What is a Virtual Water Table Irrigation System?
Think of the different types of irrigation systems used today.
We have flood / furrow irrigation – where irrigated water flows across the field.
Then there are sprinklers / micro sprinklers – where irrigated water is sprayed on the surface.
And we have drip irrigation – where small drops of irrigated water are dripped onto the surface of the land.
In all cases, the irrigation water is touched by the heat in the air. Some of the water evaporates before entering the soil, the more it evaporates as the sun bakes the soil surface while the remaining irrigation water seeps down to the crop roots below.
A virtual water table irrigation system is designed to act like furrow irrigation, yet it is delivered subsurface to avoid water loss to evaporation. This is not your garden-variety, DIY subsurface drip or tap line, half inch in diameter (size of quarter picture above), pliable, and buried 6 inches to 1 foot below the surface (which gophers love to munch on).
The Virtual Water Table Irrigation pipe is 6.5 inches in diameter, about the size of a soccer ball (see above), made of hard plastic, buried 3 feet or more below the surface.
When you combine the unique design and placement of the Virtual Water Table Irrigation system, the water savings from growing almonds and cotton is 80%. We can grow both crops with just 0.83 acre feet (10 acre inches) of water.
Think of the Virtual Water Table Irrigation system as a new class/category of irrigation. Just like flood, sprinkler and drip are classifications, the Virtual Water Table Irrigation system is a new class of irrigation innovation.
Plan on ordering the Virtual Water Table Pipe 6 (six) months before when needed.