Netafim USA ushered in a new line of intuitive, web-based, smart controllers for the landscape industry: Netafim Landscape Controllers (NLC).
Developed exclusively for Netafim by Tucor, the NLC are multi-function landscape controllers that determine the watering needs of specific landscapes by incorporating historical and current weather data and real-time data from soil moisture sensors.
The NLC series also offers an advanced suite of water-management features, including intuitive programming for retrofit and expansion, remote management capabilities and the ability to integrate with Netafim’s Total Cycle Management, a soil and climate monitoring system.
“Most weather-based smart controllers are limited in that they determine a landscape’s watering needs based on conditions above the soil, without any insight as to what is happening at the root-zone, where it matters most,” said Mauricio Troche, director of landscape for Netafim. “The NLC controllers incorporate data from both above and below the soil surface to create an ongoing dialog between the controller, climate and landscape, ensuring that the landscape is receiving the precise quantity of water needed for healthy plant growth. When paired with a Netafim drip irrigation system, the water savings is unmatched.”
Developed for use in a variety of configurations from basic residential systems to large-scale commercial applications, the conventional converts a conventional system to a water-efficient remote management system, while the 2-wire decoder-based can control up to 100 stations with wire runs of up to 16,000. The hybrid model combines the advantages of a conventional and decoder system, allowing retrofitting of an existing controller and the addition of multiple valves to an existing system without the need for additional labor or cost intensive rewiring and retrenching.
Additionally, Netafim released its NLC-3D module, a “plug and play” interface that converts any conventional controller into an infinitely scalable, 2-wire decoder–based controller that uses existing wiring.
