Drip Irrigation System Layout

Grekkon Limited’s drip irrigation system layout is done for all farm sizes, and all crops. There 3 ways in which the company gathers data to develop a drip irrigation system layout

1. Farmers provide detailed sketches as directed by the company from which a drip irrigation system layout is developed. This sketch will include; the farm dimensions in meters, the water source type, distance to the water source from the farm, details of any existing irrigation infrastructure, any existing roads or pathsways, any none farmable sections (rocky areas, wet lands, built up locations etc), planting beds layout, the direction(s) of slope, and the total vertical elevation
2. Provide the farm’s map coordinates from which the company assesses the farm layout using satellite technology
3.  Conduct a physcal site assessment visit. This is only carried when 2 above cannot be done

The company only charges for the 3rd service to cover the logistical costs

A sample drip irrigation system layout for a 40 acre farm by Grekkon Limited

The company’s irrigation engineers will conduct a physical visit on a prospective farm to determine the following

i. The water source. The company measures the water volume, and analysis the quality. The volume determines the irrigation system to use, the size of the water pump, and the acreage covered. For intance, a farmer with a borehole yielding 15 cubic litres per hour is best positioned to irrigate using drip irrigation. His irrigated acreage will not exceed 30 acres for optimal water utilisation. On the other hand, a farmer by a large permanent river or lake water source will irrigate hundreds of acres using any irrigation method preferred. The water quality determines the type of filtration system to install.

A screen filter is for water under low pressure with a negligible amout of suspended dirt or other particles.  A disc filter is preferred for water under high pressure, with a negligible to a modest amount of suspended dirt orcother particles. A sand filter is for dirty water under high pressure

 

 

ii. The dimensions of the farm in meters. to provide the total  acreage. The acreage will determine the pipe diameter sizes, the water pump’s flow rate, and the sub-division of the irrigation blocks

iii. Slope. The elevation of the farm gives the vertical head or lift needed. This is important in determining the pressure rating of the water pump to install, the pipe diameters, the planting beds layout (these should be done against the slope), and the size of the irrigation blocks

iv. Any existing irrigation infrastructure; to determine what can be used or incorporated into the new system

v. Provide advise on security measures for key company installations such as; large water pumps, solar modules, solar inverters, control panels, cables, and other high value accessories

 

 

Key Requirements To Install A Drip Irrigation System

1. A water source
2. A water pump and piping mechanism to move this water from the source to the tank or directly to the drip irrigation system.
3. Water storage tank if you’re using gravity to irrigate
4. A tank connector
5. Pipes for the mainline and sub-main line.
6. Mainline and sub mainline fittings
7. Drip irrigation water filter
8. Drip irrigation pipes
9. Accessories
10. Ball valves

 

 Steps To Follow In Designing A Drip Irrigation Layout

1. Determine where the water pump or water tank will be placed. Water tanks are used for small acreage gravity flow irrigation, and should be placed at highest elevation to allow ease of water flow by gravity
2. The main line originates from the water tank or water pump. The size of the main line determines the volume of irrigation water delivered to the farm in every irrigation session. The larger the farm, the greater the diameter of the mainline
3. The water filter is connected along the main line
4. A venturi fertigation system where needed is along the main line. The venturi fertigation system is a chemifertigation centre that allows drenching of chemicals and fertiliser through the drip irrigation system
5. The air release valves are along the main line. Air release valves are installed where the water pressure is high. This is in steep elevations, or if the water is chanelled via a high pressure water pump. They prevent air locks in the irrigation system. Air locks dramatically reduce, or cease water flow in the system
6. A sub main line will be connected to the main line along its way using hydrants. Hydrants are points from which irrigation in a block is controlled from. They can be automated using solenoid valves, or manually operated through ordinary valves. The decision to have sub main lines is a factor of the farm size. In small drip irrigation set ups, the drip pips are directly connected to the main line. In larger acreage, the drip line originate from the sub mainline
7. The main line is always larger in diameter than the sub main line. The diameter of the sub main line is determined by the size of the main line. The larger the latter, the larger the sub main line is
8. The hydrants are positioned at the beginning or end of every irrigation block
9. Planting beds are done against the slope. This is to slow down erosion, and allow better water percolation in the soil during the rainy season. The width of the planting bed is determined by the crop type
10. Drip lines lie along the length of the planting beds. The number of drip lines per bed depends on the crop type. E.g 2 drip lines are installed for tomato, 3 drip lines for onion or garlic, and 4 drip lines for some herbs and spices

 

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

 

 

 

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

Crop Type	Drip Lines Per Bed	Acreage	Cost in Kes
Watermelon	1	1/8	15,000
		1/4	25,000
		1/2	45,000
		1	85,000
Tomato, cabbage, chilies, capsicum, green beans, peas	2	1/8	25,000
		1/4	40,000
		1/2	75,000
		1	140,000
Onion, garlic, herbs, spices, strawberry		1/8	27,500
	3	1/4	45,000
		1/2	85,000
		1	160,000

 

 

II. Fruit Tree Button Drip Kit Irrigation Prices

Crop Type	Acreage	Cost in Kes
Tree Tomato/ Pawpaw/ Passion/ Coffee	1/8	15,000
	1/4	25,000
	1/2	45,000
	1	85,000
Avocado	1/8	15,000
	1/4	25,000
	1/2	40,000
	1	70,000

 

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

 

 

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

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.

 

HDPE Pipe prices in Kenya

Size in MM	PN6	PN8	PN10	PN12.5	PN16	PN20	PN25	Length (M)
16	17.00	17.00						100M
20	25	28	31	33	36	41	49	100M
25	34	36	40	46	52	64	74	100M
32	49	49	59	71	86	101	120	100M
40	61	76	90	112	132	157	187	100M
50	95	115	139	169	206	243	289	100M
63	151	178	222	269	324	390	454	100M
75	207	255	313	382	453	547	648	100M
90	300	364	450	547	657	789	930	100M
110	441	548	669	810	974	1,170	1,394	50M
125	568	700	854	1,044	1,264	1,514	1,793	50M
140	716	876	1,073	1,307	1,575	1,898	2,254	50M
160	940	1,149	1,399	1,706	2,063	2,472	2,932	12M
180	1,171	1,444	1,770	2,165	2,614	3,126	3,706	12M
200	1,451	1,789	2,183	2,655	3,223	3,866	4,584	12M
225	1,824	2,168	2,771	3,372	4,080	4,895	5,797	12M
250	2,254	2,767	3,395	4,153	5,017	6,015	7,154	12M
280	2,819	3,492	4,265	5,205	6,291	7,560	8,972	12M
315	3,592	4,389	5,401	6,596	7,963	9,562	11,358	12M
355	4,538	5,573	6,875	8,363	10,108	12,147	14,401	12M
400	5,755	7,106	8,688	10,605	12,833	15,408	18,288	12M
450	7,277	8,987	11,007	13,433	16,251	19,507	23,137	12M
500	8,976	11,087	13,601	16,576	20,052	24,038	–	12M
560	11,252	13,877	17,038	20,796	25,120	30,158	–	12M
630	14,257	17,529	21,579	26,285	31,828	38,163	–	12M

 

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 Pipe Prices in Kenya

Size in MM	PN6	PN8	PN10	PN12.5	PN16
					379
				425	532
32		553	588	694	795
40	698	744	877	1093	1220
50	935	1,162	1,383	1705	1760
63	1,475	1,833	2,177	2722	3359
75	2,024	2,529	3,111	3839	4702
90	2,955	3,664	4,459	5527	6755
110	3,508	4,388	5,951	6717	8260
140	5,782	7,060	8,795	10805	13229
160	7,295	9,195	11,536	14189	17032
200	11,566	14,538	17,915	22116	27086
225	14,610	18,210	22,521	27991	34312

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

	Avocado	Passion / Paw Paw	Apple / Tree Tomato
Spacing	5M x 5M	3M x 3M	2.5M x 2.5M
Cost per Acre	Kes 85,000	Kes 100,000	Kes 115,00

Drip Irrigation System

Every drip irrigation system in Kenya by Grekkon Limited supported by a HDPE or PVC line. We are the largest drip irrigation kits suppliers in Kenya, reaching the highest number of farmers. At the very bottom we do simple drip irrigation systems, also known as kitchen garden drips. It advances to 1 acre drip irrigation kits, 5 acre drip irrigation systems to hundreds of acres. Our drip pipes for sale in Kenya are the double emitter drip irrigation pipes

Drip Irrigation Kits Prices In Kenya Are A Factor Of

1. Crop type
2. Bed spacing
3. Terrain

Drip Irrigation System Cost Per Acre In Kenya

Crop Type	Lines Per Bed	Acreage	Cost in Kes
Watermelon, sweet melon, butter nut	1	0.125	15,000
		0.25	25,000
		0.50	45,000
		1	85,000
Tomato, cabbage, chillies, capsicum	2	0	25,000
		0.25	40,000
		0.50	75,000
		1	140,000
Onion, garlic, herbs, spices, strawberry, green beans		0	27,500
	3	0.25	45,000
		0.50	85,000
		1	160,000

Drip Kit Components

1. The main line. This is a PVC or a HDPE pipe. The choice of pipe thickness is according to the pressure of the water in it. A farmer with gravity flow has a thinner pipe than one with a high pressure water pump
2. Water filter. To remove impurities that will otherwise block the drip pipe emitters
3. Gate vales. They control the water movement from one point to another by opening or closing
4. Main line fittings; tees, elbows, adaptors, connectors, saddle clamps, reducers, and end caps. They are either PVC or HDPE as per the pipe. Their size depends on the pipe size
5. The sub main line. This is connected to the main line, and is the origin of drip lines
6. Sub-main line fittings; tees, elbows, adaptors, connectors, saddle clamps, reducers, and end caps. They are either PVC or HDPE as per the pipe. Their size depends on the pipe size
7. Drip pipes. These pre-perforated pipes have emitters that supply water to the crop directly
8. Drip fittings; starter connectors, off take connectors, drip to drip connectors, rubbers, mini-valves, and end caps