CROP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

摘要

One aspect of the invention concerns a crop irrigation system for irrigating, in irrigation cycles, a crop (14), typically sugarcane, planted in crop row sets (16.1, 16.2, 16.3) in a field (10). The system has at least one main irrigation supply line (18) connected to a supply of water for supplying irrigation water to a number of crop row sets. There is a lateral pipe (24) connected to the main supply line for each of the crop row sets as well as an associated control valve (22) for each lateral pipe. Emitters (26) extend transversely from each lateral pipe into spaced apart ground furrows (28) between the crop rows (12) of the associated crop row set. The respective control valves are operated sequentially, in an irrigation cycle, to direct water from the main supply line in turn into each associated lateral pipe for a predetermined period of time, such that the ground furrows of each crop row set are sequentially supplied with water for the predetermined period of time through their associated lateral pipes and emitters. In the preferred system, the control valves (22) operate automatically and are purely mechanical, requiring no electrical supply. Other aspects of the invention concern the control valve and the irrigation method.