Worcestershire based Readyhedge report on how the Hunter IMMS (Irrigation Management & Monitoring Software) has provided an effective addition to their irrigation system.
Installed during 2017-18, it has enabled Readyhedge to improve control of the watering on the whole nursery. With the 2018 summer being so warm this was the perfect test to show its capabilities.
The IMMS software syncs to the control panels in the pump house via a GPRS phone signal and has provided scope for fine tuning their watering times and also length of watering on the beds.
Map of nursery
The software has allowed Hunter to develop a map of the nursery and label the bed names with the control valve locations and corresponding numbers. This means with just a couple of clicks of a button, Readyhedge can edit the watering duration depending on whether they need longer or less time on specific beds.
Prior to this, it would have been done manually using the hunter control panel. This ease of use means water can be used more efficiently as tweaking on times is done more regularly therefore ensuring plants are getting the right amount of water and avoiding wastage.
The IMMS software records recent rainfall and evapotranspiration which now means that Readyhedge are familiar with the system and can start to incorporate this data. Watering becomes even more efficient because the system works out how much water is needed, depending on weather conditions, eliminating guesswork.
Readyhedge is the first nursery in the UK to use this system.
For more information:
www.Readyhedge.com
www.hunterindustries.com