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Soft Fruit & Horticulture Irrigation

Where Precision is Key 

Welcome to IrriSmart, your go-to source for a comprehensive range of spare parts and complete project solutions for UK soft farms. Whether you're running a small PYO operation or managing large-scale commercial projects over 100ha, we have the expertise to meet your needs. Explore our offerings and discover how we can support all soft fruit growers across the UK!

Irrigation and Fertigation Systems in Soft Fruit and Horticulture

Overview of Sector Variation

There is a considerable degree of variation in irrigation and fertigation practices across the soft fruit and horticulture sector.

Standalone Irrigation Controllers

We offer standalone irrigation controllers, which are pre-programmed to operate on a daily, alternate day, or weekly schedule. These controllers focus solely on irrigation and can incorporate wired sensors to measure rainfall, soil moisture, and irrigation volume. Typically, these devices support one or two sensors, without the ability to expand further. Remote control functionality can be retrofitted via radio. The cost of these controllers ranges from £150 to £550, depending on the number of valves being managed.

We also provide a control system that connects to an app, enabling the use of real-time weather station and weather data to manage irrigations—starting, stopping, reducing, or increasing them as needed. The app allows users to adjust irrigation programs, manually start and stop irrigation's, and check solenoid status to ensure proper valve operation. These systems start at approximately £400.

App-Connected Control Systems

Proportional Dosing Units

For these control systems, a proportional dosing unit is generally installed. These are suitable when fertiliser control is required sporadically rather than continuously, often where crops and plants benefit from a buffer provided by soil or compost. The dosing units operate based on irrigation volume, injecting a percentage of fertiliser into the irrigation line as water flows through. Usually, these units deliver between 1–5% of the flow rate, with prices ranging from £350 to £1,600 depending on the required flow rate—the larger the system, the larger the dosing unit.

Special materials can be supplied for these units to enable acid injection, facilitating pH control where necessary.

When using such a system for soft fruit grown in coir, calcium application in a B tank is required. In these cases, two units are necessary: one for the A feed tank and another for the B feed tank, as the two fertilisers cannot be mixed together due to a chemical reaction that causes thickening and crystallisation.

The next step up involves irrigation and fertigation controllers. Several options are available, ranging from locally controlled units—where growers programme the controller for the day or week ahead and make changes directly. These systems can also accommodate multiple wired sensors for triggering irrigation based on parameters such as temperature and humidity (VPD), radiation (RadSum), moisture, and run-off.

For fertigation, the controllers can manage EC and pH levels, adjusting fertiliser and acid dosing as required. These controllers start at around £6,000 and include EC and pH sensors and control capabilities.

We also offer web- or app-based controllers with all the aforementioned features, enabling remote changes via phone, tablet, or PC. These advanced systems start at approximately £8,000 and include EC and pH control.

Some advanced controllers provide sensor solutions using two-wire decoder systems, allowing sensors to be 'daisy-chained' rather than requiring multiple cables from the controller to the field. This facilitates the connection of many stations and sensors in each field or block, improving data collection for decision-making.

Advanced Irrigation and Fertigation Controllers

Web-Based Sensor Integration and Automation

Early-stage developments include app and web-based sensors feeding information directly back to controllers. While online monitoring solutions have been available for some time, connecting these to automated control is a recent advancement. This approach enables information to be converted into actionable automation, though the majority of growers currently rely on pre-programmed systems backed up or amended by sensor data such as run-off, Radsum, or VPD.

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Achieving fully automated systems requires further monitoring, support, and agronomical expertise. Growers remain cautious about complete automation, and the ideal number of sensors per area continues to be debated.

Fertigation machines are not a one-size-fits-all solution. When upgrading older systems, growers may not have the budget for a new pump house. In these cases, a "wrap-around" fertigation machine can be installed, utilising existing pumps to inject fertiliser via the machine. This is a common approach for soft fruit growers who have moved from soil to table-top production, offering a cost-effective conversion method.

The main pump must be capable of handling the additional flow rate required by the fertigation machine. If it cannot, a booster set with its own pump can be supplied to inject fertiliser into the system, delivering performance similar to "wrap-around" systems but at a slightly increased cost due to the additional pump and controls.

These systems typically control EC and pH via three channels (A, B, and Acid). More precise systems are available, but these are generally reserved for polytunnel and glasshouse-grown fruit, where maximising yield and crop value is essential. The cost for such systems starts from £12,000 including the control system, with options for expandable feed channels and irrigation sections, provided flow rates are kept consistent.

Web-Based Sensor Integration and Automation

High-End Mixing Tank Solutions

For the most advanced requirements, we offer a mixing tank system. This setup uses two pumps to inject fertiliser and acid into a mixing tank, where the solution is exposed to oxygen and thoroughly mixed. EC and pH levels are sampled in the tank and adjusted before the optimised solution is injected into the irrigation system, ensuring precise control of EC and pH.

Basic versions of these systems start from £15,000, while expandable options begin at £22,000, with costs depending on flow rates, pressure, irrigation sections, and sensor configurations. These systems include comprehensive controllers for irrigation, fertigation, and sensor integration.

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Water Efficiency and Filtration

All our systems can utilise recycled water blended with main water supplies to pre-control EC, enhancing water efficiency. However, it is essential to employ effective filtration and treatment to remove diseases and pathogens.

In addition to control and fertigation, a complete system should include: water source pump, acid pre-dosing for pH control, adequate water storage (at least a one-day minimum volume), irrigation main pump, filtration, water treatment (as required), bio-product injection (such as nematodes), pressure control, water volume usage and flow rate measurement, section control valves, sensors and monitoring, drip irrigation or driplines, climate control sprinklers, and all necessary pipework and fittings.

Comprehensive System Components

Soft Fruit Irrigation

Precision Is Key

We’ve got years of experience with Soft Fruit Irrigation. Whatever the size of your project - big (Commercial) or small (PYO), we’re here to help. We take pride in offering the best solution to fit each individual project and finding new solutions to the challenges ahead. Feel free to call for more information or to set up an appointment. Ready to get started?

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Soft Fruit Irrigation: Our Services
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