Localized irrigation helps reduce electricity costs

Brazilian agriculture has a high demand for electrical energy, due to several factors, from the volume of water applied in irrigation, the real need or excess of water used, to the dimensioning of irrigation projects, which may require large engines to capture the water.

Water consumption is directly linked to energy consumption, therefore, producers tend to look for tools that use water more efficiently and localized irrigation presents itself as a cutting-edge tool, as from the moment the irrigator starts By using this technique combined with good management, you will obtain excellent economic results resulting from the more conscious use of water and inputs. Excessive use of water can increase the electricity bill at the end of the month by up to 25%, and irrigating without any technical criteria can waste between 20 and 40% of water and energy, according to SENAR data, in addition to causing problems such as nutrient leaching and soil erosion.

Localized irrigation becomes a great tool in terms of water saving and technology, as it supplies water directly to the plant's root system, reducing losses due to evaporation and drift caused by the wind, with application uniformity above 90%. Bringing safety in the application of water, fertilizers and crop protection products. This type of irrigation also provides the use of more tools such as the use of tensiometers, which help in making decisions about when to irrigate, in addition to the meteorological station, where the producer will have data on hand on how much water his crop has lost through water. evapotranspiration and know from the crop coefficient how much water it should replace.

 Some other measures can also be used, such as: hydraulic sizing of the system according to the needs of the crop and land, and use of the irrigation system during reserved tariff times, the so-called green tariff, which generally starts from 21:30 pm to 06 am hours. In possession of this information, the producer with agronomic support will be able to have effective control of their irrigation.

Through these measures, the producer will considerably reduce his electricity costs, as he will use water more efficiently in his crops, also bringing benefits to the environment.