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

 A simple drip irrigation kit by gravitational flow system layout

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

A 3 row drip layout per bed installed in Birikani area of Kajiado county

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

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

Rain Hose Pipe Price

Grekkon Limited’s rain hose pipe price is by diameter size. Our rain hose for sale in Kenya is attached to a HDPE, PVC, or delivery/ lay-flat irrigation main or sub-main line when in the farm. These rain hose pipes are made from HDPE material with UV treatment for use in tropical climates.

Rain Hose Pipe Price Kenya

Rain Hose Pipe Price

Rain hose Vs drip irrigation

The rain hose pipe price is not a good cost comparison to either drip or sprinkler irrigation. Rather, consider the set up and operational cost per acre under each method of irrigation   Rain hose works well with crops that thrive under sprinkler irrigation. Examples are; onion, garlic, cabbage, traditional vegetables, leafy vegetables and others. Crops that are susceptible to fungal infections if the leaves remain wet for long are irrigated with drip. Examples are; green beans, potato, strawberry, tomato, capsicums, peppers and others

Rain Hose Pipe Price

What are the other components of a rain hose irrigation kit?

1. End-caps. They close the end of the pipe to prevent further water flow 2. Starter off-takes. They connect the rain pipe to the PVC or HDPE main line that supplies water to the rain hose from a water pump or highly elevated water tank 3. Pipe connectors. To connect one rain hose pipe to another 4. Mini valves. To control water flow to the rain hose pipe

The diameter of the pipe are; 25mm, 32mm, 40mm and 50mm. A grower chooses the preferred size based on crop water needs and area of irrigation. For instance, a farmer with 1 acre of the crop will comfortably water with the volume delivered through a 32mm rain hose pipe.

Another grower with 5 acres will better irrigate with a 50mm rain hose pipe. An acre of crop uses 1,000 meters of 25mm,  800 meters of 32mm rain hose pipes, 600M of 40mm pipes, and 400M of 50mm pipes

Rain Hose Pipe Price

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

 

Irrigating a newly transplanted crop with a rain hose pipe

Rain Hose Pipe Price

How to assemble a rain hose irrigation system kit

1. Lay the mainline

This is the pipe delivering irrigation water to the farm from the pump. Your mainline will be larger in size than the rain hose pipe. So if your rain hose pipe is 1” for instance, use a 1.5” or 2″ main or sub mainline

2. Connect to the mainline

Make a 1” insertion on the mainline and attach the off-take connector. The size of the insertion is as per the size of your off-take

3. Rain pipe connection

Attach the rain hose pipe to the off-take connector

4. Hose to hose connection

Use the connector to attach one rain hose to another

5. End cap

Insert the end cap at the end of the hose

 

Rain Hose Pipe Price

Target areas and crops

1. Crop nurseries; vegetables, fruit trees, forestry
2. Short vegetable crops (knee-high and below); cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, kales, spinach, collards, broad beans, carrot, strawberry, and others
3. Pasture; grass and legumes

When choosing the crop to irrigate using this method, consider its susceptibility to foliage fungal infections predisposed by leaf surface wetness. Tomato, potato, peppers, peas, green beans, and chili easily succumb to foliage fungal infections when overhead or a rain hose system is used for a long time

 

 Pasture irrigation with a rain hose

Rain Hose Irrigation Versus Drip Irrigation

1. Rain pipes irrigate in an overhead fashion, drip lines irrigate to the root zone
2. Drip tapes are water efficient, rain hose kits require large water volume
3. Rain pipes have a higher pressure requirement than drip pipes
4. Drip lines have emitters, while rain hose kits have pores done with nano technology
5. The discharge rate for drip lines is 1.2 to 4 litres per hour per emitter, while the rain hose pore’s is from 7 litres per hour per emitter
6. The cost of a drip kit installation per acre is from Kes 100,000, while the rain hose is from Kes 75,000
7. The rain hose pipe’s minimum diameter is 25mm/ 3/4″, while drip tape’s is 8mm

Advantages Of Rain Hose Irrigation

• water saving and cost effective
• It is easy to install, use and maintain
• Ran hose nanotechnology punched holes are less prone to clogging
• It is used in a broad range of crops
• Rain hose pipes are light and easy to move about
• It irrigates uniformly
• It works under both low gravity and high water pump pressure

 

Rain Hose Pipe Price

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. It offres the most affordable rain hose pipe prices

Long Range Sprinkler

Our long range sprinkler models irrigate large acreage of horticulture, fruit, corn, wheat, barley, canola, and potato crops. Every long range sprinkler in Kenya by Grekkon Limited is from 1-1/2” to 2-1/2” inlet diameter size. These sprinklers provide fine rain drop sized watering in the field when operating at optimal capacity

Long range sprinkler specifications

1. Material. Aluminum, brass, and steel
2. Nozzle sizes. 12mm, 16mm, 18mm, and 20mm
3. The diameter of spray. 35M to 40M for the 1-1/2” and 45M to 60M for the 2”
4. Discharge volume. 15 cubic to 30 cubic per hour for the 1-1/2” and 20 cubic to 45 cubic per hour for the 2″

Note that the diameter of spray and discharge volume is a factor of the nozzle size and diesel or electric pump capacity (engine/ motor size, pressure rating, and discharge rate)

How much is a long range sprinkler in Kenya?

1. 1-1/2” is Kes 55,000
2. 2” is Kes 65,000

This cost is inclusive of the steel tripod stand

How to work with long range sprinkler requirements

i. Water availability. It requires 30 cubic per hour as a minimum. If irrigation takes 5 hours per day, then 150 cubic must be available

ii. Pressure. Check your ground elevation, determine your pressure loss in the system and your pipe size. Work backward to determine the water pump type that matches your sprinkler choice. The frictional losses along the pipeline will be taken into consideration too

iii. Crop water requirement. This determines the time spent in irrigation

iv. Land size. This will determine the number of units to run per session

A long range 2″ rain gun sprinkler on display at Grekkon Limited’s ware house in Athi River

Long range sprinkler

FAQs

1. How much does a sprinkler system cost in Kenya?

The cost of a sprinkler system in Kenya is from Kes 55,000 per acre depending on the sprinkler type and number of sprinklers installed

2. What is the distance of a rain gun?

This is from 17M to 50M diameter of spray

3. How much HP motor is required for a rain gun?

A ran gun sprinkler will work with a fossil fuel powered water pump with an engine power from 7.5Hp

4. What pressure is needed for a rain gun?

From 3 bars or 30M lift

5. How to select a long range sprinkler?

Consider the following

• water volume available
• the water pump specifications
• the lift or ground elevation
• the acreage under irrigation
• your budget

6. What are the benefits of a long range sprinkler system?

• it irrigates over a short period of time saving energy
• it is movable
• there are different sizes to choose from
• it covers both small and large acreage
• it is easy to install
• a large volume of water is provided
• it raises the humidity level around the crop

7. What are the disadvantages of a long range sprinkler?

• it consumes copius amounts of water
• it requires a large water pump for energy
• if left operational for a longer than recommeneded period, it causes soil erosion
• it will not work with gravity flow as the pressure is too low
• it is unsuitable for certain crops because they cause flowe rabortion or make them more susceptible to fungal infections when the foliage is left moist

8. How efficient is a rain gun?

It uses half the water volume that flood irrigation would use. However, it uses more than 3 times what would be achieved under drip irrigation

9. What is the diameter of a rain gun sprinkler?

The diameter of a rain gun sprinkler is from 1″ through 2-1/2″

10. How long does a sprinkler system last?

From 20 years under proper care for the metallic types, and just under 5 years for th plastic analogues

11. How effective is rain gun irrigation?

It is carried out for many crops so long as there is sufficient water volume at the source. It is particularly useful for crops that have large spaces in between

12. What is the difference between rain gun and drip irrigation?

• water application. Rain guns apply from the top (overhead), while drip pipes apply from below
• water efficiency. Drip irrigtaion is more water efficient
• cost. drip irrigation systems are more expensive to install
• crop type. drip irrigation will be used for more crop types than rain gun sprinklers
• rain gun sprinklers unlike drip lines will be installed in uneven terrain
• rain gun sprinklers are preferred most under large acreage

13. How many minutes should I run my rain gun?

Depending on the rain gun size, this is from 15 minutes for the large ones, to 35 minutes for the smaller types. Irrigation is done twice a week

14. How do you maintain your sprinkler system?

• ensure that there are no blockages
• clean any debris stuck
• change or repair any loose springs
• limit the number of operators to one 2 persons only

A 2-1/2″ long range rain gun sprinkler at work

Long range sprinkler

Your long range rain gun sprinkler will have a tripod steel support stand. The water delivery pipe is attached to the hollow bottom of the stand. The diameter size of this hollow bottom is the sprinkler’s size

The water drops are fine to use on flowering crops without causing flower abortion. On solanaceous crops such as; tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, irrigate in the morning hours and not in the evening. This allows the moisture to dry off from the leaves, which minimises blight or mildew infection

Before installation, our technical team makes a site visit to make the system layout plan. This is important to ensure that every inch of the farm is covered during irrigation and that there are no dry shadows

These giant sprinklers irrigate over a short period of time, in a large area

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