When Bob Thomas and his son Rob began farming in the Imperial Valley six years ago, they quickly recognized that there must be a better way to irrigate their alfalfa. They soon discovered that cutting-edge growers were successfully using drip irrigation instead of sprinklers or gravity irrigation. After diligent research, they installed their first 116 acres with Toro’s Aqua-Traxx® drip tape in September of 2009, and have experienced significant benefits since then. The details of their experience have now been published in Toro’s Crop Solutions brochure, Drip Irrigation on Alfalfa.
Alfalfa is one of the world’s most important crops, yet most growers still use relatively unsophisticated, less efficient gravity irrigation systems to meet its substantial water needs. With a Toro drip system, the Thomas’ have reported increased yields, streamlined harvesting, reduced labor, improved energy efficiency and fewer weeds. These are significant benefits in today’s challenging production environment. The Thomas’ have successfully adapted drip technology to their particular application, and even with relatively inexpensive water, they believe the system will pay for itself quickly from increased revenues and decreased costs alone.
To learn more about the Thomas’ experiences , click the following link for the full drip irrigation on alfalfa testimonial or visit www.dripirrigation.org or www.toro.com/agriculture for more grower success stories and information on drip irrigation design, installation, operation, maintenance and economics.
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