Landscape Irrigation Scheduling Calculator – Users Guides
Two guides are available that provides additional information on the parameters used in the Landscape Irrigation Scheduling Calculator. There is a Guide for Drip irrigation as well as for Sprinkler irrigation. While there is online help available on the calculator, often not enough detail is provided to make a good determination on which value to use. The calculator can be found at www.irrigationbc.com
Irrigation systems should be designed and operated to supply the turf and landscape water requirement while minimizing runoff and leaching. To ensure peak irrigation system performance, the system design should take into account evapotranspiration, landscape coefficients, soil type and irrigation sytem efficiencies. High frequency irrigation leads to increased surface evaporation and usually a higher rate of transpiration by the plants.
The landscape irrigation scheduling calculator minimizes the frequency of irrigation but maximizes duration of applicatiion that is allowed by the soil and plants. It is better to have an irrigation schedule where irrigation occurs less frequently but fully utilizes water stored in the plants’ root zone.
The two Guides available for using the calculator are approximately 20 to 26 pages. They are available in PDF format and may be downloaded free from Irrigation Industry Association of B.C. website at www.irrigationbc.com in their Resources / Irrigation Scheduling section.
