Page 51 - Grapevine May-June 2019

Around The Vineyard

Image Credit: Rain Bird Corporation

Priming Your Irrigation Systems

for the Season (Part 1)

By: Tracey Kelley
I rrigation system maintenance is a vast topic of In addition to Hewitt, other people extending their

knowledge include:
discussion—so much so, to do this article, we
needed a team of experts to address it—in two
parts. Mark Hewitt, the district sales manager for • Guy Fipps, Ph.D., P.E., professor and extension
the ag products division of Rain Bird Corporation in specialist of irrigation and water management at
Azusa, California, put it this way: “These are huge Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas;
topics! People write books about these subjects! in collaboration with Charles Swanson, exten-
1,500 words? Good luck!” Yet we understand it’s sion program specialist, Texas A&M University
essential to initiate an open forum periodically to
ask about research, various applications or innova- • Jacob Hernandez, CCA, owner, JH Ag
tions that might help keep your system—and the Consulting, Santa Margarita, California; in col-
entire growing season—flowing smoothly. laboration with James Anshutz, AGH20, irri-
gation engineer with Netafim USA in Fresno,
In the first part of this story, the experts provide California; and the Cal Poly SLO Irrigation
tips for what you may need to know immediately Training and Resource Center, San Luis Obispo,
to start operations and remedy any issues. In the California
July-August issue of The Grapevine Magazine, we’ll
feature further concepts and suggestions from our • Steve Purvins, owner, The Vineyard at Lawton
experts. Hall in Bushwood, Maryland, which produces
Vidal Blanc and Chambourcin grapes

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