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
Types of Irrigation Pipes In Kenya; How to select your irrigation pipe
- 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
- 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
- Farm size. A larger farm will have larger diameter pipes because more water is needed to irrigate
- Pressure type. Irrigation water flow by gravity is through less thicker pipes such as PN6 or PN8
Pixie Orange Farming And Irrigation
Pixie orange farming and irrigation in Kenya is a high investment, high returns farming venture. Pixies originate from California, USA where they were developed as a cross between oranges and tangerines. They are yellow-orange in colour, sweet and seedless fruits rich in vitamin C. They boost the immune system and increase collagen production which is great for the skin. In this piece, we answer commonly asked questions on pixie orange farming and irrigation by growers in Africa
1.How do you grow pixie oranges in Kenya?
They grow in most soils, but the best are deep (at least 18 inches or 42 cm deep) fertile sandy loams with a pH range of 6.5 – 7.3
2. How do you plant pixie oranges?
The dimensions of the planting holes are 2ft x 2ft x 2ft. This allows for water conservation and deep root penetration as the tree grows. mix the top soil thoroughly with well decomposed manure especially in weak soils
3. What is the spacing for pixies?
Row to row 5M, plant to plant 4M to give an average population of 200 plants per acre. A mature full-sized tree tree is 6M – 9M tall, and equally wide with an extensive root system
4. How long do pixie oranges take to grow out?
Pixie oranges take 2 years to their first fruiting season, but full maturity is between 3 -5 years
4. How many oranges will one tree produce?
The first fruits (30 – 50 fruits) come in the second year, then 250 -300 in the third to fifth years. By the eighth year, the tree bears 500 -600 fruits annually. To produce this commercial quantity all year round, irrigation must be undertaken
5. How many pixie orange trees per acre?
200 trees on average
How To Irrigate Pixie Oranges In Kenya
Pixie oranges require a high amount of water to grow because they are ever green. Under rain fed production, it will be at least 1,000mm of rain annually. However, to produce commercially, irrigation will be done to supplement rain. A tree will have 20 litres at planting, and thereafter, ensure that the soil is consistently moist, but not soggy. The root system must not be allowed to dry out, and neither should there be standing water. Irrigation is at the root zone, away from the trunk
Pixie Orange Farming And Irrigation
Methods
I. Sprinkler Irrigation
Micro sprinklers at the base of the plant are the most efficient or all overhead irrigation methods. Micro sprinklers are low-pressure, low to medium volume irrigation equipment that deliver water directly to the crop root zone. They provide full scale surface irrigation, and localised watering of trees
II. Button drippers
This is the most water conserving and efficient irrigation system. The water loss to evaporation is less than that of micro-sprinklers, and it requires lower pressure to operate
How To Install Rain Hose Kits
Grekkon Limited’s manual on how to install rain hose kits in Kenya is an easy to read step by step guide. It details every aspect of rain pipe assembly in the farm to provide understanding to farmers. As the pioneer of rain hose kits in Kenya, we are keen to that farmers receive the full benefit of rain pipe irrigation. 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
How To Install Rain Hose Kits
- 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
- 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. .
- 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
- 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
- Spread the rain hose along the length, and close the terminal end with an end cap
- Connect one rain pipe to another with a connector
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