Adrilite Chapin KB Drip T-tape Das (control)Baffle On-farm drip lateral testing
Southeast Asian/Chinese wide bed system
“Turbulent flow” drip tubing—not easy to manufacture
Drip lateral testing Drip lateral testing: 3 high flow, 3 low flow very low pressure (1.5 psi)
Total marketable yields
Income per plot (Kyats)
Water Discharge among 6 Drip System Laterals (day 13*)
Soil moisture
Do we really need containers at all?
Drip laterals under evaluation High flow rates: -Nepali “Baffle” system -India’s KB Drip (microtube) -Adrilite (like Netafim’s internal turbulent flow emitters Low flow rates (turbulent flow): -T-tape -Chapin Watermatics tape (now Jain) -Das Agro Plastics (India)
Observations: -Flow rate/100 ft -Emitter uniformity -Soil moisture -Clogging -Crop yield -Crop quality -Vigor ratings -Uniformity ratings -Income
big problem: water container $ Must be inexpensive Accommodate a valve Close at top Self-supporting, frame, etc.—3 psi (1.5-2 m height) min. pressure Easy to clean and transport……..BUT…
Irrigation product customers often have other urgent problems
IDE crop advisory services? Irrigation system design (drip, etc.) Improved varieties and seeds Seed production assistance Disease/pest diagnostic service (i.d.) Pest management advice and recommendations (FFS training programs) Simplified soil testing
Drip lateral screening “Quick and dirty” farmer participatory research (screening) Eliminates the poorest performers rather than identifies “the best” Better performers evaluated in wider farmers’ field testing
Questions—drip lateral lines Which perform best at v. low pressure (1.5-3 psi)? Which result in best veg. crop yields/quality (Asian bed system) How long will they perform well (durability, resistance to clogging)? Which easiest to use, maintain, store? Which most cost effective?
Drip lateral testing
Vegetable seed -market assessment, -production feasibility
Vegetable seed production High value Proximity to market less important (remote areas) Few “postharvest” problems Collaboration possible with private cos. Contract production model Indegenous/local varieties
Leaf lettuce size
Water Discharge among 6 Drip System Laterals (day 1*)
Water Discharge among 6 Drip System Laterals (day 3*)
Water Discharge among 6 Drip System Laterals (day 7*) Clogging?
India’s “microtube” drip system