Drip Irrigation Lines and Pipes

In this drip irrigation lines and pipes piece, we will answer commonly asked questions in relation to drip irrigation

1.What is drip irrigation tape?

This is a flat thin walled LLDPE material tube with sequential emitters for irrigation

2. How long do you water with drip tape?

This depends on the crop water need at the time of irrigation. It ranges from 25 minutes to 1.5 hours. It is recommended to irrigate daily over a short duration with the same amount of water to keep the crop happy

3. Can you re-use drip tape?

Yeas you will over several growing seasons. The thicker the wall size, the longer the re-use period

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

1,000M

5. How much water does drip tape put out?

This depends on the emitter specifications. We supply 1.5L/ hour, 2L/hour, and 3L/hour emitters in our drip tapes

6. How much do drip lines cost?

Grekkon Limited’s double emitter drip irrigation lines and pipes for sale in Kenya tapes are categorised by thickness; 0.3mm, and 0.4mm. Both are 16mm in diameter, 1,000M long and with a choice of emitter spacing as 15cm, 20cm, and 30cm

Cost of drip irrigation tapes

The choice of drip line thickness depends on

• is it for out door or greenhouse installation? 0.3mm is fine in the greenhouse because it is no directly exposed to sunlight
• radiation level. where the sun’s radiation is high, 0.4mm is better

7. How much does it cost drip irrigation for 1 acre?

This depends on the crop type. Different crops have different drip irrigation piping requirements

Drip irrigation lines and pipes

By acreage pricing

Drip irrigation on green beans by Grekkon Limited

Drip irrigation pipes for onion installed by Grekkon Limited

8. What time of day is best for drip irrigation?

Early morning is highly recommended. If not, then in the evening

9.How much pressure does a drip irrigation system need?

The minimum operating pressure is 3M or 0.3 bar

10. What pipes size should I use for drip irrigation?

There are 3 lines in an irrigation set-up

• main line. This one delivers water to the farm from the source; tank, water pan, lake or river. It is the largest
• sub-main line. It is connected to the main line to supply water to the drip irrigation tubes. It is lesser in diameter than the main line
• drip irrigation tape. it supplies water directly to the crop

The pipe size is a factor of acreage. The main line diameter size on 10 acres is larger than the main line diameter size on half an acre of drip irrigation. These pipes are either HDPE or PVC types

11. How do I start my own drip?

Our technical team guides new drip irrigation farmers on starting out. These are the steps to follow

• identify the area to undertake drip irrigation. It will have a close water source
• what crop is to be grown? this will guide on the number of drip rows per bed
• what is your budget? it determines the acreage to set up the system

Suction Hose Pipes

Grekkon limited’s suction hose pipes for water pumps in irrigation are available as 2″, 3″ and 4″ diameter hoses. Our green Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) suction hose pipes are designed to withstand high vacuum pressure without collapsing. This is why they are ringed internally to hold the tubing in place during water pumping. This unique feature distinguishes them from other irrigation pipes

Our suction hoses for irrigation work with diesel and petrol generator water pumps, and electric centrifugal water pumps

A 2″ diameter suction hose pipe. Notice the dark green rings that allow it to withstand high pressure pumping without the walls collapsing

Suction Hose Pipes Prices In Kenya

Suction Hose Pipes

FAQs

1. What is a suction pipe?

It is a pipe that draws water from source to the water pump for onward evacuation. It is a crucial component of every water pumping system

2. How does a suction system work?

By creating a partial vacuum that draws water into it’s hollow space. This water is conveyed to the pump through the suction pipe

3. What is the function of a suction pipe?

• To draw water from the source and deliver it to the water pump
• It plays a role in the overall friction loss of the system. The larger the diameter, the lesser the frictional losses

4. What is the maximum length of a suction pipe?

8M or 26.4 feet. The suction distance is determined by the altitude. At sea level, the distance is longer than in high altitudes

5. Where is the suction connected to a water pump?

It is connected to the inlet portal of a water pump. The diameter size of the inlet determines the size of the suction pipe; they must be equal

This video illustrates a 3″ suction pipe feeding water a high diesel water pump during irrigation

6. How long can a suction pipe be on a water pump?

Not more than 8M. The higher the vertical pumping head of the water pump, the shorter the suction pipe is

7. What are the components of a suction system?

• the water source. This will be a stagnant reservoir, a flowing river or a storage unit such as a tank
• a foot valve. is an accessory attached at the base of the suction pipe. It prevents the water from flowing backwards when the water pump ceases. This way, the water is maintained in the suction pipe when the water pump isn’t working, thus sustaining a suitable prime for the water pump, and preventing pump burnout

A 3″ and 2″ plastic foot valve

How a foot valve works

• the suction pipes for water pumps which evacuate the water from the source to the water pumps
• a water pump to receive for onward pumping of the water from the reservoir

8. How long can a suction pipe be on a water pump?

For as long as it is pumping

9. What is the minimum suction pressure?

0.6M. The best is 1.5M above the net positive suction head required (NPSHR). NPSHR is a fuction of the pump design

Cabbage Farming in Kenya

Cabbage farming in Kenya through irrigation requires even moisture to produce good heads. Our cabbage farming irrigation systems are; drip irrigation, sprinkler systems irrigation, and rain hose kits irrigation. Farmers’ cabbage water requirements are independent of the varieties grown. The best cabbage varieties to grow in Kenya are hybrids, which require consistent irrigation during growth. Successful cabbage farmers who supply the cabbage market in Kenya water 25 to 37 litres weekly. Good cabbage head sizes weighing 5kgs make it easy for a grower to choose where to sell cabbages in Kenya. Below is a review of cabbage irrigation farming requirements by systems  

Drip irrigation in cabbage

Rain hose irrigation in a cabbage farm

Overhead or sprinkler irrigation on cabbage

Cabbage Farming in Kenya FAQs

One acre rain hose kits

Grekkon Limited’s one acre rain hose kits in Kenya installations are done by the technical team across the country. The number of rain hose pipes installed per acre is determined by the following:  

A one acre rain hose irrigation system installed by Grekkon Limited in Makutano area, laikipia county

• the available flow rate, and pumping pressure from the water pump or water source. Where the flow rate and pumping pressure is high, the diameter of reach is broad, so less rain hose pipes are needed
• the diameter of the pipes. Larger diameter rain hose pipes provide more water, over a larger area, so less of them are needed

Cost of one care rain hose kits in Kenya

Rain hose pipes work under high gravity pressure (from 6M or 0.6bar), and with high volume water pumps. The discharge rate of the water pump is from 40 cubic litres per hour. These water pumps are surface solar, electric, petrol or diesel powered

One acre rain hose kits in Kenya

Installation

1. Trench where the poly vinyl chloride (PVC) main line will be laid. This is not necessary for the high density polyethylene (HDPE) which are surface pipes.  PVC pipes are sub-surface pipes because they have no UV-treatment, and will thus degrade easily under the sun. HDPE pipes have UV treatment and will be surface pipes
2. Connect the  PVC or  (HDPE) main line to the water pump or high tank. This pipe evacuates water from the source to the farm and is the largest in diameter. The larger the pipe diameter, the more the water it delivers. .
3. Join the HDPE or PVC sub-main line to the main line. The sub-main line is smaller in diameter, and so carries less water. It is joined to the main line through PVC or HDPE accessories such as; tees, elbows, saddle clamps, adaptors or valve sockets
4. Connect the rain pipe to the sub-main line or the main line where a sub-main line does not exist. This is done with a rain hose connector or a saddle clamp
5. Spread the rain hose along the length, and close the terminal end with an end cap
6. Connect one rain pipe to another with a connector

 Rain hose fittings from left to right: end cap, connector, rubber, and ball valve

A drilling tool is the only tool used when installing a rain hose kit. This is to create an opening on the main or sub-main line to insert the rain pipe ball valve

One acre rain hose kits

Rain hose irrigation system requirements

• The system requires a pressure head of 30M, and above
• When using a water pump to power the rain hose irrigation kit, the discharge rate should be from 45 cubic litres per hour
• The rate of water discharge is determined by the diameter size, and number of pores on the rain pipe. For instance, a rain pipe with 5 holes per cluster discharges less water than the one with 7 holes in a cluster
• It irrigates in opposite directions at a radius of 3M for the 32mm pipe, 5M for the 40mm pipe, and 7M for the 50mm pipe
• The vertical height of this water jet is 1M

One acre rain hose kits

FAQs

a. What is the difference between a rain hose irrigation system and a sprinkler system?

• The technology. The rain pipe irrigation system is designed using nano technology
• The mode of spray. A sprinkler sprays its water in one direction, a rain hose pipe sprays in 3 directions (vertically, horizontally, and diagonally)
• Placement. A sprinkler is placed upright on the surface or sub-surface (for pop up sprinklers). A rain hose is laid on the ground

b.  What is the pressure in a rain pipe?

The minimum operating pressure is 30M head / 3 bars

c. What is the spacing for rain hose irrigation?

The distance from one rain pipe to another is from 1.5M depending on the operating pressure, and pipe diameter

Grekkon limited is the largest supplier and installer of rain hose irrigation systems in Kenya, and in the east and central Africa region