Ratus Fischer Flood and Bench Irrigation Line

New! The Ratus Fischer Flood and Bench Irrigation Line
Next generation technology designed by the preeminent specialist in the field

Dr. Ratus Fischer pioneered flood irrigation more than 15 years ago. With installations across the U.S. and Canada, his designs have evolved from years of hands-on greenhouse experience. This next generation of innovative but simple systems from Delta T offers today's growers the highest levels of quality and reliable performance in both flood floors and benches.

How it works
Sub-irrigation provides the benefits of quick ebb and flow watering on specially shaped floors and benches for plants in pots or cell packs. Sections are easily filled with 1 to 2 inches of water. Plants draw the water or fertilizer solution into the planting medium through their roots, which allows the plants to be completely watered without becoming waterlogged. Filled sections drain completely in 6 to 10 minutes. The remaining water returns to a reservoir where it is recirculated. System controls operate independently, or can be integrated into a central greenhouse computer. Flood irrigation is normally combined with floor or bench heat, which facilitates separate control of root and foliage temperatures for enhanced growth with less dependence on chemicals.

The benefits

• Works with many crops
• Even watering results in uniform plant growth
• Quick fill and drain lessens watering time and minimizes the risk of disease transfer
• No runoff means no pollution
• Water and fertilizer are not wasted
• Disease is reduced due to dry foliage
• Open design facilitates growing space for enhanced flexibility and rapid crop rotation
• Highly reliable, requiring little maintenance
• Promotes good sanitation
• Hand watering is virtually unnecessary
• Excellent payback in quality of crops, ease of operation, lessened maintenance, and environmental compliance

The system
Delta T provides complete system flood floor and bench packages tailored to your operation. These systems consist of the following:

• Customized design
• Pumping
• Filtration
• Valves
• Pipes and fittings
• Controls
• Installation
• Supervision

New! ABC100 Touch-Screen Controller
Advanced and user-friendly controller for automatic or manual operation of both boom and basket watering systems

Our new ABC100 Controller offers today's growers several key advantages. These include:

Ease-of-Use: Easy-to-learn and easy-to-use, our ABC100 Controller features simple touch screens with intuitive navigation that anybody can learn to operate.

Multi-Level Basket Control: The ABC100 lets you water baskets on three different levels, with the option of using two solenoids on each level. Adjustable motor speed, water time and dwell (motor delay) further increase the flexibility and utility of this controller.

64-Grid Crop Watering: Different crops in your bay? No problem. ABC100 lets you water up to 64 grid crops separately from the same boom! To program the grid, select the solenoids (spray bars) needed for each particular crop, using up to eight in any row. You can program multiple solenoids for different watering requirements or for different rows. The adjustable motor speed determines the amount of water delivered for a particular crop. Each crop has its own solenoid and motor speed adjustment.

Manual and Automatic: Our ABC100 Controller allows you to program automatic operation twice a day. A 7-day clock allows automatic operation to be different for each day of the week. Manual runs can be scheduled for 15, 30, 45, 60 or 120 minutes at a time. Both manual and automatic operation are available for both boom and basket watering.

Built-in Troubleshooting: A debug mode allows you to test the switches, solenoids, fuses and motor for convenient on-the-spot troubleshooting.

New! The Aquathermat^® Water Conservation System
A patented, multi-layer textile capillary mat system designed to heat the substrate without reducing moisture levels

A complete, engineered system, Aquathermat revolutionizes root one heating and irrigation by using 60% less water than conventional systems while it cuts fuel bills by up to 50%. Plus it offers these other significant benefits:

• Accelerates plant growth by up to 35%
• Produces a bigger, healthier root mass
• Provides automatic warm water irrigation through self-contained drip-tapes that eliminate spilling
• Controls runoff, saving up to 80% of lost water and fertilizers
• Eliminates dry zones by spreading water evenly and rapidly to all pots

New! DELTA-TEMP™ warm water irrigation systems
If you're heating your greenhouse and not heating your irrigation water, you're wasting energy!

Consider using our DELTA-TEMP 1™ or DELTA-TEMP 2™ systems. Both were developed to heat irrigation water from a frigid 35°F up to 70°F to eliminate plant thermal shock, while saving the fuel required to reheat the plant after watering with cold water.

DELTA-TEMP 1™

DELTA-TEMP 1™ uses an exclusive copper finned tube boiler to control a small buffer tank where irrigation water temperature is controlled by an all-brass tempering valve. If you're heating with unit heaters, or don't have enough boiler capacity, this system has all the equipment you need to provide warm water irrigation.

DELTA-TEMP 2™

DELTA-TEMP 2™ uses a plate heat exchanger to transfer the heat from an existing steam or hot water boiler to a small buffer tank where the proper water temperature is maintained. If you have an existing boiler supplying steam or hot water, this system is just like adding an additional zone.

In both cases you save energy dollars because the systems respond instantly without requiring large volumes of water. This mean low or no radiation standby loss.

You can rely on the Delta-Temp systems to:

• Prevent thermal shock to plants
• Increase rooting and germination rates
• Increase nutrient mixing
• Prevent spotting and disease
• Reduce heating requirements when watering

New! Delta T Constant Pressure Systems (CPS)
Consistent water delivery for better plant growth

Our new Constant Pressure System solves the problem of water system pressure and flow fluctuations with a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). This new technology operates the pump and keeps pressure within a close tolerance, ranging from zero to full capacity flow. CPS can utilize any source of water, including ponds, atmospheric tanks, city water supplies, and well storage tanks. Plus it costs no more than much less efficient pump and pre-charged tank systems.

Here's how the Delta T CPS works

1. A pressure sensor is placed in the pipe behind the pump. This provides feedback to a VFD.
2. The Variable Frequency Drive – a solid state controller – converts the pressure signal into a variable frequency three-phase output to the pump.
3. The pump receives the output and responds. If the water demand is low, the pump will turn just fast enough to either maintain pressure or shut down completely. If the demand is high, the pump will speed up to maintain pressure. There is no need to stage pumps.
4. Once set, no further supervision or adjustments are needed. Maintenance is limited to normal pump maintenance.

Our Constant Pressure Systems come fully engineered to the flow rate and pressure you specify. Pre-plumbed, prewired, and mounted on a skid, CPS systems install quickly and easily.

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