Written by Elise Stolte As found in CBC News, May 24, 2024 Parts of Alberta have been facing a severe drought for years ...despite welcome rain this month, farmers and ranchers are still watching the sky with a cautious eye. WC Ranching: "I really believe … someday in the future there won't be any sprinkle irrigation because water is one of our most prized resources in southern Alberta," said Wolbert, looking out [...]
Survive Drought with Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) Many businesses in the prairies rely heavily on rain and melting snow for their water supply. But right now, Alberta and Saskatchewan are facing record-low precipitation. The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan have struggled with droughts and water shortages for the last three years, and this year, the world is being hit with El Niño, which is causing the driest winter in seven years. Since [...]
SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION PROJECT VALK LAND AND CATTLE LTD. Valk Land and Cattle have worked with Southern Irrigation to implement a 625-acre subsurface drip irrigation system, the largest in Canada. The system was ready in 2021, during Alberta's hottest year in history. Transcript"I'm Lawrence Vandervalk; I represent Valk Land and Cattle, co-owners with my wife, Sherry.I would recommend SDI to anyone who was interested in the future of irrigation. Our project was [...]
Written by Lethbridge College, 2022 A growing research partnership between Lethbridge College and Southern Irrigation will provide valuable insight that could help producers maximize their crop production. The college and Southern Irrigation are studying the opportunities created by subsurface drip fertigation (SDF), a method that applies water and fertilizer directly to the rootzones of plants through a series of pipes. The research project is ramping up, as this past summer, Lethbridge College and Southern [...]
Written by Mark Halsall As found in Grainews May 4, 2022 “The efficiency of subsurface irrigation is absolutely unbelievable,” says Vandervalk, who grew winter wheat as his first crop on the 640-acre field in 2021. Even though it was another in a string of dry seasons, he only needed 10 and a half inches of water to irrigate the field. Many of his neighbours, he says, put on 18 inches, “and still [...]
Written by Treena Hein As found in New AG International SEP/OCT 2021 Farmers have always battled the elements, and they’re increasingly turning their eyes towards irrigation. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI, or subsurface drip fertigation, SDF) is of particular interest due to the very low volumes of water involved, and the way SDF can deliver the right nutrients at the right time directly to plant roots. In the following article for New Ag [...]
Subsurface Drip Irrigation: Frequently Asked Questions HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DESIGN AND INSTALL A SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM? At Southern Irrigation, the planning and product ordering process prior to installation takes a minimum of 3 months. The size of the project does not change this timeline. The installation length depends on a few factors, including the size, shape, and topography of the land to be irrigated, the distance between the [...]
Subsurface Drip Irrigation: Trenching Southern Irrigation at Valk Land and Cattle Ltd. Valk Land and Cattle Ltd. is a family-owned farm of 625 acres that grows durum wheat, barley and specializes in growing yellow mustard. The Vandervalks are implementing a subsurface drip irrigation system to provide them with higher yields and quality crops. In our previous video, we showed our installation team plow in the dripline; the next step is to trench in [...]
Subsurface Drip Irrigation: Planning and Design Southern Irrigation at Valk Land and Cattle Ltd. Valk Land and Cattle Ltd. is a family-owned farm that grows durum wheat, barley and specializes in growing yellow mustard. See the different aspects they need to consider when implementing a subsurface drip irrigation system for their 625-acre farm. VIDEO TRANSCRIPT Lawrence: I am Lawrence Vandervalk from Valk Land and Cattle. Barley [...]
SDI Planning and Design Considerations Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is one of the most advanced methods of irrigation technology today. SDI gives farmers the ability to apply water and nutrients efficiently where and when they are needed. This results in increased yields and higher quality crops, while saving water, energy, and fertilizer. There are many factors to consider when planning an SDI system; careful attention must be paid to design, installation, and maintenance. [...]
