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The
TurfSCAN™ is an advanced irrigation management tool. It is
an Australian product, invented and manufactured in South
Australia and designed with the irrigator in mind. TurfSCAN™
provides a clear continuous picture of water management in
the turf rootzone through the use of high-frequency capacitance
sensors. These sensors are located on probes at a range of
depths in the soil profile and provide precise information
of the amount of plant water uptake at the different depths.
This data can then be downloaded from the field-logging unit
to the course manager's desktop or notebook computer to give
an accurate and dynamic understanding of the turf grass' daily
water use requirements and the effectiveness of irrigation
and rainfall events.
The software package is user friendly and displays information
graphically which is easy to understand and simple to use.
TurfSCAN™ provides an efficient and cost effective water management
system through maintenance of turfgrass using less water,
the saving of water, fertiliser and irrigation input costs
and the optimum use of a limited water supply. The system
can determine exactly how much water the course requires and
the different water needs of tees, greens, fairways and roughs.
In Western Australia, TurfSCAN was used to mange a Regulated
Deficit Irrigation (RDI) strategy on a sports field established
with 18 months old Wintergreen Couch.
Management
Strategy Change - TurfSCAN showed that 'more
water less often would cater more efficiency to the plants
needs. · 81% reduction in the number of irrigation's. · 63%
reduction in overall quantity of applied irrigation water
· Plant dry matter production was reduced to 27% of the traditional
levels.
Economic
Benefit Gained - Over the 220 day irrigation
season · The saving on pumping cost was AUS$199.60/acre. ·
The water saving were 3.5 Mega litres/area. · Pumping cost
down AUS$49,900 over a 250 acre turf and recreation area ·
875 megalitres of water saved over a 250 acre area. · Cost
range of 875 Megalitres of water.
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$/meg
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$10
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$50
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$100
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$150
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$
saving
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$8750
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$43,750
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$87,500
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$131,250
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