Flow Rate Monitoring in Farmland Irrigation and Drainage: The Role and Usage of Portable Flow Meter

Is it necessary to monitor the flow rate in farmland irrigation and drainage?

Farmland irrigation and drainage, simply put, is a set of methods for managing water in farmland, including both irrigation and drainage.

First, let's talk about irrigation. Crops need water to grow. Irrigation is about finding ways to channel water into the fields so that crops can be "fully hydrated." Without water, crops will wither, grow poorly, or even die of drought. There are several irrigation methods. For surface irrigation, in some cases, the field is divided into small grids called border strips. Water is diverted from ditches into the border strips, gradually wetting the field. In other cases, trenches are dug between crop rows, and water flows in the trenches to moisten the surrounding soil. Sprinkler irrigation is like the watering can we use for watering flowers, but on a much larger scale. Special equipment is used to spray water into the air, which then falls onto the field like rain. Drip irrigation uses pipes with small holes to slowly drip water drop by drop into the soil at the roots of the crops. In this way, water is not wasted, and the crops can still get enough water.

Next, let's talk about drainage. Sometimes, there is too much rain, or the groundwater level is too high, and there will be too much water accumulated in the field. This is not good for crops. Just as a person will get sick if soaked in water for a long time, the roots of crops will rot if soaked for a long time and cannot grow properly. Drainage is to remove the excess water from the field. The common open - ditch drainage method is to dig ditches in the field so that water can flow away along the ditches. Subsurface pipe drainage involves burying perforated pipes underground. Water seeps into the pipes and is then drained away. There is also biological drainage, which is to plant some plants with developed root systems that are particularly good at "drinking water." They absorb the excess water in the field, helping to lower the groundwater level and allowing the crops to grow in a suitable humidity environment.

It is extremely necessary to monitor the flow rate in farmland irrigation and drainage. Different crops have different water requirements at various growth stages, just like children have different appetites at different ages. By monitoring the flow rate, the amount of water applied in a certain period can be calculated to ensure that the crops get enough water, without wasting water or causing the loss of soil nutrients with the water. It can also be used to arrange the watering sequence and time, making the water distribution in the field more uniform. If there is heavy rain or a high groundwater level, the accumulated water in the field needs to be drained quickly. By observing the water flow rate, we can know whether the drainage is smooth. If the flow rate is slow, it may indicate that the drainage ditch or pipe is blocked, or the drainage capacity is insufficient, and immediate treatment is required. Otherwise, the roots of the crops will rot if soaked in water for a long time, and the soil will become compacted due to poor drainage, affecting the respiration and nutrient absorption of the crop roots.

As far as I know, this kind of thing is usually done in large - scale farmlands. Because of their large scale, the investment in equipment for monitoring the flow rate of farmland irrigation and drainage can bring significant benefits. In large - area farmlands, there are diverse crop varieties and different growth stages, resulting in large differences in water requirements. A unified irrigation or drainage strategy obviously won't work. By monitoring the flow rate, precise control can be carried out according to the actual situation of different areas.

Moreover, large - scale farmlands are often more likely to be connected with advanced agricultural technologies. The flow rate monitoring data can be integrated into an intelligent agricultural system and analyzed together with soil humidity, meteorological data, etc., to achieve automated and intelligent farmland irrigation and drainage. For example, the system can automatically control the power of the water pump to adjust the water flow rate according to the flow rate and other data, greatly improving management efficiency and reducing labor costs.

Having said so much, how can we measure the flow rate? The Portable Flow Meter is a useful and convenient tool. It has a very sensitive sensor inside that can detect the flow of water. When it is placed in the water, the sensor will move when the water flows, and then the instrument will convert the movement of the sensor into a numerical value of the water flow rate and display it on the screen.

In the farmland, it can be used to measure the flow rate in both irrigation canals and drainage pipes. For example, when it is time to irrigate the farmland, the staff stands by the canal, puts the small probe of the flow meter into the water. After a while, when the number on the screen stabilizes, they can see what the water flow rate is. In this way, they can adjust the irrigation equipment according to the speed to ensure that the water is applied evenly and well.

Using this flow meter is not difficult. Before use, first check if the battery is sufficient and then simply calibrate it to make the measured data more accurate. When arriving at the place to be measured, put the probe straight into the water flow. Pay attention to placing it in the middle of the water, not touching the canal wall or the pipe edge, otherwise the data will be inaccurate. When the number on the screen no longer changes, write down this number. After the measurement, wipe the probe clean and store it properly for future use.

It has many advantages. The biggest advantage is its portability. The staff can carry it to various places in the farmland to measure the flow rate without being restricted by the location. Moreover, it is easy to operate. There is no need to learn particularly complex things. Ordinary farmers or technicians can learn to use it with simple instructions. The result can be obtained immediately after the measurement, which is highly efficient. However, it also has disadvantages. If the water flow is extremely rapid or the local environment is very complex and it is difficult for people to stand in a suitable position for measurement, the data is likely to be inaccurate. Also, the range of water flow rates it can measure is limited. It may not be able to accurately measure extremely fast or slow water flows. But overall, the Portable Flow Meter is convenient and useful when measuring the flow rate in general farmlands.