The denomination in the title is illusory, because it should contain more concept, than it really means in Hungary. Actually, everything can be automatized from the drinking of chickens to the opening of a parasol. If we speak about automatic irrigation, than it means garden irrigation with pop-up sprinklers, which is originated from the United States of America. This is fact in general irrigation reached its most advanced state in this area and new developments just like in case of Formula-1 was spread from this field to the other ones.

Nowadays, the market of pop-up irrigation is ruled by three company, which are the following ones in alphabetical order: Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro, but close behind them in the second line, there are Hardie, Irritrol (Toro interest), Orbit, Nelson and K-Rain.

In the field of dripping and micro-sprinkling the Israeli, Italian, Greek, Spanish presence are the strongest. The begining of pop-up irrigation can be dated to the 30's, the first bronze sprinklers were made in those years. In the 50's the first kind of plastic materials were come into use, and they revolutionized the producing technology, In these years the first type of gear-driven plastic cogs were designed and produced, which ones easily outdid their older rivals. Designing and measurement methods were developed, which supported the further evolution of components. The next technological jump was caused by the application of microprocessors, and it made possible to change and replace the old hydro-mechanic valves and controllers. Nowadays they rarely can be found in the manufacturer's catalogue, and their market share is also negligible. The world's leading country in irrigation technology is the United States of America, its turnover is incomprehensible with European measure, and practically the amount of sold parts is higher only in California State than on the whole European market. 
Pop-up irrigation godds have been available in Hungary since 1989 and nowadays any of the world's leading brands are presenting themselves here. The amount of trade has been increased in the past years, and it reached or in some case exceeded our neighbours' (e.g. Austria) market.

Why is it good to use an automatic pop-up irrigation system?

It's depends on the person. For me the most important aspect is: the irrigation can be held under control, in a well-planned irrigation system we can interfere whenever and however we just want. The buyers prefer mainly the confort, which also can cause notable saving in time and in workforce, because most people don't want to spend their spare time with watering. Taking care of an expensive garden, which sometimes made for millions, can't be solved cost efficiency without this kind of systems. Maybe the most important aspect is cost saving and enviromental protection. With a well-designed, constructed and installed system a lot of water can be saved. In case of a heat-wave 70% of the water emission can be vaporized during the daytime watering, which ratio can be reduced to 10% or lower at night. In case of 200 to 500 HuF/m³ water price, if we count with 3 l/m³, which mean 3 mm of fall, then saving is remarkable, so much so that the cost of installation can return after 1 to 5 years of use. The hidden design is making more aesthetic the whole system, helping to repair it and in case of public parks this way can provide the most effective protection against vandalism. Otherwise this kind of systems are also increasing the value of the property, not to mention the safety that smooth irrigation can provide, otherwise the plants can be saved from shriveling only with a lot of workforce during the summer heat. On football grounds, where watering is necessary to be done periodically each day, without an irrigation system one more man have to be employed. Cost efficiency of an investment for 2 to 3 million forints or employing additional worker can be easily compared.

Parts of automatized pop-up irrigation systems

Controllers

Their main task is to manage the operation of valves, pumps and fertigation systems. Nowadays, almost without any exception, controllers are manufactured with microprocessors, which ones connect to the valves mostly with 24V, but sometimes with 9V alternating current. They have a really wide design from the simplest single station model, to the modular design with four stations, up to the most complicated self-acting ones with soil sensor. Generally each of them can be connected to rain-sensors, but nowadays wind- or freeze sensors neither not so rare. There is a frequently asked question: these sensors are also monitoring the humidity of soil, or not? Except the most expensive ones neither of them is able to do this, we have to determin how much time we would like to irrigate on a filed.

Solenoids

They are manufactured from 1/2" to 3" diameter, with male and female threads, even to handle 1400 l/min of flowing water on 12 bar pressure. (1. picture). Their material can be PVC, fiberglass fortified plastic, ABS or the most expensive ones are made from bronze. Usually they are powered by 24V alternating current or rarely by 9V direct current, but other possibilities are also available.

Pipes

In Europe the PE, while in North America the PVC pipes are the popular, metal pipes are used only occasionally.

Spray sprinklers

They are able to irrigate smoothly and simultaneously, in fix or adjustable angle, from 2 to 6 m range (2. picture). Their use is reasonable on smaller and narrow places. They have huge fall intensity, so they are operated only for a short period of time. The pressure range of these sprinklers is between 1.5 to 3 bars.

Smaller, gear-driven so-called rotating sprinklers

They are able to irrigate a full circle or an adjusted angle between 4 to 10 m range, but not the whole area in the same time, because this type is emitting one or more jet, which one is boosted by gear-driven cogs. They have medium fall intensity, but their water consumption is is still considerable (3 to 10 l/min).  4—10 m öntözési sugárban teljes kört, vagy egy beállítható szögtartományt öntöznek The pressure range of these sprinklers is between 2 to 5 bars.

Medium category gear-driven sprinklers

They are substantially prevalent than the previously mentioned (which ones were develepoed from the medium category). They operating in 6 to 16 m range with 1.5 to 60 l/min water consumption (2. picture). The angle is similarly adjustable to the smaller type of sprinklers, but they are more efficient and economic. The sprinkler's drive and mechanical build-up is improved, while their vandalism resistance is also remarkable. Between the pop-up sprinklers, this type has the smoothest fall ratio, while they are not require too much maintance.

Long range gear-driven sprinklers

Usage of this type of sprinklers is limited, so in this article we are not dealing with them.

Micro-sprinklers

Designed to irrigate bushes, rock-gardens, greenhouses, etc., usually to any kind of fix placed plants, which ones are visible above the ground. Their fall intensity is small and mechanical build-up is weak, too.

Dripping and sweating pipes

Pipes placed on the surface, from ø16 to ø25 mm, with small holes on their surface. Water is dripping throughtout these small muzzles with pre-determined intensity on low pressure. They are designed to irrigate bushes, rock-gardens, trees, etc. They perfectly can be used, when a lot of water is needed under a long period of time.

Basic steps in planning

In Hungary 10 million people think that they are expert in football and the situation is the same on the field of irrigation.
The experience shows the opposite perception, because usually even the gardeners don't know that how to set only the time of irrigation. The situation is the same with planning. To design a smooth and effective system is not so easy, because placing a sprinkler into the middle of the area is not enough. A basic requirement of planning is the following rule: in the same time only one type of sprinklers can be operated. This is a usual mistake, when spray and gear-driven sprinklers were installed into the same pipeline subsystem and there was a precedent, when spray and gear-driven sprinklers were built together with dripping pipe. This case is equal when somebody is trying to plant a tree turned up.
Usually sprinklers can be placed in square or in triangle position, but basic point of view is that the distance has to be equal with the irrigation range of the sprinklers. Why is this necessary? On the first picture there is the fall ratio of a gear-driven sprinkler considering the distance, and under it there is a picture about the fall ratio of square positioned sprinkler, where the amount of water is shown by darkening colours. The distance of sprinklers is equal with the ieeigation range and smooth ratio is within 150%. In that case if we increase the distance between the sprinklers, the smooth ratio will decline (2. picture), while strongly and weakly irrigated areas will appear. If we want to support the weakly supplied areas, then the other part of the field will become over irrigated, and a lot of water and money will be wasted, while the plants can be damaged.
Even so the heaviest task is to estimate the water source and plan the sufficient pipe system. Devices, methods and tables are available to measure the water source, but in practice the experience can really help. We can't measure everything exactly or in case of a huge system run off hundreds of liters of water, just because we want to know the exact capabilities of our water source. Unfortunately, notable differences can occur during the day. This fluctuation can't be predicted, and because of it most of us had dreamless nights. In that case if we have any chance, then use alternative water source just like wells or rain reservoirs. Built-in pumps can give us an easier designable, but a hardly constructible system. This can mean to someone a challenge, but anguish the others. During the planning of pipe systems the two most important, but often opposing aspect is decreasing loss and optimizing cost. It can be accepted as a standard, where the flowing speed can't be faster than 2 to 2.5 m/s, because otherwise loss will increase exponentially.
Besides the rules of physics, designers and installers have to consider the features of terrain, soil, plants and the wishes of the buyer. Sometimes these things simply just can't be harmonized.
Finally I would like to present you a plan (3. picture) made with a modern, Windows operation system based designing program, which one soon has to be run on any professionals computer.

I hope with this acticle I could present a fast overview about automatized pop-up irrigation systems, but just like with any other topic, it is possible to fullfill many books with this topic.

Published in Műszaki kiadványok 67., Water supply, drainage IV. year - April 2001