Banana production at Inyoni in Komatipoort uses a high-flow sprinkler irrigation system designed to meet crop water requirements under subtropical growing conditions.

“A banana plant consists of approximately 80% water, so it requires a substantial amount of water to grow and produce a bunch of fruit. That’s why we rely on Agrico’s exceptional irrigation system,” says Nicholas Prinsloo, who manages Inyoni’s banana division.

Komatipoort has high humidity, while irrigation water is supplied from the Komati River. The system can provide the crop with up to 8 mm of water per day using high-flow sprinklers. With an application rate of 6 mm per hour, irrigation runs for a maximum of 1.5 hours per day during peak demand.

© Agrico

According to Francois Du Plessis, irrigation designer at Agrico Komatipoort, the fields were divided into blocks of approximately 1.5 hectares, each requiring a flow rate of around 60 cubic metres per hectare. High-flow sprinklers with an output of 210 litres per sprinkler were installed.

The sprinklers are positioned one metre above ground. When plants are young, overhead irrigation wets the crop and helps create the required microclimate. As the plants mature and their root systems expand, irrigation covers the entire growing area.

The farm also worked with Agrico on a PVC sprinkler stake to replace aluminium stands that were being knocked over, bent, or stolen. An earlier plastic stake could not withstand Komatipoort’s temperatures, leading to the development of a PVC version with a pointed end that can be heated and shaped for installation directly into the soil.

Custom sprinkler heads were manufactured to fit the stakes. According to the companies, the PVC stakes are designed to remain in use for the approximately 8- to 10-year lifespan of the banana plants.

Inyoni recently acquired another farm where the irrigation layout is being redesigned. The new system will also use the PVC sprinkler stands.