A method for controlling and monitoring irrigation of localized areas of soil, comprising the steps of:
- providing water to said localized areas of soil through a water pipeline;
- controlling the discharge or supply of water from said water pipeline;
- providing watering or non-watering of specific areas of said localized areas of soil through a first plurality of controllable irrigation valves, positioned at said specific areas of said localized areas of soil, said first plurality of controllable irrigation valves having a pair of valve control inputs;
- measuring specific irrigation parameters through a second plurality of field sensors positioned at said specific areas of said localized areas of soil and said second plurality of field sensors having a pair of sensor outputs;
- transmitting control signals to said first plurality of controllable irrigation valves and said second plurality of field sensors though a third plurality of localized irrigation control units comprising a sensor decoder and a line decoder, providing valve control signals to said first plurality of controllable irrigation valves and/or recording said specific irrigation parameters from said second plurality of field sensors, each of said third plurality of localized irrigation control units having a pair of valve control outputs connected to said pair of valve control inputs of a specific controllable irrigation valve of said first plurality of controllable irrigation valves and/or a pair of sensor inputs connected to said pair of sensor outputs of a specific field sensor of said second plurality of field sensors and having a pair of control and power supply inputs;
- providing a set of schedules of instructions by means of a controller and power supply unit having a pair of control and power outputs supplying power by applying a first alternating DC voltage signal defining a voltage maximum having a first pulse width and defining a voltage minimum having a second pulse width to one of said pair of control and power outputs, simultaneously applying a second alternating DC voltage signal similarly shaped but of inverted polarity as compared to said first alternating DC voltage signal to another of said pair of control and power outputs and applying an alternating DC current defining a current maximum having a third pulse width and defining a current minimum having a fourth pulse width to said pair of control and power outputs;
- providing a two-wire cable, interconnecting said controller and power supply unit and said third plurality of localized irrigation control units through a two-wire cable connecting said pair of control and power outputs of said controller and power supply unit to said control and power inputs of said third plurality of localized irrigation control units and providing said power from said control and power unit to each of said third plurality of localized irrigation control units;
- and
- transmitting said schedules of instructions from said controller and power supply unit to said third plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable and receiving said specific irrigation parameters from said third plurality of localized irrigation control units through said two-wire cable.