Maintaining Pecan Irrigation Equipment in the Winter

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Pecan harvest season is winding down across the Southeast. Growers in Alabama and Georgia will soon be winterizing their irrigation systems.

Pecan irrigation equipment
Photo courtesy of UGA Extension/Shows irrigation at work in a pecan orchard.

Cale Cloud, University of Georgia Grady County Extension agent, offered various tips that growers should consider when maintaining their irrigation systems during the winter months.

Power units should be sealed to protect against various wildlife and moisture. Exclusion barriers on the equipment help protect against wind-blown debris and critters.

For those growers with an above-ground centrifugal pump, the pump housing needs to be drained. For turbine or submersible pumps, the installation is usually below the frost/line in the soil and won’t need special attention.

From the backflow valve through the system, it is important to drain water from components, piping and any elbows, low points and isolated piping. It’s also essential to open all valves. Closed gate and ball valves can trap water and crack or break when freeze cycles occur. Solenoid valves should be left in an open position.

Inline components should be inspected and drained of water. The screen and sand filters should be drained, inspected and cleaned.

Producers should also treat electricity carefully. Proper safety procedures should be followed when managing electrical systems. If handling electrical fixtures, the first item to enter a fixture, service box or controller should be the probes of the volt meter to check if any of the lines are hot. Once completed, inspect and replace all damaged wires for damage.

Source: Southeast Georgia Pecan Update Newsletter