The Rural Voice, 1999-06, Page 58INW
AgriTech
Irrigation info scarce as rainfall
By Janice Becker
Gazing out at fields of North Huron
County. on a mid-May afternoon, I
watch farmers cultivate, spray and
plant in clouds of dust which almost
obscure the equipment from sight:
After a year with low precipitation,
a winter of minimal snowfall and a
spring, which although there has been
rainfall. has evaporated due to high
temperatures and northeasterly
winds, the ground is very dry.
I began to consider irrigation and
its usefulness in this part of the coun-
try.
In scanning the internet, I soon
found that irrigation in southwestern,
or Ontario as a whole, for that matter,
was not a subject on which material
was readily available. Several sites
were located with information for
Alberta, Saskatchewan or the mid-
western United States.
However, if drier conditions con-
tinue in the central regions of
Canada, how much longer might it be
before farmers consider irrigation for
crops such as corn and soybeans?
While irrigation is common for
crops such as tobacco, orchards and
horticultural businesses, I found
information scarce for cash crops.
For those interested in greenhouse
systems, Argus Controls Ltd, at
www.argus-controls.com, is a good
business site.
After considerable
time, the use of
numerous search
engines and elimi-
nating sites geared
to American clients,
I discovered a Delhi
company. Vanden
Bussche Irrigation
and Equipment Ltd.
has a very detailed
site with good infor-
mation about their
products at www.vandenbussche.
com/.
Aside from explaining the equip-
ment, pictures included, the site dis-
cusses the application of protection
material and nutrients,
frost protection and
moderating the effects
Businesses'
websites
provide
irrigation
information
Vp ri
Hokvob
,.
of sandblasting and
excessive heat.
The completely -
computerized systems
are expected to help
maximize production
while minimizing
costs.
If looking for per-
sonal benefit, Vanden
Bussche provides a
worksheet which can
HELP WANTED
We are a leading ready -mix concrete producer and are currently seeking highly motivated and versatile
people for a variety of duties, including concrete delivery.
Applicants must have a positive attitude, be of neat appearance, and understand the importance of
customers.
We value initiative and the ability to take responsibility. If you are honest, reliable, ambitious and a team
player, we would be happy to receive your resume.
Applicants with a minimum DZ licence along with a high degree of mechanical ability will be given strong
consideration.
Please send resume to: P.O. Box 24
Teeswater, Ontario NOG 2S0
Fax: (519) 3926998
Phone: 1400-263-2555
Or drop in and fill out an application.
A,Sw4F
+•°'ted •�
CONCRETE
54 THE RURAL VOICE
be e-mailed so consultants can get a
general impression of the property.
Having found only business sites, I
went looking for general information
through government agencies or the
Canadian Agriculture Library (CAL).
The material was very slow to
acquire, dealt mainly with the prairies
and was non-existent from some
sources.
Though the CAL is listed on the
web, no material could be accessed:
Phone numbers and addresses were
given as contact points. This is not
much use for quick retrieval of facts
and figures since the library is in
Ottawa.
For general purposes, Agriweb,
www.agr.ca/ agriweb/agriweb.htm
can be used though it mainly relates
to the west.
Other sites to visit for an overall
picture of irrigation systems both in
North America and countries around
the world include the WWW Virtual
Library, which sourced several loca-
tions. The irrigation section can be
found at www.wiz.uni-
kassel.de/kww/irrig_ i. html.
The Department of Rural Engineer-
ing and Natural Resources (U.S.)
includes information from news and
conferences to drip, sprinkler and sur-
face systems, drainage considera-
tions, soil and water relationships,
irrigation management, drought man-
agement, research and organizations.
Though much of the material is
American -based, there are Canadian
companies included in the listings.
The University of Nebraska site
features studies on irrigation,
www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/
Irrigation/g358.htm deals with the
concern over declining water levels
in both domestic and stock wells and
the use of aquifers.
The study under www.ianr.unl.edu/
pubs/Irrigation/g602.htm, discusses
how to predict the final irrigation.
I welcome input as well as topic
ideas for future consideration.
Contact me at becker@wcl.on.ca.
Janice Becker is a computer enthusi-
ast and journalist living near Walton,
ON.