Irrigation Scheduling is the practice of deciding when to irrigate each block and how much water to apply, based on crop water use, weather and the soil's ability to hold water. Send one request and independent scheduling advisors and agronomists who may cover your area reply with their service and fees.
Send your crops, hectares and irrigation system type to get scheduling advisory quotes.
Get the Best QuoteWhat Irrigation Scheduling Includes
- Crop water use. Estimating daily water use from evapotranspiration (ET) and a crop factor that changes with growth stage.
- Soil water budget. Working out how much plant-available water each soil type holds in the root zone.
- Refill and full points. Setting the level at which to start irrigating and the level at which to stop, so water stays in the root zone.
- Run times. Converting millimetres needed into hours per block, using your system's actual application rate.
- Season adjustments. Updating the schedule for rain, heat waves, crop stage and stress periods such as flowering or fruit set.
Who It Suits
Growers paying for every litre pumped, farms on limited water allocations, and anyone seeing waterlogging, runoff or stressed crops despite regular irrigation.
It also suits farm managers who want a written schedule that staff can follow, rather than irrigating by habit or the calendar.
Scheduling Approaches
- Calendar based. Fixed days and run times. Simple, but ignores weather and usually over- or under-waters.
- Weather based. Uses ET from a weather station and crop factors. Good for large areas with uniform soils.
- Soil based. Uses soil moisture readings to decide timing. Works best where soils vary between blocks.
- Combined. ET to forecast need and soil readings to check it. The most common approach on high-value crops.
Pick the approach that fits your crop value, soil variation and how much time you have to act on the advice.
How the Service Runs
- Farm assessment. The advisor reviews crops, blocks, soils, water source and the system's flow and application rate.
- Soil and system checks. Soil profiles are inspected and system output may be measured to confirm real mm per hour.
- Schedule set-up. A starting schedule per block is drawn up with refill points and run times.
- In-season updates. Weekly or fortnightly recommendations are sent, adjusted for weather and crop stage.
- Season review. Water applied is compared with crop need to improve the next season's plan.
Irrigation Scheduling Prices
Ballpark prices so you can sanity-check a quotation.
| Item | Ballpark price |
|---|---|
| Scheduling advisory, per ha per season | R150 - R600 |
| Scheduling advisory, monthly retainer | R1,500 - R8,000 |
| Soil moisture probe with telemetry, per probe | R15,000 - R45,000 |
| Data and advisory subscription, per probe per year | R2,000 - R6,000 |
| Annual electricity, drip, per ha (older tariffs) | About R4,750 |
| Annual electricity, centre pivot, per ha (older tariffs) | About R6,300 |
Prices JUST UPDATED. Ballpark figures, rounded, excluding VAT unless stated. They are compiled from published South African cost estimates and typical supplier and contractor rates. They are not our prices or quotations, and no contractor is bound by them. Unless a row says otherwise they exclude the water source, power supply and earthworks, so confirm exactly what each quotation includes.
Sources:
- SASRI - irrigation cost estimates
- Typical South African supplier and contractor rates
Get prices for your farm rather than a range. Send one request and compare replies.
Get the Best QuoteWhat Affects the Price
- Hectares and blocks. More blocks with different crops or soils mean more individual schedules.
- Visit frequency. Weekly farm visits cost more than remote advice based on data.
- Data source. Using existing probes or weather data is cheaper than installing new monitoring.
- Crop complexity. Deficit strategies on fruit or grapes take more work than a single field crop.
- Travel. Distance from the advisor's base adds to visit costs.
Keeping a Schedule Accurate
A schedule is only as good as the system delivering it. Check emitter and sprinkler output each season, because blocked drippers or worn nozzles change the real application rate.
Record actual run times and rainfall, and tell your advisor when crops, cultivars or blocks change.
Irrigation Scheduling FAQs
Do I need soil moisture probes for scheduling?
Not always. Weather-based scheduling works without probes, but probes help confirm the advice where soils vary or crops are high value.
Is scheduling the same as an irrigation controller?
No. A controller switches valves on and off. Scheduling decides when and for how long, and the controller then carries it out.
Can scheduling work on an old system?
Yes, but the advisor needs to know what the system actually delivers. Poor uniformity limits how precise any schedule can be.
What should I ask advisors when comparing quotes?
Ask how often they update advice, what data they use, whether visits are included and how recommendations reach your irrigation staff.
Related Services
Request scheduling quotes through Agricultural Irrigation South Africa and compare how each advisor collects data, how often they update advice and what the season costs.
Agricultural Irrigation South Africa is a quote-comparison service. We do not design, supply, install or repair irrigation systems, and we do not employ contractors. Work is quoted and carried out by independent irrigation businesses, and your contract is with the business you choose. Ask each one for a written quotation that names the equipment, design flows and pressures, preparation, timing and any warranty terms before you pay a deposit.
Irrigation Scheduling. Describe your irrigation job once and compare replies from independent contractors.
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