Posts Tagged drippers

Drip Irrigation Hoses Available in the Market

September 21, 2009 at 11:46 am · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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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Drip Irrigation Systems versus Other Worse Irrigation Systems and Methods

September 5, 2009 at 8:23 am · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Drip irrigation has turned out to be the best method for irrigating the crops. Many crops fail due to the lack of water. Water is the main reason for the growth and if the water is supplied at the right time then we can get maximum production. Drip irrigation is the best solution for the drought hit areas or the areas with low water.

A drip irrigation system consists of the drippers and the PVC pipes connected to every plant in the farm. The water is uniformly distributed to the plants in the form of the drops with the help of these PVC pipes. The drops from the pipes directly flow into the roots and therefore avoid flooding of the nearby area. A flooding usually results because the plants cannot take up the water after a limit. Usually flooding, leads to the growth of the weeds in the farms. As the drip water system needs just drops of water for the growth of the plants, there is a greater chance for the water conservation in the drip irrigation. The drops are also well absorbed by the plants.

Benefits of using drip irrigation systems:

Drip irrigation system has a lot of advantages when compared with the other systems which may include the following:

  1. Since the water is allowed to flow to a particular area, the flooding of the area is greatly reduced.
  2. Only 1/10th or 1/20th of the water required for the normal cultivation is needed.
  3. Drippers ensure that the water percolates well into the ground. In the case of the sprinkler systems the bushes present on the surface doesn’t allow the water to pass into the ground.
  4. It also reduces the attack of pests to a greater extent, as the humid conditions are required for the growth of the pests. But in this system, the humidity is reduced to a greater extent, as the water is well directed into the soil.
  5. It also prevents the washout of the top soil by the water as the water is concentrated in the form of the drops at a particular area.

Disadvantages of using the drip irrigation system:

  1. Drip irrigation system is more expensive than the traditional systems, but once the system has been constructed then we will not suffer from the lack of water.
  2. The life span of the drip irrigation system is also less usually 10 to 15 years.
  3. The drippers must be replaced if the periodic flushing is not carried out which further adds to the cost.

Drip irrigation system is popular among the commercial growers and now-a-days it is also becoming popular among the small scale farmers and gardeners as well. On the whole the drip irrigation system is the best technique to irrigate your field without much wastage of water.

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Planning and Calculating A Pipe Drip Irrigation System

March 15, 2009 at 8:32 pm · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Before planning drip irrigation system, some preparations should be made and should be had an idea about how planning can be made for this system. For this purpose these point should be cared.

a. State of the Land: Before planning drip irrigation system, the size, gradient, structure of earth of land should be known. Size of the land is very important criteria for placing main pipe and drippers.Although drip irrigation systems work with pressure as closed system, they can not be used after a specific gradient value without some precaution. Read the rest of this entry »

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Why Use Drip Irrigation? 25 Advantages and Techniques

March 10, 2009 at 3:02 pm · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  1. Provides watering opportunities during any time of the day without being dependent upon wind speed.
  2. Facilitates farming by utilizing modest water applications without running the risk of plant stress.
  3. Energy dependency is reduced significantly since watering can be done via a low pressure area.
  4. Increases efficiency and quality of productfrom 20-90%.
  5. Product ripens 2-3 week earlier. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Advantages and Disadvantages Of Drip Irrigation

February 28, 2009 at 7:35 pm · Filed under Drip irrigation ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The main premise of the drip irrigation method is being able to water plants using a small amount of water delivered through pressurized pipes and drippers without creating problems that might otherwise arise from lack of moisture in the root zone.

One of the most important aspects of this method is that the watered zone is only along the plant line, leaving the rest of the field dry, thus using the least amount of water possible.

The advantages of the drip irrigation method are as follows:

  • When water resources are scarce and costly, a much larger highly-targeted zone can be watered rather than covering the whole field with water.
  • Because the watered zone is shadowed by the plant itself, evaporation is minimal and the consumption is lowered.
  • The required moisture level in the root zone is maintained and the plant gets its water from the soil without using much energy. This is an important advantage that facilitates effective growth.
  • Fertilizers can be used via the dripping system (where and when they are required), reducing the volume needed.
  • The land between the plant rows remain dry and unwanted plant growth is prevented.
  • The surface of the soil is dry which enables processing, medication, harvest and transfer work to be executed more easily and with minimal effort.
  • Foliage remains dry, thus reducing the risk of disease.
  • Moisture is spread through the root zone, contributing to properly aired soil.
  • The output of each nozzle can be controlled with great efficiency, high water application efficiency and lower labour cost due to the automated system

Along with these advantages, there are some drawbacks that may restrict the usage of this method:

  • The largest problem is that the drippers get clogged. To prevent this, water must be very well-filtered and chemicals must be used to clean out the system.
  • Because the surface isn’t watered with the drip irrigation method, there is certain degree of salting. The salt is washed away if the zone receives more than 300mm yearly. If this isn’t the case with the location of the field, supportive surface watering methods must be employed.
  • The initial cost of drip irrigation systems are very high,  but if the plant grown has a large economical value, the ability to water a larger field will still make drip irrigation a viable option.

Overall, drip irrigation can be a very effective method for:

  • Areas where a water source is limited
  • The plant grown is sensitive to soil moisture
  • Vegetable and fruit farms
  • Growth of decorative plants

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