Studies & References
The Baseline Study: Why We Insist on Two Weeks of Measurement Before Installing Anything
Without a "before" number there is no "after" number. Two weeks of measurement turn the saving from a promise into the difference between two readings.
Published June 9, 2026 6 min read
A baseline study is a period of measuring existing consumption before anything on the farm changes. We fit a flow meter on the pump outlet and two moisture probes in a representative irrigation zone, log running hours and fuel, and then let the farm operate exactly as it did before. No schedule changes and no operating advice during the window, because any intervention corrupts the measurement we are taking.
The first benefit is contractual. Any saving percentage quoted after installation needs a reference to be measured from, or it is a comparison against an estimate. With a measured baseline the saving becomes a subtraction between two readings from the same meter, and the farmer can audit it without taking our word for anything. That is the client's real protection against an irrigation supplier - and we are one of the suppliers he should be protected from.
The second benefit is in the design. Measurement exposes things a walkover does not: a pump delivering far less than its nameplate, a demand peak in one particular hour that sets the main line diameter, or continuous flow during hours when nothing should be irrigated - usually a leak on an existing line that would otherwise have been carried straight into the new system.
The third benefit is financial. A technical file submitted to a bank under the modern-irrigation initiative is considerably stronger when it carries metered, dated consumption rather than an estimate derived from area. The bank does not necessarily require it, but a file containing a real measurement attracts fewer review questions and shortens the cycle.
Why two weeks rather than three days? Because the irrigation cycle for most crops runs five to ten days, and measuring less than two full cycles captures part of the pattern and misses the rest. Two weeks also spans enough daily weather variation that one hot day cannot dominate the average. We extend the window in two cases: significant rainfall during the period, or a farm running several crops at different growth stages.
The output is a written report of a few pages: daily consumption in cubic metres, pump running hours, the soil-moisture curve across the period, operating observations, and the FAO 56 demand calculation for the crop in the ground. That report belongs to the farmer whether or not he proceeds with us, and it can be shown to any other supplier. In a market where saving percentages are sold before anything is measured, we regard that as the minimum standard of honesty.