Irrigation systems

Abstract

An installation for the controlled dosing of an irrigation flow with a herbicide particularly for detecting root growth into the outlets of an underground drip irrigation line, includes a sealed container and a slow release herbicide material wherein a portion of the flow is directed through the herbicide impregnated material so that herbicide is controllably released into the diverted flow, and the diverted flow is reintroduced into the irrigation flow.

I claim: . . 
     
       1.  In an underground drip irrigation system including a drip irrigation line having successive spaced apart drip outlets, an installation for deterring root growth into said outlets comprising an irrigation supply conduit coupled to said drip irrigation line; a bypass having a bypass inlet flow-coupled to an upstream portion of the conduit, a bypass outlet flow-coupled to a downstream portion of the conduit upstream of said drip irrigation line; a single sealed container having a flow inlet flow coupled to an upstream portion of the bypass, a flow outlet flow-coupled to a downstream portion of the bypass; a flowpath in the container provided between the flow inlet and the flow outlet thereof and extending through at least a major dimension of the container; and a slow release herbicide impregnated material selected for the group consisting of synthetic polymer and rubber and located within said container; said container and said bypass being arranged such that a portion of irrigation flow passes through said container and is controllably dosed with said herbicide and is reintroduced into said conduit to pass through and out of said outlet..!.. .2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein said container is of elongated shape, and is largely inserted into the ground..!.. .3. An installation according to claim 2, wherein said container is provided with a thermally insulating sealing plug..!.. .4. An installation according to claim 1, and furthermore provided with a herbicide control valve flow-coupled in said bypass downstream of said container..!.. .5. An installation according to claim 1, and furthermore provided with a herbicide control valve flow-coupled in said bypass upstream of said container..!.. .6. An installation according to claim 1, and furthermore provided with a one-way check valve flow-coupled in said bypass upstream of said container..!.. .7. An installation according to claim 6, and furthermore provided with an additional one-way check valve flow-coupled in said bypass downstream of said container..!.. .8. An installation according to claim 1, wherein said herbicide is constituted by 2,6,dinitroanilines..!.. .9. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the herbicide in the material impregnated thereby lies substantially between 5% to 25%..!.. .10. An installation according to claim 9, wherein said concentration is substantially equal to 15%..!.. .11. An installation according to claim 1, wherein said container is an elongated container, and said flowpath in said container between said flow inlet and said flow outlet thereof extends along an axis of elongation of the container..!.. .12. An installation according to claim 1, which is located below ground level and wherein said container is an elongated container with said major dimension defined 
     
     
        vertically..!..Iadd. 3.  For use in an underground drip irrigation system, including a drip irrigation line having successive spaced apart drip outlets, an installation for deterring root growth into said outlets comprising an irrigation supply conduit coupled at one end thereof to said irrigation line and, at an opposite end thereof, to an irrigation supply; a filter casing encasing filtering elements coupled in-line with said irrigation supply conduit; and a slow release herbicide-impregnated material selected from a group consisting of synthetic polymer and rubber located within said casing, whereby irrigation flow from said irrigation supply to said drip irrigation line passes through said filtering elements, wherein said filtering elements located in said casing are formed of said slow release herbicide-impregnated material. .Iaddend.