Catching a Clogged Filter Before It Becomes a Field Problem

Hydraulic issues rarely start big. A filter begins to clog. Pressure shifts a little. The pond drops lower than expected.

"If no one sees it in time, the block gets uneven water, plants start stressing, and the day turns into troubleshooting instead of farming"', explains Or Litig, Hydraulic Monitoring Product Manager at Phytech. "This is exactly the kind of hidden problem Phytech brings into focus - clearly and in real time".

Here's a recent example of how Phytech can help growers eliminate issues before they develop.

1. Pressure tells the truth — the filter is clogging

In the upper flow rate graph we can see a sharp decrease. This correlates exactly with what the grower sees on the filter graph below. The pressure before the filter rises while the pressure after it falls. This is the classic signature of a clog .Instead of walking the block or guessing, the grower can catch it immediately and act before it hurts the crop.

2. The root cause: pond level dropped too low

Looking at the the pond level, which fell below the threshold, can help identify the cause .At that point, the pump might starts pulling sand and silt from the bottom. That debris gets pushed into the system and clogs the filter.

Now the picture is clear: Low pond → debris intake → clogged filter → flow rate drops.

3. Refill the pond → filter returns to normal

After the pond was refilled the next day, the system stabilized. Flow returned to normal. Pressure evened out. The block received the water it needed.

A problem that could have cost time, labor, and yield was solved early - just by having the full hydraulic picture in one place.

Why this matters

Hydraulic failures are one of the biggest hidden threats to irrigation performance. They lead to:

• uneven application (distribution uniformity inefficiency)

• plant stress

• clogged lines

• wasted labor

• reduced yield and fruit size

  
  

Phytech helps growers catch these issues before they reach the crop.

This supports both the operational executor  / irrigation manager (who needs to react quickly) and the irrigation decision maker / agronomist / farm manager (who needs to trust that irrigation is executed as planned).

Hydraulics + Plant Insights = Real Visibility

Agronomic in-field data (plant, fruit, soil, climate) shows you how the crop 'feels' so you can quickly decide when and how much to irrigate. Hydraulic data lets you know that what was needed has actually been supplied.

When growers can see pressure, flow, pond levels, and plant response together, they get the complete picture. - from the pump to the block to the tree.

It’s simple, practical clarity that prevents damage, saves labor, and keeps irrigation consistent through the season.