Xcel-Wobbler™ Helps Apple Growers in Austria Save 20% More Water for Frost Protection

Location:

Hartmannsdorf, STE

Austria

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Profile

Hartmannsdorf, STE

Austria

Crop

Apples

Size

5 acres (2 hectares) on average

Operating Pressure

25 psi (1.72 bar)

Sprinkler Height

13 ft (4 m)

Spacing Between Sprinklers

30 x 30 ft (8 x 10 m) on average

Xcel-Wobbler sprinklers achieved a high average uniformity coefficient in frost protection installations over apple orchards in Austria, which reduced the water usage by around 20 percent compared to impact sprinklers.

The Challenge

Orchard growers in Eastern Styria have traditionally relied on impact sprinklers to protect their crops from frost damage. However, impact sprinklers require a lot of water to operate. The average yearly rainfall in the region normally covers the orchards’ irrigation needs, but it is not enough for frost protection.

The Solution

Farmsolutions, a professional irrigation system design company, was looking for water saving alternatives to impact sprinklers when they learned about the Senninger Xcel-Wobbler. They described the Xcel-Wobbler as the perfect match for their needs. The sprinkler’s application uniformity would be able to significantly reduce water usage during frost protection, and its low operating pressure would bring the added benefit of reducing pumping costs.

The Result

"We are convinced this is the way to go for frost protection for orchards,” says Johannes Ladenhauf, responsible for planning and marketing at Farmsolutions.

Farmsolutions has reduced the pumping costs and water demands of multiple frost protection installations by approximately 20% since switching to Xcel-Wobbler sprinklers.

Johannes remarked that one of the first reasons they chose the Senninger Xcel-Wobbler was the customer service and support they received when introducing the product to the market. But the overall product quality, including the sprinkler’s high distribution uniformity, sturdy and resilient build, and large coverage area all contribute to this success. "It (the Xcel-Wobbler) made us much more visible on the market," he said, "we are constantly exploring new applications. With the Xcel-Wobbler, we have already seen our first success in cooling applications for pear orchards."

Watch the video below to check out another Famsolutions project in Europe.