneven infiltration and deep percolation, an often encountered issue for the soils commonly used in potato production that have low to medium water holding capacity.
In the end, many factors will influence the successful irrigation and production of potatoes. But choosing the correct pivot sprinkler products for a center pivot or linear irrigation machine, will be one of the most important. Choosing Komet means choosing Water Application Knowledge, Sprinkler Package Design Knowledge and High-Performance Products.
At Komet we aim to share our knowledge on efficient and correct irrigation. Visit our website www.kometirrigation.com or follow us on our social media channels to learn more.
