This is the Hessenauer Sprinkler Repair and Irrigation blog and website. We like to inform our online readers with all topics related to sprinkler irrigation and drainage. Today we would like to introduce the meaning behind what is known as “irrigation uniformity”.
Distribution Uniformity or DU in irrigation terms, is a measure of how uniformly water is applied to the area being watered, expressed as a percentage.
Ideally, an irrigation system should apply water in a uniform manner, so that each part of the irrigated area receives equal amounts of water. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to achieve this. Contrary to popular belief, even natural rainfall is not completely uniform.
The phrase “irrigation uniformity” refers to the variation or non-uniformity in the amounts of water that is applied to locations within the irrigated area. Significant effort in irrigation system design and management is necessary to deal with problems related to lack of irrigation uniformity.
When water is applied with less than perfect uniformity, some parts of the lawn will get more water than others. Should the irrigation system operate so that the part of the crop receiving the most water has its requirement met, then the remainder of the crop will be over-irrigated. Therefore, non-uniform irrigation results in some degree of overwatering or underwatering.
Insufficient water can lead to what is known as “high soil moisture tension” and plant stress. Excess water could actually deprive plants of nutrients, increase incidence of plant disease or fail to stimulate growth of valuable parts of the plant.
Irrigation uniformity is also linked to the efficiency with which agricultural resources are used. Engineers regard irrigation uniformity as an important factor to be considered in the selection, design and management of irrigation systems.
Thank you for visiting the Hessenauer Sprinkler Repair and Irrigation blog and website. We invite you to bookmark us and contact us at 407-302-2227 to discuss a potential sprinkler irrigation system project here in the Central Florida area. Come back soon!