The next step in irrigation technologies

Rain Bird has finally released a product to match up against their main competitor. Toro has had a lot of success with their soil sensors over the past few years and I know a few superintendents that really like them. Buried anywhere you irrigate on the golf course you can monitor soil moisture, temperature and salinity. Vail Golf Club is not the easiest site for wireless technology (see AT&T). But the research and comparisons will begin! The nice option with the new Rain Bird ISS is that it can "speak" with the Rain Bird Central Control System. There is a neat little video with the link that describes the "nuts and bolts" of the product.

Rain Bird ISS Integrated Sensor System

Rainbird

Pictured here is the new line of irrigation heads for the golf course. This is the Eagle line of Rainbird. This particular head is a 750 which is an adjusted part circle. Unlike the old heads, this sprinkler only waters the green. This is exactly what I have been preaching about in relation to drought preparation. The ability to water hard lines on the golf course will not only prepare the course for drought conditions, but also improve turf health around the course. There are numerous times throughout a golf season where consistent playing conditions warrant either irrigation to only the green or only to the turf surrounding the green. By the end of the renovation we will have various control options to irrigate efficiently.