Break !!! Break Time Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Proper watering techniques Poor Plant Health Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Root Depth & Soil Type Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Active Root Zone The depth of soil containing the majority of feeder roots Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Soil Infiltration Rates Soil type Basic infiltration rate (mm/hour) Sand > 30 (1.2- 4 in./hr.) sandy loam 20 – 30 (.8-1.2 in./hr.) Loam 10 – 20 (.4-.8 in/hr.) clay loam 5 – 10 (.2-.4 in./hr) Clay 1 – 5 (.04-.2 in./hr.) Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Precipitation Rate How fast the system applies water Measured in inches per hour (in./hr.) Varies from station to station Even varies within a station Most system’s precipitation rates exceed the infiltration rate Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Theoretical Precipitation Rate Formula (Gross Precipitation) Where: PRgross = Gross precipitation rate (in./hr. Q = Flow of station (GPM) A = Area (sq. feet) 96.3 = Constant (Space\Time Continuum) 96.3 x Q A PRgross = Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Infiltration vs. Precipitation SANDY LOAMY CLAY 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 INCHES PER HOUR 10 minutes 20 minutes Start Precipitation Rate 8 minutes 18 minutes Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Available Water (AW) Amount of water held in the soil Measured in inches of water per inch of soil in./in. Excess water drains below roots Storage per inch of soil varies by texture Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Permanent Wilting Point The turf is not dormant, or restin’… …IT’S DEAD! It is acceptable to occasionally let the plants in a landscape wilt This is defined as the Occasional Wilting Point Extended drought conditions move a plant beyond occasional wilting towards the Permanent Wilting Point Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Plant Available Water (PAW) Amount of water stored in the active root zone Formula: PAW = AW x RZ Where: AW = Available Water (in. of water/in. of soil) RZ = Average Depth of Root Zone (inches) Example: For loam soil with 7” RZ PAW = 0.17 in./in. x 7 in. = 1.19 in. Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Management Allowable Depletion (MAD) % Of PAW taken out of soil % Removed; Not % remaining Varies by soil type and plant species Determines the amount of drought stress the plant will incur MAD allows for a safety buffer Broken mains? Controller downtime? Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Management Allowable Depletion (MAD) A factor used to adjust the plant water use amount Based on experiments on turf water use that define the limits of stress that can be applied to turf Represent a percentage of water that can be subtracted from ET without affecting the health or appearance of the turf Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Allowable Depletion (AD) The amount of water that is used by the plants between irrigation Formula: AD = PAW X MAD Where: PAW = Plant Available Water MAD = Management Allowed Depletion Example: AD = 1.19 x 0.50 = 0.595 = 0.60 inches Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Example of PAW, MAD,& ET PAW 1 in. Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Effective Rainfall (in.) Amount Rainfall Stored Rootzone Fraction Due to Evaporation, Runoff If Less Than 0.25”, Use 0.00” Use 2/3’s of Amounts Greater Than 0.25” Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Benefits of Scheduling Water Savings = Money Savings Healthier Turf Reduced Chemical Use - Cleaner Environment Less Strain on Distribution Systems Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Base Schedule Based on Average Monthly Conditions Number of Days to Irrigate Number of Minutes to Irrigate Number of Repeat Cycles Base Schedule Must Be Updated at Least Monthly to Reflect Irrigation Frequency Changes Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Microclimate Factor (Kmc) Shaded part or most of day, courtyard, north building - LOW (0.5 - 1.0) No influence from buildings, wind, slope etc. - AVERAGE (1.0) South face, high wind, slopes, parking lot - HIGH (1.0+) Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Key Irrigation Auditor Actions Identify Equipment Problems Determine Actual System Performance Based on Uniformity Tests Adjust Run Times According to Season Fine Tune Stations to Exposures Trim Back System to Minimize Water Use Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Uniformity POOR UNIFORMITY GOOD UNIFORMITY (NEVER PERFECT) Depth of Water (NEVER PERFECT) GOOD UNIFORMITY Depth of Water Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Broken Sprinklers Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Bad Seals Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Improper Pressure Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Sunken or Blocked Sprinklers Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Existing Schedules Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Weeping Valves Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Mismatched Sprinklers Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Wind Distortion Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Misaligned Sprinklers Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Check Sprinkler Spacing Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Case Study #1 Description: 152 ac. 7 Sites Pre-Audit Water Use = 825,418 ccf (149.6 in.) Post-Audit Water Use = 694,695 ccf (125.9 in.) Water Saved = 130,723 ccf ( 23.7 in.) Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Case Study #1 cont. Value of Water Saved 130,723 ccf X $0.46/ccf = $60,132 Cost of Audits 152 ac. X $50/ac. = <$7,600 > Net Savings $60,132 - 7,600 = $52,532 Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Methods for Water Conservation Equipment selection Proper Scheduling Sensors Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Nozzle Technology Larger water droplets for consistent performance - even in windy conditions Effective close-in watering without seed washout Uniform distribution over the entire radius Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Pressure Compensation Up to 40% water savings Mid-range Rotors-45- 55PSI Athletic/Commercial rotors- 60-80 PSI Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Irrigation Central Controls Act as a throttle for irrigation systems with 2- way communication between PC and system Weather monitoring for time adjustments Flow monitoring for for predefined parameters Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Irrigation Central Controls 24/7 system monitoring and Feedback Flow management Multiple (>500) stations per site Multiple (>100) simultaneous valves Multiple sensor inputs SEEF- Search for and Eliminate Excessive Flows Map Import Alarms Weather stations, ET, Cycle and Soak, Water Window Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009

Soil Moisture Sensors Electromagnetic pulse technology Digital processing to controller Measures soil temperature and soil conductivity Averaging 35% water savings on test sites Cornell Short Course 1/20/2009