An irrigation project brief: which data, at what level of confidence
A sound irrigation project depends on separating what has been measured from what has been assumed, from the very first conversation.
AGIMEX Engineering Team
Technical Insights
Irrigation water quality: four questions that shape the design
A water analysis is not a formality. Salinity, sodium balance, clogging risk and change over time affect every decision from equipment selection to daily operating routine.
AGIMEX Engineering TeamPublished: Updated:
Salts accumulate in the root zone
Salt carried by irrigation water can build up in the root zone until it restricts water uptake by the plant. Design therefore accounts not only for crop water use but also for the additional water needed to leach those salts. The leaching requirement depends on crop tolerance and water salinity; where drainage is inadequate, that extra water raises the water table instead of solving the problem.
Sodium balance changes soil permeability
The ratio of sodium to calcium and magnesium in the water, the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), affects soil structure and how quickly water infiltrates. Two waters with identical salinity can behave very differently in soil if their sodium balance differs. This is why an analysis report should be requested with the full cation breakdown, not total salinity alone.
Clogging risk determines filtration
Suspended solids, iron and manganese, carbonate precipitation and biological growth each clog drippers by a different mechanism. Filtration is selected according to which mechanism dominates; a choice made on mesh rating alone will not prevent chemical or biological clogging. Flushing frequency and acid or chlorine treatment routines are equally part of the design.
One analysis represents one moment
Well and surface water quality vary with season, abstraction rate and year. A design built on a single sample can fall unexpectedly short at a source whose salinity rises during dry periods. The sampling date belongs in the report, and on critical projects sampling should be repeated across seasons.
| In the analysis | In the design |
|---|---|
| Salinity | The extra water needed to leach salts is added to crop water use; the leaching requirement depends on crop tolerance and water salinity; where drainage is inadequate, that water raises the water table |
| Sodium balance (SAR) | Even at identical salinity, soil structure and infiltration differ; the report is requested with the full cation breakdown |
| Iron, manganese, suspended solids, carbonate precipitation, biological growth | Filtration follows the dominant clogging mechanism; a choice on mesh rating alone does not prevent chemical or biological clogging; flushing and acid or chlorine routines are part of the design |
| A single sample, or a source that varies by season | The sampling date goes in the report; on critical projects sampling is repeated across seasons |
Technical Insights
In a greenhouse, climate, water and energy are not solved separately
Structure, climate control, irrigation and energy are interdependent decisions. Choose one in isolation and the cost surfaces during operation.
AGIMEX Engineering Team
From data to decisions: every indicator needs a counterpart
Operational data does not create value on its own. An indicator supports a decision only when it is tied to a question, an owner and an available intervention.
AGIMEX Engineering Team
Technical assumptions in agricultural investment feasibility
The weak point of a feasibility study is rarely the financial model. It is the technical assumptions the model rests on.
AGIMEX Engineering Team
Subsurface drip irrigation: designing a system you cannot see
In subsurface drip, depth, spacing and dripper flow are solved in one calculation, and the acceptance criteria are written before the line is buried.
AGIMEX Engineering Team
Pumping and pressure management: a pump is not chosen from a catalogue
A pump is not a product but an operating point formed with the system; selection follows the system curve, zone sequencing and suction conditions.
AGIMEX Engineering Team
Irrigation filtration: the filter follows what the water carries
Filtration is decided by the clogging risk factors in the water, not by a general assessment; backwash and headworks layout belong to the same calculation.
AGIMEX Engineering Team
Explore our capabilities
Turnkey Agricultural and Irrigation Projects
For investors and agricultural operations, AGIMEX undertakes turnkey and integrated agricultural projects — turnkey greenhouse, orchard and open-field irrigation projects — combining project development and engineering, procurement and supply, systems integration, installation, automation, testing and commissioning within one agreed scope. Under a turnkey scope, the responsibilities of each party and the contract model (EPC, lump-sum or separate contracts) are defined in each project contract.
Turnkey Greenhouse Projects for Commercial Growers
Greenhouse project design and engineering, and turnkey greenhouse projects, for growers and investors: AGIMEX connects crop strategy, structure, water, nutrients, climate and control in one design and, within the agreed scope, delivers systems integration, procurement and supply, irrigation, fertigation, automation, installation, testing and commissioning. The greenhouse structure is manufactured to the technical specification the project defines.
Data-Driven Agriculture
For farms, greenhouses and agricultural investments with installed or planned infrastructure: AGIMEX defines the measurement architecture and monitoring requirements, reads operating data against the engineering design, and sets up decision support and performance evaluation. AGIMEX provides engineering and agronomic decision support.
Agribusiness Advisory
Agricultural feasibility studies, technical due diligence, project preparation and design review for agricultural investments — advisory grounded in production systems, technical feasibility and operating realities.