Archive for Drip irrigation
October 11, 2009 at 12:45 pm · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged agriculture field, crops, Drip irrigation, drops of water, farming, food items, griculture, hoses, inch diameter, new invention, resource utilization, soaker hose, wastage of water, water intake, water leakage, water loss, water scarcity, water usage, wear and tear, working principle
Agriculture is a vast field. Every human has to consume food in order to live. These food items are got only from the hardship of a farmer. As the technology improves many modern methods have evolved to sophisticate all including the farmers . Most of these focused only on reduction of burden on the farmer and not on the improvement of farming. One step was taken to provide optimized resource utilization in the agriculture field. The new invention and the one which takes care of this optimizing step is the drip irrigation process. Many are not aware of the drip irrigation process. Some of them are stubborn and are not ready to go in for another process. They feel safe and secure with the conventional process.
Why we have to go in for Drip irrigation?
As we all no water scarcity is the most faced problem around the globe. Not sufficient amount of water is present with many villages and their crops get spoiled due to it. So saving of water is a must for all of us. This can be easily achieved by the use of drip irrigation process instead of the conventional process. The wastage of water can be drastically reduced when drip irrigation is followed. The working principle of drip irrigation process is very simple and uses small openings in the hose to water the plant. The holes are so small that only drops of water emerge from these holes. So the water usage rate is so minimum and this is even smaller than the water intake rate of the plants. So the wastage of water is minimal and the utilization of water is optimum. The type of hoses used for this process is the soaker hose. This hose has minute holes of 1/6 to 1/4 inch diameter. And this is also has unique capability to work both on the surface and under the surface. The most important thing that is to be mentioned here is about the fittings.
Fittings in the drip irrigation process:
Water leakage and water loss in the fitting is the major loss in the case of any hose usage. The wear and tear is mostly felt at the fitting region. This can be reduced drastically if the special fittings are provided. The fittings used in the drip irrigation process is one of its kind. The fittings are more precisely manufactured and they form a tight fit. The clearance in between the threads are so minimum. The material these fittings are made up of is the brass. In addition to it hoses also posses this capability to fit perfectly with any pipes.
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October 11, 2009 at 12:41 pm · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged actuation, brass fittings, capillary, Drip irrigation, holes, irrigation timing, mankind, pipes, plants, saving water, soaker hose, soaker hoses, soil conditions, source of water, specific place, sprinkling, Water supply, working principle
Some of us would have come across the word drip irrigation. We all know irrigation is a process of providing water to the plants, but we don’t know what is drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is nothing but, providing water to the specific plant at specific place at specific time. The conventional process of irrigation satisfies these thing, then why is that we should go in for a new process of irrigation. The answer to this question is very simple.
Why drip irrigation is needed ?
The need for drip irrigation is due to the difference or advantage it has over the conventional process. The drip irrigation saves water while the others waste them. Water is a big problem faced by many of the countries. So saving water is very essential to all of mankind. The process of drip irrigation is very simple and its application is also very easy. The working principle involved is that the plants are provided water with minute holes in the hoses. These hoses are known as soaker hoses. The soaker hose works by the principle of capillary outlets. There are very small holes in the range of 1/6 to 1/4 of an inch. These holes form the outlet or source of water supply to the plants. The other great advantage in these hoses are that, it can fit with any type of fittings and pipes. This advantage is got by the hose due to the fact that it poses brass fittings at the ends. The higher end hoses even poses greater advantages than the lower end hoses. They are manufactured precisely to meet the standards. The hose can be placed above the soil or as in some cases buried in the soil. This is how people grow plants in dry places. They are highly advantageous and capable of providing plants in any soil conditions. The other thing is that, it saves water by reducing the sprinkling and showering.
Drip irrigation timing :
The other important thing that is so far not mentioned about the drip irrigation is that it can be integrated with mechatronics system. The water is provided to the plants based upon the actuation of valves. The valve opening and closing time can be automated using mechatronics system. So the water is provided to the plants at proper intervals and proper amount of water can be given to the plants. The advantage of the drip irrigation is doubled on application of the timing system in the process.
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October 11, 2009 at 12:39 pm · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged capability, Drip irrigation, efficiency, extent, external surface, fertile land, garden hose, holes, limiting factor, plants, problem solver, scientist, soaker hose, Water supply
Irrigation is a common terminology to all of us. But the real meaning of it, is not known by many. Irrigation is a process of watering the plants artificially. This is done because, sufficient amount of water may not be present in that area or the season may not be correct for the cultivation. There are many artificial ways of irrigation possible. The normal way of irrigation is the way in which the water is sent to the plants via a channel or tunnel and sprayed at the end. But the major problem faced in this process is that, the amount of water wasted in this is too high. The problem solver that originated due to tiresome effort of many scientist is the Drip irrigation process.
What is drip irrigation process ?
Drip irrigation is a new and advanced process, that is not known by many. The way it differentiates from the other process is by, making the water directly available to the most needed part, rather than spraying it or converging a large amount through channels. This is achieved by making small openings in a pipe and focusing the water supply to the plants. The advantage associated with it is that it can save water to a large extent. The other thing about it is that it can even make a dry land into a fertile land. It is environmental friendly and to add to its advantages it can even challenge the nature itself. This was developed due to many hours hard work of many scientist. It is environmental friendly and accepted world wide for its capability. The limiting factor for this process, is the efficiency of the soaker hose.
What is soaker hose and why it is needed ?
All would have come across what a irrigation process is and what are the advantages associated with it. The item required to incorporate this method on the field is a soaker hose. The soaker hose is a item which resembles the structure of a normal garden hose. The difference it has over the garden hose is that, it has minute holes throughout its external surface. This forms the outlet for water to escape and irrigate the plants at particular places. The holes are so small that each hole is of the diameter of one by sixth to one by fourth of an inch. This is the working principle of a soaker hose. The unique advantage of the soaker hose over the other hoses is that it can fit with and pipes and fittings.
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October 9, 2009 at 6:17 am · Filed under Drip irrigation, Mechanization ·Tagged Agriculture, contour, crops, cultivators, Drip irrigation, farmers, fruitful results, irrigation facilities, irrigation methods, irrigation scheme, irrigation system, pivot irrigation, profits, root tips, surface changes, technological advancements, topological features
Agricultural practices have refined in last few years. People have broader idea about getting fruitful results out of their investment on the lands. One can ensure effective growth of plant only if the plant or whole plantation is administered with good irrigation facilities. These facilities can be helpful in providing useful gains for the farmers. By far technological advancements have gathered minds of farmers to render useful ideas into planned actions. These technological advancements can be adjudged with useful application in day-to-day life.
Importance of irrigation system
Irrigation plays a vital role in the modern day agriculture. The root tips are in search of water when they travel down inside the ground. These can be ably supported by irrigation administered by the cultivators. The irrigation methods are of varied types that are available for cultivators. Starting from drip irrigation to center pivot irrigation. Some of irrigation methods take care of all the necessary topological features that prevail in particular land. The contour of surface changes from place to place. It is quite evident that it can affect watering scheme adopted by the farmers. But this would be justified by the amount of water needed. Some crops would need large supply of water to be supplied to root tips.
Irrigation facilities promised by drip irrigation
Drip irrigation is one of the popular methods adopted by the farmers all over the world. This method could bestow useful irrigation to the crops that are planted. Drip irrigation is preferred in the gardens. The gardens that are small can be well sheltered under effective watering through drip irrigation scheme. Also some watering scheme require some additional components such as tubing that can add to the cost of establishment of watering facility. This can be cashing for the farmers initially but with effective maintenance it can fetch huge profits on long run. Drip irrigation also ensures correct level of moisture that is to be maintained around the root tips. Any variation in this can cause adverse effects on the plant.
Drip irrigations systems – Components
Drip irrigation involves use of valuable wit to design the overall plan of the system. The system includes tubing and piping needs to be satisfied before going for commissioning of irrigation system. There are several components that form integral part of drip irrigation systems. Also one needs to ensure proper design of irrigation systems can be employed to facilitate moisture monitoring. The shoot system of the plant needs supply of water and other nutrients through root. The watering of plants at optimum level ensures proper supply of nourishments for the development of crop into sizeable yielding. Special simulation software is available to map all the essential failure nodes that can lead to drastic changes in the irrigation channel. Hence it is advisable to use that software to clear out all the loopholes present in irrigation channel.
Effective maintenance of irrigation systems
Maintenance of irrigation system largely depends on the design of irrigation system. The maintenance of the drip irrigation system involves series of actions that can ensure proper working of overall system. Subsurface drip watering schemes are widely used by the farmers pertaining to different parts of world to irrigate the lawns. These can be effectively monitored for pressure inside the channel. This pressure if not checked periodically can institute massive technical failures for the entire irrigation system. People can seek expert advice to have proper maintenance. The tubing can be checked for correctness periodically to eliminate water leakage. The inlet and outlet nozzle can be cleared off from dust and mud in order to have proper entry and exit of water inside the whole watering system.
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September 21, 2009 at 11:49 am · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged 25mm, backflow preventer, ball valves, butterfly valves, closest point, control valve, control valves, disk valves, drip irrigation system, drip irrigation systems, drip tubes, gate valves, globe valve, globe valves, home gardeners, irrigation controller, irrigation valves, water flow, water source, zone control
If you want to irrigate your farms with a drip irrigation system, having the right drip irrigation valves properly installed is a must.
There are various types of drip irrigation valve you can find in the market. Most drip irrigation systems need at least two different purposive-types: an emergency shut off one and a controlled one.
Emergency Shut Off Valves
Emergency shut off valves are drip irrigation valves to be installed in the area where you tap in for your drip irrigation system. It is the closest point to water source. Having these valves installed is crucial. Without them, you will have to shut off the water flow to your entire house should an irrigation breakdown occurs. Without them, you will also have to work on the mainline or irrigation valves.
The most commonly used for this purpose are gate valves. They are quite affordable though also tend to wear out quickly and then start leaking. Better recommended are ball valves, disk valves and butterfly valves. They are more reasonably pricey than gate valves since they are much more reliable and last several times longer.
Zone Control Valves
Zone control valves are drip irrigation valves that turn on and off water to the drip tubes (or hoses). Often these valves are automatically turned on and off by an irrigation controller/timer.
For a small drip irrigation system you may need only one zone control valve. While for bigger drip irrigation systems several more may be required.
There are two basic types of zone control valve: standard globe valve and anti-siphon valve.
Standard globe valves can be found in almost any size. They are often installed below the ground, kept inside a box or a vault. Since a standard globe valve does not incorporate a backflow preventer, you must provide one on your own.
Anti-siphon valves can be found in 20mm (3/4 inch) and 25mm (1 inch) sizes. They are most recommended for home gardeners since they incorporate a backflow preventer, thus saving a considerable amount of money. The valves must be installed above the ground, at least 150mm (6 inch) higher than the highest drip emitter. This requirement may be a problem for certain areas, but you can always install anti-siphon valves on top of trellis or at the top of the slope (if you have a garden with slopes).
Indexing Valves
Indexing valves are a single valve unit purposely installed to control several valve zones. Usually available in models with or without a built-in anti-siphon device, it requires a special controller to operate. It has a water inlet and several water outlets. When the control unit sends the first signal it opens the first water outlet. At the next signal it switches to the second water outlet. And then to the third, fourth and so on till it gets back to the first water outlet, at which point it shuts off.
Indexing valves must be installed above the ground, at least 150mm (6 inch) higher than the highest drip emitter. It has never been too popular and is generally available in certain regions where a nearby manufacturer has promoted them.
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September 21, 2009 at 11:46 am · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged barbed fittings, chemical compatibility, compression fittings, diameters, drip irrigation system, drip irrigation tubing, drip water, drippers, gph, important factors, irrigation hose, maximum flow rate, moisture levels, plant root zone, Polyethylene, productivity, psi, rodent damage, Soil, tiny holes
Drip irrigation hoses, also known as drip irrigation tubing, are hoses specifically designed to carry water and drip it through tiny holes attached to them; the tiny holes are called “emitters”. They drip water slowly into the soil exactly at the plant root zone where it is needed. This way moisture levels are kept optimal, improving plants productivity and quality.
Drip irrigation hoses are made of polyethylene. They come in various types and diameters, accordingly to your needs. The length of a single drip irrigation hose should not over 200 feet from the point where water enters it.
You need to stake the hoses to keep them from moving. More importantly, never bury the hoses and their emitters even if they are designed to be. Otherwise, you will need to spend more time and energy to overcome clogging and rodent damage.
When choosing hoses for your drip irrigation system, you have to keep in mind these important factors: size, pressure rating, weight, length and chemical compatibility.
Some drip irrigation hoses available in the market :
Drip Irrigation Hose .580
It comes in various lengths: 25’, 50’, 100’ and 500’.
Using .580 compression fittings, it operates at pressure rate 10 to 60 PSI and has a maximum flow rate 180 GPH. It is best if you operate it at pressure rate 25 PSI.
Drip Irrigation Hose .700
It comes in various lengths: 50’, 100’ and 500’.
Using .700 compression fittings, it operates at pressure rate 10 to 60 PSI and has a maximum flow rate at 240 GPH. It is best if you operate it at pressure rate 25 PSI.
Drip Irrigation Hose .820
It comes in various lengths: 100’, 250’ and 500’
Using .820 compression fittings, it operates at pressure rate 10 to 60 PSI and has a maximum flow rate at 380 GPH. It is best if you operate it at pressure rate 25 PSI.
1/4″ Micro-Drip Irrigation Hose
It comes in various lengths: 25’, 50’, 100’ and 500’. Used with 1/4” barbed fittings, it is used for extending drippers and micro-sprinklers from main line or as the primary line in a small drip irrigation system. It can be put above or below the ground.
Use this hose to distribute water from main line to drippers, misters and low volume sprinklers.
1/4″ Laser Drilled Drip Irrigation Hose
It comes in various lengths: 50’ and 100’. Holes are laser drilled into the hose against the flow of water. Used with 1/4″ barbed fittings, it is to be put within 12” or 6” space.
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September 20, 2009 at 12:31 pm · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged agricultural chemicals, capillary action, conventional surface, crop yields, drip irrigation system, drip irrigation systems, evaporation of water, irrigation cycles, management research laboratory, precise application, root zones, soil saturation, soil type, subsurface drip irrigation, surface drip irrigation, time span, vegetable crops, vine crops, water loss, water management research
Drip irrigation systems are mostly installed permanently or semi-permanently above the ground. When applied to irrigate trees and vine crops, they promote no problem. However, when applied to irrigate field and vegetable crops, certain problems occur, mostly because the drip irrigation systems have to be installed and retrieved annually. The annual handling is harmful to the life time span of the system, even under the best handling conditions. Hence the subsurface drip irrigation system emerges.
The depth installment of subsurface drip irrigation system is determined by the soil type and the crops planted. An efficient installation has water moving at the depth of 4 to 30 inches beneath the surface, forming a continuous watered area along the plants row. Frequent irrigation cycles, up to several times every day, maximize capillary action and minimize water surfacing.
Four subsurface drip irrigation systems have been designed, installed and successfully produce better yields by the Water Management Research laboratory of the USDA in Fresno. The oldest one was installed in 1981 and used for three years to irrigate tomatoes. During those years, they also successfully produced twice as much broccoli, at the same farm.
Subsurface drip irrigation system allows the precise application of water, nutrients and other agricultural chemicals directly to the plants root zones. It allows the optimization of growing environment, which leads to higher quality and quantity crop yields.
With the same amount of water, subsurface drip irrigation system waters 46% larger volume of soil than any conventional (surface) drip irrigation system. It decreases the soil saturation, which not only leaves room for more air, but also improves water capillary movement and decreases water loss due to deep percolation. The top 15 – 20 cm of soil remains dry, therefore evaporation of water at the top of the soil may decrease and less salt will accumulate at the surface.
Permanent installation of subsurface drip irrigation system also provides considerable labor saving since irrigation can be applied while the whole equipment stays in the farm.
Any soil surface crusts which usually lead to infiltration problems are no longer trouble makers; they are bypassed if this subsurface drip irrigation system is installed. Other farming applications required to support the conventional drip irrigation system is no longer required, too.
Since subsurface drip irrigation system is installed below the ground, all components are not exposed to sun light, constant wetting, weather changes and other environmental changes. It is expected to last longer than the conventional drip irrigation system.
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September 13, 2009 at 9:32 am · Filed under Drip irrigation, Greenhouse, Orchard ·Tagged conducive conditions, drip irrigation design, drip irrigation system, field soil, flow regulators, greenhouse plants, ground surface, growth of plants, irrigation method, irrigations, massive support, moisture level, plumbing accessories, pressure flow, pressure regulators, productive systems, soil surface, surface design, uninterrupted growth, water requirement
Greenhouses type of plantation has gained massive support from the people all around. They need to have better growth under specified condition. Also the growth of plants can be termed healthy due to procurement of essential conditions that are for the uninterrupted growth of plants. The harmful radiations can be stopped from approaching the plants productive systems. Conducive conditions are reached at the greenhouses instituting better growth of plants.
Essentials for drip irrigation
Essentials for any type of irrigation system are water supply. The source of water can determine the type of irrigation employed. The drip irrigation involves effective management of the water through proper channel. The channeling of water can be established by rational drip irrigation design. Also the moisture level at the region beneath the soil surface to be regulated periodically with drip irrigation system
Why greenhouses require drip irrigation ?
Drip irrigations are essential in area wherein there is scarcity in water.. Greenhouses are generally associated planned agriculture carried out at the expense of quite substantial investment. The effectiveness of the greenhouse is greatly determined by the quality of the plants grown so avoid any kind of pest or weed attack to the greenhouse plants, one needs to adopt for irrigation. It eliminates the opportunity for the growth of other types of plants like weeds taking nutrients from the ground surface.
Design your own greenhouse drip irrigation
Drip irrigation can be customized based on the type of the field that is to be irrigated. The irrigation system involves the use of tubing, valves, pressure regulators and other plumbing accessories to get planned irrigation method. Pressure flow regulators to a maximum value of about 30 psi can regulate the operating pressure of tubing. The slope of field, soil features and water source can be carefully studied before validating a design. The water requirement for a particular variety of plant can determine particular type of accessory like emitter to be used.
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September 13, 2009 at 9:30 am · Filed under Drip irrigation, Vegetative Production ·Tagged adequate level, agricultural practice, agricultural practices, bubblers, c onventional, different kinds of plants, drip irrigation system, garden vegetable, grown plants, growth of plants, micro irrigation, moisture level, proper maintenance, random type, usage of water, vegetable garden, vegetable gardens, vegetable plants, wastage of water, watering plants
Conventional irrigation system is confined with number of disadvantages to be associated with. The development of the facilities in agriculture has prompted people to adopt drip irrigation for carrying out all agricultural practices. Drip irrigation provides several features when compared with the
Drip irrigation for vegetable gardens
Vegetable gardens are irrigated by drip irrigation in modern agricultural practice.. Gardens employ different kinds of plants to be grown under one shelter. This makes the work of gardener to be difficult in maintaining the garden. So it is advisable to use drip irrigation technique to have programmed watering of plants. This enables proper maintenance of moisture level in the ground. Since vegetable plants require different watering for obtaining better growth of plants.
Tips for getting efficient drip irrigation for vegetable gardens
It is essential to maintain adequate level of pressure in the tubing of drip irrigation. The micro irrigation technique can aid planned watering of younger plants. The watering of large and grown plants can be done using different types of emitters. Overall usage of water can be optimized with some practical testing of the drip irrigation system after installation. Vegetable plants like carrot can require only adequate amount of moisture to be maintained through out its growth cycle. So it is advisable for the designers to use multiple emitters and bubblers to carryout watering of those plants. Stream bubblers can be used for watering plants like tomato. The constant moisture can be preserved in the vegetable garden by drip irrigation technique.
Advantages of drip irrigation in vegetable gardens
Vegetable gardens with drip irrigation involve splitters used to channel the water for different plants. These can reduce the overall wastage of water yielding to effective water conservation. Drip irrigation provides random type watering enabling elimination of the weeds in vegetable garden. Vegetable gardens are prevented from soil erosion by using modular drip irrigation system.
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September 10, 2009 at 1:39 pm · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged 2l, adequate level, diameter, drip irrigation system, drip irrigation systems, effective control, flow pressure, flow rate, flow regulators, flow valves, gpm, high flow, intensity, low flow, main ingredient, medium flow, pressure regulator, pressure regulators, psi, root tips
Drip irrigation is popular among all people residing all over the world. The utility of drip irrigation is characterized by the presence of certain implied conditions to be satisfied. These technical requirements determine the overall activity of the drip irrigation system.
Technical requirements
The pressure is the main ingredient that is to be maintained by tubing with adequate level of supply of water. The tubing should withstand a pressure of about 2 bars. The tubing is to be maintained sufficiently deep in the ground. The ground can be dug to a depth that can be easily approached by the root tips of plants. Pressure regulation can be done to minimize or maximize the pressure that is maintained. Also flow valves can control the intensity of water. The ideal flow that is used is about 0.2l/s for standard dimension of tubing. The tubing that is generally employed in the drip irrigation is about 24mm diameter.
Pressure Regulator- Types
Pressure regulator is of different types. Varied range of pressure regulators can be used for the effective control of pressure in the tubing in different parts of the drip irrigation systems. They are numerous types and differ based on the design specifications namely—
- Low flow pressure regulators
The design of low flow regulators is quite unique. Also the design can regulate pressure based on the utility. A flow rate of about 0.1 to 1GPM can be achieved with low flow pressure regulators.
- Medium flow pressure regulators
Medium flow regulators are utilized for the gardens that require the flow rate of range 2- 20 GPM to be achieved. With this type of flow pressure regulators one can limit the pressure based on the inlet pressure applied.
- High flow pressure regulators
Flow rate can be limited to about 32 GPM with this type of high flow pressure regulators. The external pressure can vary from 10 psi till 50 psi.
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Agricultural Biodiversity 