Drip Irrigation Pipes

Drip Irrigation Pipes: Efficient Water Management Solutions

Introduction to Drip Irrigation Pipes

Drip irrigation is a well-designed system with no water runoff, and deep percolation to roots to enhance crop yield. It’s a micro-irrigation system that saves water and nutrients to meet crop demands, holding the promise of increased yield and quality. Pipes drip slowly to plants' roots, either from above or buried below the soil surface. It helps to provide water below the roots and helps to increase the effectiveness of the irrigation system. It involves less labor, reduced wastage, and low energy costs in farming practices. Over time, efficiency and productivity both increase with cost-saving terms for farmers. 

Types and Materials of Drip Irrigation Pipes
 

Types of drip irrigation pipes

• Inline drip irrigation

Drippers or emitters are integrated within the pipe at fixed intervals. It’s used for crops that are in rows, gardens, vineyards, and landscapes. It allows for uniform distribution of water along the length of the pipe, easy installation, and reduced risk of damaging drippers. 

• Online drip irrigation

Drippers are attached externally to the pipe. Suitable for landscapes where plants are planted in irregular lines of space. It’s customizable emitter placement, easy maintenance, and adaptable to various plants in different spacing. 

• Drip tape irrigation

Drip tape irrigation pipes are thin-walled tubing with embedded drippers. It’s usually used for short-term crops. It’s widely popular for crops like vegetables and strawberries in agriculture. It has various advantages like cost-effective, easy to install and remove, and ideal for low-pressure systems. 

• Pressure compensating drip pipes

Pressure compensating drippers have drippers attached to the pipe. It provides consistent flow rates regardless of different pressure variations. It’s suitable for uneven surfaces and systems with variable pressure. It shows uniform water distribution, reliable performance, and efficiency. 

• Surface drip irrigation

Surface drip irrigation involves laying out pipes on the surface of soil. It drips water with emitters to release water onto the soil. It’s best for orchards and crops in a row. It reduces wastage through direct watering of plants with no evaporation and runoff. It reduces soil erosion and has low energy requirements. 

• Subsurface drip irrigation

Subsurface drip irrigation involves laying pipes below the soil surface. In this drip irrigation type, water is released directly into the soil. It’s best for row crops and orchids. It delivers water directly into roots which reduces the wastage of water. It also minimizes soil erosion. It minimizes the growth of weeds between the rows. 

Materials of Drip Irrigation Pipes

• Polyethylene 

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

• Polypropylene (PP)

• Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA)

• Rubber

Installation and Maintenance

Installation of drip irrigation system

• Set the mainline for the pipe

Set the position of the main line for the planting area from the water source. It sets the complete main line to give position to sublines to the field. 
 

• Installation of valves and filters

Attach the valves and filters at the start of the mainline. It reports to connect the points to install water to all ends of the pipe.
 

• Align the sub-mainlines to the field

Branch the mainline to various sections of the garden or fields with sub-mainlines. It sets to align the water sub-mainlines to every part of the field. 
 

• Lay Out Lateral Lines

Connect all lateral lines to sub-mainlines and lay them to plant rows for reaching the water.
 

• Install drippers

Use the punch tool for holes in the lateral lines and insert drippers near the baseline of plants. It helps to give a clear connection of line to the roots of plants. 
 

• Start the system

Start the water system and check for connection of pipelines, uniformity in water spillage, check for leaks, and proper functioning of drippers.

Maintenance of drip irrigation system

• Regularly Inspect about functioning of drippers and their delivering water in uniform quantity.
• Inspect regularly any leaks in the pipe for a better functioning system
• Cleaning of filters to prevent clogging in the pipe. 
• Timely clean the mainlines and lateral lines to remove the sediments. 
• Regularly inspect the blockage that could affect the pressure and distribution of water.

Benefits of Drip Irrigation Pipes

• Water conservation

It provides remarkable capabilities to save water. It helps to make the water level to be balanced without wastage of water. The old traditional method involves wastage of water and provides less productivity than any other old method. 

• Avoids soil erosion

It involves the drop-by-drop dripping of water and can save soil from run-off. It prevents soil from getting eroded by the high pressure of water. It increases the capability of the soil to yield more than 50% as compared with the traditional method of irrigation system. 

• Decreases labor

It helps to provide water below the roots. It will help to increase the effectiveness of the irrigation system. It involves less labor, reduced wastage, and low energy costs in farming practices. Over time, efficiency and productivity increase with cost-saving terms for farmers. 

• Reduces weeds

Drip irrigation helps to control the growth of weeds which take nutrients and water both from soil. The water goes directly into the plant roots. It reduces the chances of growing weeds. It leads to taking nutrients and water directly to the desired plants to grow. Ultimately, it makes water reach for best productive results. 

• Save time

Drip irrigation is a money and time-saving method in the irrigation system of farming. Installation and maintenance of drip irrigation is easy. It helps to conserve water and time both. It multiplies the function of pipeline digging into the soil to water efficiency to grow fast. 

• Enhanced crop yield

By implanting the drip irrigation system, soil will result in fast productivity. It increases the crop yield by more than 50% to other irrigation system. Farmers will benefit from drip irrigation efficiency to make productive cultivation. 

• Cost-effective

A drip irrigation system is a cost-effective solution to reduce the problems that arise in farming practices like water shortage, soil erosion, and weed growth. It saves lots of energy, water, and labor costs. In the long run, it comes out as cost cost-effective and efficient method. 

• Ease of installation

Drip irrigation provides easy installation and maintenance facilities. It requires a skillful water management system. After installation, it’s easy to maintain and use with minimal help of labor. It costs nothing much than a little skill to manage water. 

• Increases effectiveness on uneven 

It helps to provide a proper irrigation system for agricultural fields. It’ll develop effective solutions to manage the field with a sufficient amount of water to grow crops. It manages to provide water at the roots of plants or at the target point of plants. 

• Fertilize

Drip irrigation not only saves water, but also saves plants from disease, saves money, and prevents soil run-off. It helps to maintain the fertility of soil with essential fertilizers which will not run off with a direct irrigation system. soil will be more fertile and productive as it provides more productive results. 

• Controls disease

Some diseases like fungal diseases grow quickly with moist and wet foliage by traditional irrigation systems. Drip irrigation can help to prevent the spread of diseases by directly delivering water to the roots of plants.  

Considerations for Choosing Drip Irrigation Pipes

Rate of flow

It refers to the amount of water flow per hour. It all depends on the plants' requirements of plants. 

Dripper Spacing

The space between the two emitters helps to determine the amount of water released on the field. Wider spacing for large plants or trees. Small spacing for small plants or crops. 
 

Durability

Drippers must be durable according to different weather conditions. It must be durable and long-lasting with high-quality materials. 
 

Cleaning 

Proper cleaning prevents clogging by releasing debris that may block the emitters. It saves time for maintenance tasks.