How you become a SMART Irrigator depends on what you grow, where you live and what irrigation system you use. There’s no one route to get there so focus on what’s relevant for you. A good place to begin is to understand what regulatory requirements and standards apply in your region/district and within your industry.
Best practice (often termed GMP – Good Management Practice) is integral to SMART Irrigation. However as GMP recommendations are constantly under review, you may find what’s best practice today will be phased out in the future. Because of this SMART Irrigation practice is evolving all the time.
If you’ve been irrigating for some time, start by reviewing your operation against our three-step SMART Irrigation framework.
- The irrigation system can apply water efficiently
- The use of water is justified
- Irrigators can provide proof of the above and are held responsible for their actions
If you are consistently and successfully managing the above, you’re already a SMART irrigator.
For those irrigators still to achieve these three steps or new to irrigation, Irrigation New Zealand provides training courses and resource materials to help you become a SMART irrigator. Check out the date of the next irrigation workshop coming to your part of the country here. Or if you are about to commission a new irrigation system have a look at our commissioning guidelines and the Design and Installation Codes and Standards here.
Some resource materials are available free of charge on the Irrigation New Zealand website and other resources are subsidised by industry partners.
Are you getting it right? Let SMART Irrigation help. Contact info@smartirrigation.co.nz to learn more about SMART Irrigation.