Here is some Sprinkler Irrigation info from Ragnabo Farm:


Why use sprinkler irrigation when there is CDI?
Sprinkler Irrigation is a method of applying irrigation water which is similar to rainfall. Reason is that CDI does not cover whole farm and  some parts of the arable land have a too high slope for CDI. Sprinkler irrigation will fill in this gap. The following map shows how sprinkler irrigation is implemented on Ragnabo Farm: Sprinkler Irrigation (Google map). An area of 16 ha (is not reach by CDI) can be sprinkler irrigated with 1 mobile client (sprinkler machine). One strip up to 260 meters and 75 meters wide can be irrigated on one spot. Then machine has to be moved to next spot to cover larger areas.

Hydrants reduce building of temporary irrigation lines. These lines are laid out once per watering season. Sprinkler irrigation can of course also operate on CDI area if CDI is insufficient or malfunctioning.

Energy considerations:
The consumed energy per sprinkler irrigated hectare is much higher compared to the CDI irrigation. This is due to the required high pressure for the sprinkler irrigation and the energy losses from pond to field. The energy consumption is about 1500-2000 kwh per year in average totally on farm. Irrigation is done during night hours to avoid evaporation and heavy winds, typically on smaller hills or dry areas that do not have enough drain systems for CDI.