Toro Australia’s newly released Neptune dripline, available as pressure compensating or non-drain, is ideal for multi-season use in intensive horticultural production like vegetables as well as for tree crops such as citrus and macadamias. The heavy wall dripline is manufactured in Australia for Australian conditions, from high quality materials making it ideal for use over several seasons.

Frank Nocera, Product Manager, Irrigation with Toro, is impressed with the range of pressure compensation.
“Testing has demonstrated very uniform flow rates over a range of inlet pressures from 50 to 350 kPa. This evenness of flow has been recorded across all of the different emitter flow rates and spacings,” said Frank.

“This means that Neptune can be used in long-run lengths and on farms where there are large differences between the lowest and highest points on the farm. The pressure compensation mechanism in the emitter ensures that the same volume of water is applied along each lateral.”

Another very important feature is Neptune’s emitter. The wide cross section labyrinth creates maximum turbulence within the tube and the self flushing diaphragm allows small particles and debris to pass through the emitter. This combined with the large inlet filter provides clog free, reliable operation.

“Correct filtration is always important for dripline systems,” said Frank. “When used with adequate filtration, the large inlet filter in Neptune makes the product much less susceptible to blockages giving the grower additional peace of mind.”

The Neptune non-drain dripline is particularly suited to pulse irrigation and in systems installed on steeply sloping terrain. Water is retained in the tube on shut down, allowing irrigation to commence immediately when the system is pressurised again. This is ideal for pulse irrigation, reducing the time taken to pressurise the line, resulting in lower water use and energy costs.

“This non-drain dripline can be safely laid on the soil surface with minimal risk of soil getting into the drippers and causing blockages”, said Frank.

Neptune is available in three emitter flow rates - 1.2, 1.5 and 2.4 L/hr - and in emitter spacings ranging from 0.3 to 1.0m. All tube diameters suit Australian standard fittings, making it easy to install.