Cost Of Drip Irrigation Per Acre

The cost of drip irrigation per acre in Kenya varies from crop to crop. Grekkon Limited is the top most of all drip irrigation kits suppliers in Kenya. Our drip irrigation system price in Kenya depends on the crop type. For tree crops and hedges, button drippers are installed. In vegetable crops, pre-perforated drip pipes are laid. The emitter spacing on the pre-perforated drip lines is either; 15cm, 20cm, or 30cm. A grower selects according to the vegetable crop type spacing.

We provide our growers a choice of single or double emitter drip irrigation tapes. Double emitter drip lines are helpful in high saline irrigation water locations where salt precipitates form and clog drip emitters. When one emitter is clogged, then the other one continues to irrigate at the same rate. Drip irrigation pipes for sale in Kenya by Grekkon Limited are PVC, and HDPE types

A 3-row drip per bed installation for a vegetable by Grekkon Limited in Ol-Donyo Sabuk area, Machakos county

A button dripper irrigation system on macadamia in Item area, Elgeyo Marakwet county by Grekkon Limited

Cost of Drip Irrigation Per Acre

Determining Factors

1. Crop type.It determines the crop spacing. Is it a fruit or vegetable garden? Fruit trees and fruit vines or runners such as melons 🍉 take less drip tape per acre. So they have the least cost. Vegetable crops take more drip lines, and are thus more expensive
2. Pipe type. It is a PVC or HDPE mainline, and sub-mainline? The former is more expensive to work with
3. Water pressure available. The higher the pressure, the less the number of irrigation blocks. Less irrigation blocks per acre means less fittings and accessories, so it’s less expensive. With low pressure, more irrigation blocks are created, at a higher unit cost

I. An Eighth To One Acre Drip Irrigation Kit Prices

II. Fruit Tree Button Drip Kit Irrigation Prices

FAQS

a. How much does it cost to install a drip irrigation system in Kenya?

The tabulated cost of drip irrigation per acre in Kenya includes the cost of installation by our technicians. We conduct our installations in all of east Africa, for every grower. After installation, our agronomy team provides 4 months of free agronomy training for new farmers.

b. How much does drip irrigation cost per hectare?

The cost of drip irrigation per hectare is 2.5 times the cost provided per acre

c. How many drip lines per acre?

This is determined by the crop type. 3,000M for 1 drip row per bed, 6,000M for 2 drip rows per bed, and 8,000M for 3 drip rows per bed

4. What is the maximum length of a drip irrigation line?

Your 16mm drip irrigation line will run for 25 to 27M under gravity flow, where the head is below 10M. From 10M head, this will go up to 50M

5. How far apart are drip irrigation holes?

Our emitter spacing is; 15cm, 20cm, and 30cm

15cm drip emitter spacing on a 1,00M single emitter drip roll

6. How do I calculate drip irrigation?

• Determine the emitter spacing, for example 15cm
• Divide the drip length by this spacing to determine the number of emitters per roll. In our case, 1,000M divided by 0.15M= 6,667 emitters
• Multiply the emitters by the number of rolls per acre, for example 6 rolls, so 40,000 emitters per acre
• Multiply the emitter flow rate by the total number of emitters to get the amount of water discharged per hour. For example 1.5 litres per hour x 40,000= 60,000 litres per hour

7. Which pipe is best for drip irrigation?

HDPE pipes are the best as main and sub main lines because they have UV treatment. This means that they will be used either as surface or sub-surface pipes

8. Can you run a drip line uphill?

Yes. But the head of the flow must be higher than the vertical height of the slope

9. What pipe size should I use for drip irrigation?

The size of the main or sub main pipe installed is determined by the area under irrigation. The larger it is, the larger the pipes used

10. How do I know how long to run drip irrigation?

This is determined by the existing level of soil moisture. Run it for 20 minutes to 1 hour according to the amount of water needed

11. How do I increase the pressure in my drip irrigation system?

They are several ways to raise the irrigation water pressure in your drip irrigation system

i. Divide the farm into blocks, each of which is irrigated separately. This way, irrigation water is channeled to particular block under high pressure

ii. If it is by gravity flow, then by raising the storage elevation. This will work where raised water tanks are the source of irrigation water

iii. By introducing an external source of pressure, such a s water pump to boost the flow of irrigation water in the system

How To Install Dam Liners In Kenya

What is dam lining?

It is the lining of the floor and walls of a water pan with a geomembrane material. This material is impermeable and holds the water above it for agricultural use

To cover a reservoir with a dam liner is a simple yet complicated task. Proper dam liner installation in Kenya will guarantee good water collection for irrigation and domestic use.  It requires proper coordination so as to achieve the intended objective. Before installation, one must learn how to measure a dam liner so as to determine the area of material needed for the water pan or tank.  Grekkon Limited is your number one company in supply and installation of dam liners in Kenya

How do you measure a dam liner?

1. Measure the length of the water reservoir
2. Measure the width of the water reservoir
3. Determine the depth from the center-most part of the water pan which is deemed as the deepest part
4. Apply this formula (length+2 depth+2 meters) X (width+2 depth+2meters). The additional 2 meters in each set are for tucking the liner. The dam liner tucking distance from the edges is taken as 1M all around te water pan

Steps on How to Install Dam liners in Kenya

Water Pan Excavation

This is the first step and usually takes the longest time. Excavation is manual with handtools, or with a machine. Most common machines for dam excavation are backhoe loaders, bull-dozers and caterpillars. At excavation, the side walls are inclined at an angle to prevent collapse of the dam.

Read Also: How to join dam liners and Quality dam liners in Kenya by Grekkon Limited

Smoothening Of The Water Pan

This is to remove any sharp objects that damage the dam liner. Pour in water on the floor and sides to soften it.

Trench Making

Trenches are dug round the dam where the dam liner will be installed. The size of the trench will depend on the size of the dam and the dam liner thickness. The most popular trench sizes are 1ft deep by 1ft wide and 1.5ft deep by 1.5ft wide.

Observe the trench made around the water pan. it is 1M from the edges of the water pan, and this is where the dam liner will be tucked

How To Install Dam Liners In Kenya

• Place the dam liner in the reservoir. This way, it takes the shape of the reservoir
• The liner must have an allowance for overlap. Bury the overlap in the trench, then cover with soil for a smooth finish. The trench dimensions will be 0.45M to 0.6M deep, and 0.3M wide. Several casual labourers make the process as smooth as possible. Where no trench has been made, support the dam liner with sand/ soil bags to achieve the same result
• Install an inlet and an over flow. The inlet is a pipe from a river, borehole or from the roof gutter section. Dams that trap run off water have a silt trap with several chambers to trap stones, mud and other debris.

How To Weld Dam Liners

1. This is done on site at the point of dam liner installation. It is the joining together of the partially welded dam liner pieces from the factory. Site welding is done when the entire dam liner could not be wholly put together in the factory. This is as a result of weight or bulkiness, which limits lifting and transportation of the bulky and heavy material. The weight size of the portable material depends on the thickness of the dam liner. The thicker it is, the less it is
2. A wedge welding machine or a heat gun/ heat blower is the equipment that does dam liner welding. A wedge machine is what does it in the factory. The heat gun is highly portable, and so is best for field joinery

Dam liner welding involves melting the liner material under high temperature at the point of joining them. Once melted, the 2 layers are laid one over the other and as they harden, become one unit. The welded joints must be leak free for the dam liner to work effectively in the tank or water pan. Lined water pans are popular as water storage units for agricultural field crops irrigation in a country that has just one or two rainy seasons

Coco Peat Price In Kenya

Grekkon Limited’s coco peat price in Kenya is per kg of dry material. As the largest coco peat supplier in Kenya, we keep the moisture level to the lowest level for greater value. The fiber content varies according to the growers need because we tailor this. Our coco peat for sale in Kenya is available from 5kg bags, and our cost of coco peat in Kenya is as wholesale or retail

Advantages of coco noir

• It is easy to make
• When well treated, it has near zero diseases and pests
• It is easily available
• Seedlings established in, or plants grown hydroponically in coco peat grow 50% faster than in soil. This is because it is highly porous allowing for vigorous root growth and rot air supply
• It has a high water holding capacity
• It is environmentally friendly because it is a 100% natural product
• Coco peat neutralises soil acidity

Coco peat growing medium in a hydroponic unit

Disadvantages of coco noir

•  It is a more expensive option than soil
•  If not well treated, it can harbor pests and diseases
• Getting the right EC and moisture levels is difficult
• It is rich in sodium and potassium salts
• It requires treatment

How to make coco peat soil

1. Collect coconut husks
2. Cut them up to smaller pieces
3. Clean them in water to remove dirt and other debris
4. Sun dry them
5. Run them in the grinding machine
6. Sieve the product to separate the coco peat from the fibers. The choice of sieve depends on the amount of fiber needed in the final product

We process our coco peat in Kilifi and Kwale counties, empowering hundreds of coconut farmers who supply our processing plant with raw material. Our production process provides the best coco peat for sale in Kenya. The final material is applied my hundreds of farmers for production of seedlings and mature crop growing. The table below provides details of our final coco peat material after processing

Coco Peat Price In Kenya:

Cost of Coco Peat and Material Specs Tabulation

A 5kg block of treated coco peat is Kes 600

* the fiber content is tailored to the growers need. Seedling nurseries require <3%, while potted plants or a growing crop will do up-to 30%

Our coco peat price is discounted for large volume purchases

High fiber

Low fiber

Coco Peat Price In Kenya

FAQs

I. How do you treat coco peat before planting?

Step 1.

Soak it overnight in water. Unwashed coco peat has high levels of sodium, potassium and chloride which make it highly saline. High salinity = high pH (>7.0). High salinity locks up many nutrients making them unavailable to the crop

Step 2.

Dissolve 2.5g of calcium nitrate for every liter of water. This is arrest excess sodium or potassium chloride salts in it, and to increase nitrogen. Again, plants grown in coco peat tend to become deficient in calcium or magnesium as they grow

Step 3.

Rinse it in running water until the brown coloration disappears

In nurseries, coco peat is input in seedling trays, while in greenhouses, this is in troughs.

Seedlings germinated on low fiber

A crop grown on high fiber coco peat

II. How much does 1kg coco peat expand?

1kg of coco peat expands to 5kgs

III. Can I plant directly in coco peat?

No because it does not have nutrients for the crop. This is only possible under hydroponic growing where nutrients are supplied to the crop often. Coco peat alone is used for germinating seeds

IV. What are the disadvantages of coco peat?

• it is high in potassium
• if not properly sanitised, it will harbour pests and diseases
• it is more costly to germinate wit than soil
• during processing, it is difficult to attain the right pH and moisture content

V. How long can coco peat last?

Coco peat begins to break down after 10 years. It is therefore be reused over 4 years, because it resists accumulation of crop harmful bacteria and fungi

VI. Can we mix coco peat and soil?

Yes, at a ratio of 3 parts of  soil to 1 part of coco peat. This is done as a soil amendment measure; to loosen the top soil

VII. Can seeds germinate in coco peat only?

Yes, coco peat is perfect medium for seeds germination. This is because it re-wets very easily

Soil mixing with coco peat. Observe a soil to coco peat ratio of 3:1

VIII. How much water do you put in coco peat only?

Apply water at a ration of 3.5litres for every 5kgs of coco peat

IX. Can I use coco peat only instead of soil?

Yes in hydroponic crop production. Crops under hydroponic production grow 50% faster than they would in soil

X. Which plants grow well in coco peat?

Potted plants, and ornamentals such as ferns, cactus, orchids, bromeliads, anthuriams and others

XI. Do you need to wash coco peat?

Yes to remove excess salts. Clean it in running water until the water is clear

XII. Is growing in coco peat better than in soil?

It is better, but expensive because nutrients and water have to be added frequently. Coco peat has little and few nutrients of its own, and it dries out fast. Hydroponic plants grown with coco peat grow faster, they have higher yields, they enjoy a neutral pH, and their roots extend easily

XIII. How often do you water coco peat?

Every 4 to 5 days

XIV. What is the best fertiliser for coco peat?

Granular NPK fertiliser with a ratio of 2-1-1 is best. Apply both fast and slow nitrogen releasing fertilisers

Types of Irrigation Pipes In Kenya

Grekkon Limited supplies and installs various types of irrigation pipes in Kenya. These pipes are of different diameter sizes, lengths, and wall thickness. The larger the pipe diameter, the more volume of water it carries, and the lesser the frictional losses. With a longer pipe, a grower requires less connections between pipes. Wall thickness determines the amount of water pressure a pipe will withstand. The thicker the wall, the greater the water pressure withstood. It is indicated as pressure nominal (PN), with a number. The higher the number the thicker the walls

Types of Irrigation Pipes in Kenya

1. HDPE pipes (High density polyethylene pipes)

They are black in colour and are manufactured as rolls of 100M for these diameter sizes below

16mm, 20mm, 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 63mm, and 90mm.

Larger then 90mm, we supply them as 50M rolls. Grekkon Limited’s HDPE pipes are UV treated for surface application. They have a long lifespan because they are not easily degraded by the sun when exposed.

16mm HDPE pipes

HDPE Pipe prices in Kenya

2. PVC Pipes (Polyvinyl chloride pipes)

PVC pipes are 6M long, come in different diameter and wall thickness sizes. They have no UV treatment and are thus for sub-surface irrigation application.

PVC Pipes by Grekkon Limited

PVC Pipe Prices in Kenya

3. Delivery/ Lay-flat pipes

They are highly flexible irrigation water pipes made from UV treated PVC material.They are supplied as 30M, 50M or 100M long. The diameters are 2″ and 3″, with thicknesses of PN6, PN8 1nd PN10. These pipes are designed for surface use.

In sprinkler irrigation systems, they are connected to a water pump, or a HDPE or PVC pipe main line, then to a water sprinkler. In drip irrigation systems, it will be a main, or sub main line

Delivery/ Lay-flat pipe

4. Drip Irrigation Pipes

These are 0.3mm, 0.4mm, and 1mm thick pipes with a 16mm diameter. They are the lateral that deliver water to the base of the crop. The 0.3mm and 0.4mm are for vegetable crops, while the 1mm are for hedges and orchards. They all have pre-perforated emitters spaced at 15cm, 20cm, or 30cm. The choice of emitter spacing depends on the crop type; 15cm for closely spaced crops like onion and garlic, 20cm for moderately spaced crops like tomato, and cabbage. 30cm is for further spaced crops

5. Rain Hose Pipes

Rain hose irrigation system with nanotechnology punched holes is an affordable irrigation system for overhead irrigation. Rain hose irrigation system uses nano technology to convey water to the plant. It has a series of holes spaced at intervals which sprays water flow by high gravity, or from a water pump is initiated. Our 0.5mm thick, 100M long rain hose pipes are UV treated to last for 10 years in use

Features of a rain hose irrigation system

1. It simulates natural rainfall by delivering water to the base of the crop, with the right droplet sizes
2. The overhead water is discharged in a 3 dimensional manner; vertically, horizontally, and diagonally
3. It is connected directly to a main line
4. It is not easily blocked as the water is delivered under high pressure
5. The operating pressure is from 15M head / 1.5 bar

Advantages of Grekkon rain hose irrigation pipes

• It is easy to install and maintain, and more economical to install than sprinklers
• It has anti-UV treatment, so it is not easily degraded by the sun
• These spray holes are made with nanotechnology to ensure uniform flow of water
• Irrigate both under gravity flow, and high water pump pressure
• Irrigate an area in just 10 minutes
• Highly portable
• A variety of diameters to select from depending on the farm size

Downsides of a rain hose system

1. It is less water efficient compared to drip irrigation
2. Water loss due to evaporation
3. It cannot be used on crops, for intance, crops that are highly susceptible to fugal infections due to foliage wetness
4. It requires high operating pressure
5. Rainhose are more prone to clogging than large sprinklers because the have tiny emitters
6. Under extremely high pressure, the pipes get damaged

Ideal crops for rain hose irrigation system

Crops that can be irrigated using the grekkon rain hose are:

1.  Vegetable such as carrots, brassicas, potatoes
2. Closely spaced bulbs such as onion and garlic
3. Fruit tress; avocado, pixie orange, macadamia, coffee
4. Agro forestry
5. Lawns, gardens, pasture, and football pitches

They are idea for tree or vegetable nursery irrigation

Types of Irrigation Pipes In Kenya

How to select your irrigation pipe

1. Farm ownership method. A leased farm will have the surface HDPE pipes which will be disconnected when the lease period expires. A permanent farm will have sub-surface PVC pipes
2. Irrigation method. Drip and rain hose kits will have HDPE and PVC as the main and sub main line often times. Sprinkler systems are best done with delivery pipes due to sprinkler movement in the farm
3. Farm size. A larger farm will have larger diameter pipes because more water is needed to irrigate
4. Pressure type. Irrigation water flow by gravity is through less thicker pipes such as PN6 or PN8

Solar Water Pump Prices

Solar water pump prices in Kenya by Grekkon Limited are provided based on the pump specs. Our submersible solar water pumps for sale in Kenya are categorised as;

1. Motor size. This is given in kilo watts (kW) or horse power (Hp). The motor operates on direct current (DC) generated by the solar panels, or from a battery. The larger the motor size, the more the power a motor consumes, and provides to the pump
2. Head. This is the pressure rating provided in meters (M) or bar. It determines how far vertically that pump will push water. The higher the pressure rating, the higher the push. Deep wells use higher pressure rated submersible solar pumps than shallow wells
3. Flow rate. It is the volume of water evacuated over a given time unit. This is given as litres per second, or per minute, or as cubic litres per hour. This determines the size of the outlet pipe. A pump that evacuates more water has a larger outlet

Smaller domestic water pumps are portable solar water pumps. It is easy to move them from one shallow well to another. This is not the case for large, permanent, deep well solar water pumps

Solar Water Pump Prices In Kenya

The prices shown above are for solar water pumps for wells less than 100M. Beyond this, we provide specific pumps that match the borehole’s water specs. We install submersible solar water pumps across east Africa for all well sizes. Before an installation is made, a well analysis is conducted to ensure the right solar submersible water pump is provided.

Hydroponic Trays

Grekkon Limited is a top supplier of hydroponic trays to livestock, and food crop growers in east Africa. Our black HDPE hydroponic fodder trays in Kenya are popular with farmers growing hydroponic barley or maize for their livestock. All hydroponic trays in Kenya by Grekkon Limited have no holes, and each tray holds 1kg of barley. The growth of hydroponic fodder in Kenya is driven by diminishing land and water resources. It is produced without soil and little water

Hydroponic fodder tray price is Kes 200 a piece

What Is a Hydroponic System?

A hydroponics system constitutes of a;

1. a stand with a flat top to hold trays
2. a water source
3. hydroponic trays
4. a watering unit

Hydroponic Trays: How To Make Hydroponic Fodder

Common hydroponic crops for livestock in Kenya are; maize, wheat, oat and pulses. Do not grow sorghum or pearl millet because their sprouted leaves are poisonous to livestock.

1. Select good quality seed. Avoid broken or unhealthy seed which will not germinate
2. Place your seeds in a basin, then add warm water. Warm water triggers germination by breaking any dominance present. Remove the seeds that float in the water; they won’t germinate. Remove too any other impurities floating
3. Add 50-100g of salt to reduce fungal production on the sprouted seed
4. Soak the seed for 12 hours, then drain it and run them in clean water
5. Place the seeds in a germination chamber/ room
6. Thoroughly clean the hydroponic trays in clear fresh water
7. Transfer the seedlings onto the hydroponic tray, evenly spreading them
8. Place the trays on a rack
9. Water them with a misting system, a light sprinkler, hose pipe, or watering can to create high humidity for rapid and healthy barley growth
10. In seven days, the fodder is ready for harvest. Your seedlings are 30cm to 35cm tall. If it remains longer in the trays, the nutritive value will depreciate, and fiber will develop

Barley fodder in a hydroponic tray                                               

Hydroponic fodder grows best within a temperature range of 15 to 32 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity range is 80-85%. Allow light for photosynthesis, so growing in a greenhouse or light shade house is fine

3 – 4 litres of water will grow 1kg of hydroponic fodder. This is done through aeroponics (misting the root zone). No pesticides are sprayed

Using misters to humidify a hydroponic unit

Manual watering with a hose pipe

Rain Hose Irrigation System

Rain hose irrigation system with nanotechnology punched holes is an affordable irrigation system for overhead irrigation. Rain hose irrigation system uses nano technology to convey water to the plant. It has a series of holes spaced at intervals which sprays water flow by high gravity, or from a water pump is initiated. Our 0.5mm thick, 100M […]

Adjustable Button Drippers For Irrigation

1. What is a button drip emitter?

Adjustable button drippers for irrigation are irrigation accessories attached onto a high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. They deliver a consistent and uniform amount of water the crop by regulating the flow. Button drippers in Kenya, button drip are common in fruit trees, forestry and hedges irrigation

A macadamia crop under button drip irrigation installed by Grekkon Limited in Iten area, Elgeyo Marakwet county. January 2021

Same macadamia crop in January, 2023

2. How do you install button drippers?

A perforation is made on the HDPE pipe with a drip punch, then the button dripper’s pointed end is pushed into this hole. This punching is done at the point where the tree crop is. But it will be away from the trunk to ensure that water flows to the roots below. The button dripper will be 3-6 inches away from the trunk. This will also prevent fungal infections and other types of diseases.

For younger tree crops, a single button dripper or emitter is sufficient. However, with older larger trees, 2 or more button drippers are provided according to the plant’s water need. In this case, have them equally on the opposite sides of the tree crop to promote even root growth. Two or multiple button drippers ensure that if one is blocked, the other one or the rest continue to water

3. How do you use an adjustable button dripper?

Once in place on the irrigation line, you will adjust your button dripper from 0 discharge to 70 liters per hour flow of water. This is done by turning the dripper to achieve different flow rates as per the crop water needs

4. How long should button drippers run?

Your adjustable button drippers for irrigation will run for 30 minutes to an hour. This is guided by the moisture requirement of the soil, as per the prevailing weather conditions

5. How many button drippers can I run on one line?

This is determined by the diameter size of the irrigation pipe. The larger it is, the more water it ferries over a longer distance. Therefore, the greater the number of button drippers. The other factor is the flow rate of the adjustable button drippers themselves. If adjusted to maximum flow rate (70L per hour), then the line will have less. If the adjustment is to half of that flow rate, then a similar line will carry twice as much

6. How do I increase the pressure in my button drip irrigation system?

They are several ways to raise the irrigation water pressure in your button drip irrigation system

i. Divide the farm into blocks, each of which is irrigated separately. This way, irrigation water is channeled to particular block under high pressure

ii. If it is by gravity flow, then by raising the storage elevation. This will work where raised water tanks are the source of irrigation water

iii. By introducing an external source of pressure, such a s water pump to boost the flow of irrigation water in the system

Adjustable button drippers for irrigation price in Kenya

The cost of a button dripper is Kes 12 a unit

The cost of a button dripper irrigation system per acre depends on the tree crop spacing. In the tabulation below, we provide 3 examples