Irrigation

High tunnels or hoop houses are popular season-extension tools used by urban farmers, vegetable producers, and cut flower growers. One of the benefits of growing in a high tunnel is that it protects crops from excessive rain and keeps their leaves dry, which can reduce the spread of disease. However, soaking rains serve the beneficial purpose of leaching salt accumulated from fertilizers, compost and minerals in the irrigation water down below the root zone. Over time, a lack of soaking rains can result in a build-up of minerals in high tunnel soil, increasing the soil’s salinity. Sometimes a build-up of these minerals appears as a white crust on the surface of high tunnel soil. Salinity is an important consideration for management of healthy soil and growing media, particularly in high tunnels or hoop houses. Electrical conductivity measures salinity, or the total amount of soluble salts or minerals in the soil or growing medium.

Farmers need water to grow their crops. But what happens when the freshwater sources farmers rely on become stressed or unavailable? Learn about an innovative partnership between a farmer and a nearby wastewater treatment plant that uses water reuse to safely and efficiently grow crops on one Maryland farm.

What should you do if your water test results show that levels of generic E. coli exceed the maximum recommended amount? Before investing in a system to clean and sanitize your irrigation water, do a visual survey of your water sources to investigate what is causing the elevated microbial counts. Below are several strategies to consider.

The crop, yield goal, soil, temperature, solar radiation, and other cultural factors determine the amount of water needed during the growing season. Irrigation equipment varies in its efficiency. Crops vary in peak water use and critical timing. There are strategies to maximize profits with minimal water supplies.

Los cierres de edificios durante una pandemia reducen el uso de agua, generando agua es-tancada dentro de las tuberías. Esta agua puede ser insegura para beber o para otros fines per-sonales o comerciales. Los CDC y la EPA recomiendan que los administradores y propietarios de edificios se informen y tomen las medidas necesarias para limpiar las tuberías del edificio antes de reabrir.