Rain Bird has donated 24 cases of its irrigation supplement (RBIS) to the Tuscon, Arizona, Department of Transportation, which is testing new methods of irrigation for plants in the city’s rights of way. RBIS, water bound in the form of a solid gel that slowly converts to water over a period of 30 to 90 days, is designed to deliver continuous moisture, saving time and money by increasing the intervals between manual watering and reducing associated labor costs.
Earlier this year, Tuscon officials began testing a new roadway design that would direct rainwater runoff onto roadside plants. Rain Bird requested that RBIS be tested as well.
The city is testing RBIS in two of three areas and using the new roadway design irrigation method in the third area. The areas with RBIS include native and non-native plants and will be observed for two years or until the plants are fully established.
“We’re confident that the RBIS will help the new plants thrive and will provide city officials with significant savings not only in its water bills but also in reducing its irrigation labor,” says Kraig Wilson, associate product manager for Rain Bird.
