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TrueFeed®

Irrigation Injection System

When TrueLeaf Technologies made the decision to get into the irrigation injection business, it was after exhaustive international research about what was the best approach to this task and what was missing in the marketplace.

The goals we set for our system were:

  • High accuracy — no "clouds" of fertilizer in the water stream
  • Integration with the climate computer to enhance growing efficiency
  • Reliability — ease of maintenance.

Value
Every company offering fert-irrigation and acid injection solutions has a certain "feel" or what we call "DNA". There are several companies selling injectors driven by the direct flow of water and some selling that work by means of a diaphragm. They all work, but do they offer the best combination of features? Our opinion is that they do not.

Consider the features of our TrueFeed system:

  • No water powered injector pumps means no seals to fail, no clogged orifices
  • No fertilizer or water touches moving internal parts
  • Feedback true control not dumb ratio-only feed
  • Ability to seamlessly tie in to climate computer

The Peristaltic Technique — "Spin-Top" Injector Systems
What most growers do not understand is that the injector is not the system. The injector is just the pump that is used to deliver the fertilizer to the water. The real "system" is and must be a customized assemblage of many components designed to work together.

It’s been said that fert-irrigation is nothing but a complex control problem surrounded by a bunch of pipe, fittings, and components.

After extensive research into the many various pumping techniques available in the industrial world, we came across the peristaltic method — technology for bio-medical applications, but in the last few years rapidly expanding into many diverse industrial process applications.

How it Works
There are many peristaltic processes in nature — the simple act of swallowing a drink of water is a peristaltic process. Peristaltic pumps act by the force of a set of rollers or cams repeatedly and sequentially squeezing a high performance thermo-elastic tube to create flow.

Why it’s Best
Peristaltic Technique is an excellent choice for injecting acid and fertilizer solutions for many reasons:

  • No solution ever comes into contact with fertilizers or chemicals
  • Tube is specified to the specific job
  • High turn-downs are possible — The long sought 100:1 turn- down is now a reality!
  • No water waste to drive injector
  • Very simple maintenance
  • Amazing sizing flexibility

How it Works in the TrueFeed System

In-line Systems
When injecting acid or fertilization solutions into a pressurized line from your city or well water supply, the most important issue is consistent injection through all flow ranges. That is, the minimum of inconsistencies or clouds of solution and the ability to "turn-down" the injection rate to match the flow rate.

Dilute Tank Systems
Dilute tanks are, simply put, storage vessels with the proper dilution of injected solution. Because the water is gathered and stored in this place, the injection process can be simplified as there is no pressure to work against and the slow moving nature of the system provides the opportunity for amazing accuracy and precision. However, there are drawbacks:

  • You will need to purchase, operate, and maintain a pump for re-pressurizing the stored water for distribution to your water delivery system — whether it's a hose or drippers.
  • Quick changes to your feed consistency (EC or pH levels) are not possible because of the mass storage of your recipe.

Dilute tank systems are most suited to applications where the most important considerations are precision delivery (plugs, research, etc.) and where changes in recipe do not occur daily. Also, it's the way we operate our FloodFloor and FloodBench systems because we store water between irrigations.

If you are looking for a safe, simple, precise fert-irrigation system, TrueFeed has the perfect solution for your needs. Call us to discuss the best system or combination of systems for your needs.

Gallery of TrueFeed Products and Applications

TrueFeed for PPYP rooting facility - Eleven heads for various recipes; all direct Argus controlled

Overall view of Four Star TrueFeed System

TrueFeed for Four Star Greenhouse, Carleton, Michigan, USA. Three heads EC/pH control - direct Argus control. Continuous monitoring and recirculation equals precision control.

Close up of peristaltic pumping unit. No seals or parts to leak. No fertilizer solutions ever touch the pump's internal components.

Dilute tank system for flood floors at Bergen's Greenhouse, Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA. Stand alone control unit attached outside provides continuous monitoring and recirculation for perfect recipes.

TrueFeed for Plantpeddler Young Plants (PPYP), Cresco, Iowa, USA - Supply and return connections for Irrigation Preheat shown.

Lucas Greenhouses, Monroeville, New Jersey, USA. Combination TrueFeed unit controlling EC/pH for Flood Floor tanks and direct inject high pressure irrigation lines with multiple recipes; monitoring panel with pilot lights and Argus control.

Jason Sbiral, Production Manager at PPYP with their TrueFeed System.

Single head injection with Argus integration for Boehler's Greenhouse, Saginaw, Michigan, USA.