Flood, Pressurised, Drip or Sprinkle: What Type of Irrigation Pump Do You Need?

Flood, Pressurised, Drip or Sprinkle: What Type of Irrigation Pump Do You Need? 

What is irrigation? 

Irrigation is used mainly in agricultural businesses to manually apply water to areas of land that are growing and sustaining crops or plants. It can also be used for lawn maintenance on golf courses, football pitches and large gardens. To do this, an Irrigation Pump is needed to pump the water from a lower level to a higher level where the crops or greenery are growing and then is often required to be pressurised by an irrigation booster pump for the water to have enough flow to cover the crops/lawn.  

What are the 4 types of irrigation? 

There are 4 types of irrigation: flood, pressurised, drip and sprinkler.  

Flood irrigation is the oldest form of irrigation used in agriculture. This type of irrigation allows water to flow freely through a field of crops. It is the cheapest and simplest form of irrigation for farmers, as there is no need for a delivery system of pipes or an irrigation pump, but is an inefficient method, due to most of the water being lost to evaporation, run-off, transpiration, and infiltration of non-crop areas. 

Pressurised irrigation uses a supply of pressurised water. This irrigation system consists of a water source, an electric irrigation booster pump that can pressurise the water, and a means of transferring the water to the crops. These systems are far more complex than a flood irrigation system. They are efficient and effective, but more expensive and more likely to require manual intervention and maintaining over time. 

Drip irrigation uses a network of pipes with emitters at strategic locations to allow water to be dropped directly onto specific areas of crops accurately, resulting in up to 95% distribution uniformity, which is a measure of how evenly water soaks into the ground during irrigation. This is however popular for smaller scale systems such as strawberry growing. 

Sprinkler irrigation is where water is pumped from the source, becomes pressurised by an irrigation booster pump, and is then distributed across crop fields by sprinklers. Sprinkler irrigation is less effective than drip irrigation as weather conditions can affect how successful it is – windy weather can move the trajectory of water from the sprinklers causing water wastage. 

How to choose an irrigation pump 

When choosing the right irrigation water pump you need to consider 4 things: the water source, water flow and pressure, power, and durability.  

The choice of electric Irrigation Pump depends on your water source. If you have a shallow water source, a centrifugal pump should suffice. For deeper water e.g. in a water tank, a self-priming would be preferable, or alternatively a submersible irrigation pump that is able to be submerged into the tank. If the water source is below ground level e.g. in a well, then a borehole pump or a submersible irrigation pump would be required.  

The volume of water you need to transport and the distance it needs to cover will influence the flow and pressure demands of the irrigation pump. When selecting an irrigation booster pump, typically multistage pumps are more suitable as they are capable of offering high-pressures to get the water from the source to the land/crops. 

When it comes to irrigation pumps, there are several power options to consider: electric, petrol/diesel engines, or solar energy. Electric irrigation pumps are the most popular due to being convenient and low maintenance, but they might not be ideal for remote areas with unreliable power sources. Petrol and diesel pumps handle large water volumes, provide mobility (especially when mounted on a trailer), but come with higher costs and maintenance needs. Solar irrigation pumps are better for small sprinkler irrigation needs in gardens and lawns.  

High pressure irrigation pumps made from robust materials like cast iron or stainless steel, will last longer and be more durable. Regular maintenance, following the manufacturer’s recommendations, is essential for optimal performance. 

We sell irrigation pumps from leading manufacturers such as Lowara, Ebara, and Grundfos, which are built to last. Our electric irrigation pumps are perfect for improving irrigation efficiency, and our team can provide expert knowledge on which irrigation pump is right for you.