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Independent notes for ecological growersResearch edition September 2026

Field path 02 / Irrigation & tunnels

Water with a working record

Separate system design, actual delivery and crop need. Follow this path before turning an unexplained dry patch into a longer irrigation schedule.

Follow 5 connected guides ↓

A greenhouse using side openings and a ridge vent, from UVM Extension’s ventilation guide. UVM Extension Agricultural Engineering; individual photographer not identified · Image source

01

Map what runs together

Design the Irrigation Zone Before Buying the Tape

Document the supply, installed components and beds served by each valve.

3 min read · Source-checked guide

02

Check the delivery

Is the Far End Getting Water? Check Drip Uniformity

Compare representative locations under the same operating conditions.

3 min read · Source-checked guide

03

Observe the roots’ context

Make the Moisture Sensor Answer a Field Question

Pair sensor readings with location, depth, units and field observations.

3 min read · Source-checked guide

04

Account for every input

Before Adding More Compost, Audit the Tunnel’s Inputs

Separate soil nutrients, soluble salts and irrigation-water chemistry.

3 min read · Source-checked guide

05

Keep the heat question separate

A Fan Is Not a Vent: Map Airflow Through the Tunnel

Distinguish air exchange from circulation and irrigation.

3 min read · Source-checked guide

Take it back to the farm

Keep the context with the action.

Use the water worksheet only after choosing an explicit area, depth and measured flow. It calculates volume and time; it does not prescribe crop demand.

Open the water-volume worksheet ↗