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Full Coverage

It's all about the big picture.

R10T Rotator® Sprinkler irrigating hazelnuts in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.
R10T Rotator® Sprinkler irrigating hazelnuts in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

A Nelson Rotator® full coverage irrigation system is a low application rate, high uniformity irrigation solution.

Take an approach as holistic as mother nature. Full Coverage Irrigation (FCI) is an irrigation design and management philosophy that enlists a comprehensive irrigation system to give the grower superior agronomic control over the farming system.

Properly managed full coverage irrigation systems deliver higher water efficiency than drip irrigation, with many environmental and economic benefits as a bonus. In many cases, drip systems installed without automation operate on 12- or 24-hour run times. These excessive run times can cause deep percolation of fertilizers beyond the reach of plant roots. And this nearly always results in as much water use—if not more—than if a Rotator full coverage irrigation system were used.

The R10 Rotator® irrigating apples in Oregon.
The R10 Rotator® irrigating apples in Oregon.

Rotator full coverage systems benefit and create a healthy environment.

  • Reduce or control dust.
  • Prevent or reduce wind erosion
  • Reduce soil cracking
  • Grow cover crops to prevent runoff and erosion
  • Mitigate salinity buildup caused by drip irrigation
The S7 Spinner irrigating tree nuts in California.
The S7 Spinner irrigating tree nuts in California.

Outstanding economic benefits.

Rotator full coverage sprinkler systems are often used as companions to drip systems because they can pull double duty with a number of necessary and lucrative beneficial capabilities, including:

  • Frost control
  • Cooling
  • Growing cash crops in tree rows
  • Growing green manure crops

In crops like apples, cherries, and walnuts, Rotator full coverage systems have consistently produced higher yields and quality than drip systems. Full coverage systems often produce especially outstanding results in shallow or very sandy soils where drip systems may struggle.

Resources
PDF
Rotator® Pocket Guide (US Units)
PDF
Rotator® Pocket Guide (Metric Units)
PDF
Rotator® Full Coverage Irrigation
PDF
R10/R10T Rotator® Sprinklers
PDF
R2000 Rotator® Sprinklers
Nelson R10 Rotator® Tree and Vine Sprinkler
Nelson R7 Rotator Micro Sprinkler
R5 Irrigating Cherries
Nelson Irrigation Rotator® Sprinklers For Trees, Vines & Row Crops
Irrigating Hazelnut Trees
Irrigating Bananas with Nelson Rotator Sprinklers
Recommended products for Full Coverage
R10 Rotator®

Low-volume sprinkler for under-tree or overhead irrigation.

Flow: 0.3-0.7 gpm (61-159 lph)

Pressure: 25-50 psi (1.8-3.4 bar)

Radius: 18-27 ft (5.5-8.2 m)

Nozzle Size: #40-60 2TN, 0.35-0.5 10FC

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R10T Rotator®

High flow version of the R10

Flow: 0.6-2.1 gpm (140-469 lph)

Pressure: 25-50 psi (1.8-3.7 bar)

Radius: 20-33 ft (6.1-10.1 m)

Nozzle Size: #8.3-10 2TN, 0.75-1.0 10FC

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R2000 Rotator®

Low to high trajectory sprinklers for tree and vine applications.

Flow: 0.7-3.5 gpm (150-792 lph)

Pressure: 30-60 psi (2-4 bar)

Radius: 21-37 ft (6.4-11.3 m)

Nozzle Size: #8.3-16 2TN, 0.85-2.5 2000FC

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R5 Rotator®

Micro-Rotator® for full coverage irrigation

Flow: 9-29 gph (34-110 lph)

Pressure: 15-40 psi (1-2.75 bar)

Radius: 7-18 ft (2.1-5.5 m)

Nozzle Size: #35-#50, 8.5-24 5FC

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S7 Spinner

Quick-clean micro-sprinkler with flow control for one-per-tree irrigation

Flow: 8.5-75 gph (28-287 lph)

Pressure: 15-50 psi (1-3.4 bar)

Radius: 9-16 ft (2.7-4.9 m)

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Rotator® Accessories

Adapters & fittings, road guards, stream splitters, stake & feedtube assemblies, and special tools for use with Rotator® Sprinklers.

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Rotator® Tools

Maintenance and repair of Rotator® Sprinklers is simple with these handy tools.

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1/2" Mini Regulator

Provide consistent flow and uniform irrigation by providing a constant pressure to each sprinkler.

(0.15-5 gpm / 34-1135 lph)

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1/2" Mini Drain Check

Eliminate sprinkler drizzle at start up and shut down with a check valve feature.

(0.15-5 gpm / 34-1135 lph)

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1/2" Mini Regulator Drain Check

Combination regulator-drain check to control sprinkler pressure and eliminate sprinkler drizzle during start up and shut down.

(0.15-5 gpm / 34-1135 lph)

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1000 Series Control Valves

The most efficient and accurate plastic zone control valve on the market.

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ACV200 Air Control Valve

Air relief, vacuum air relief and continuous air release under pressure.

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OverlapPro

An on-line program for analyzing solid set sprinkler uniformity for design comparisons.

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IRRICAD

A graphically based design program for designing pressurized irrigation or water supply systems.

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TWIG-V Wireless Automation System

Remotely control your irrigation system from anywhere with the TWIG® mobile app and reliable TWIG® wireless products.

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