Spray Stakes Over Olive Trees Resulted in Higher Crop Quality and Yield in Colombia

Location:

Villa de Leyva,

Colombia

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Villa de Leyva,

Colombia

Crop

Olives

Operating Pressure

1.38 bar (20 psi)

Spacing Between Sprinklers

5x5 m (16.4 x 16.4 ft)

Retrofit

Drip

Olive tree growers at two farms in Colombia achieved greater crop quality and higher yield at low cost after removing their drip irrigation system and replacing it with Senninger Spray Stakes.

The Challenge

Olivanto Orchard and Turca Farm are in Villa de Leyva, Boyaca Department, Colombia. The growers at these two locations used drip to irrigate their olive trees, but they were unsatisfied with the crop quality and yield. They needed an economic system that could easily replace the drip lines and improve their return on investment.

The Solution

Senninger’s regional manager in South America recommended the Senninger Spray Stakes because they could be installed onto the existing drip system after some minor design adaptations. They are an economical and efficient replacement for localized irrigation and the ideal system for growers who have little time or funds to dedicate to their irrigation systems. Their quick and easy maintenance guarantees maximum yields at a low cost.

The Result

After switching to Spray Stakes, farmers at Olivanto Orchard noticed water reached the entire root zone of the trees. This means a larger reservoir of moisture was now available to them.

The greater wetted area around the roots increases the crop’s ability to absorb nutrients and water, resulting in higher productivity and fruit quality. Olive trees are blooming before the rainy season due to the more efficient water application.

They could also apply fertilizer via the Spray Stakes to spread this over a larger area, which generated greater productivity in a short amount of time.

At Turca Farm, the Spray Stakes can operate without using electrical or diesel energy due to their low energy requirements and the piping system of the accessible reservoir on site.

Despite the sloping field, the Spray Stakes ensure a uniform distribution covers the entire area, thanks to the innovative manner of installation, which uses gravity to help improve infiltration.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to this farm was the ability to eliminate their reliance on mulch to retain moisture. Mulch limits the water and fertilizer application in the root area. This limitation causes poor root development due to the absence of water over the full root zone.