Drip irrigation for beginners Clifton A. Slade, Slade Farms

Effective and Efficient Irrigation: Selecting the Right System Clifton A. Slade, Slade Farms Michael Pippen Friday, Jan. 25, 2013

Pop Slade says “There’s enough ways for everybody to have a way”

Objectives Using drip irrigation and plastic mulch to manage soils and fertilizers Designing, installing, and running a drip irrigation system for fertilizing with minimum investment Tips about soils, fertilizers, and drip irrigation

Feet of Row Per Acre (1Acre = 43,560 sqft) 36 Inch Row – 14,520 = 1 Acre

Irrigation Planning + Fertility Management = Dependable Yields

Surry County, Virginia and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Surry, VA Oklahoma City, OK

Southeast Virginia Water Deficit Chart

WHY PLASTICULTURE Early Production Quality Increased Yields

Plastic Mulch-laying Equipment

$500 per Acre

PLASTIC MULCH

Rye Cover Crop (Dec. 13)

TRANSPLANTED

BEE HIVE

Pounds Mulched Per Acre

Irrigation

Irrigation and Fertilizer Equipment

Irrigation Central

Nutrient Content in Water Irrigation Factors Factors to consider before applying drip-irrigation systems: Surface Water Well Water Nutrient Content in Water Soil Quality

Irrigation Tip Water should be tested by a lab for ph and nutrient content.

Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations for 2012 http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-420/456-420.html

Critical Periods of Water Need by Crops Asparagus Beans: Lima Snap Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Corn Cucumbers Eggplants Lettuce Melons Onions: Dry Peas Peppers Potatoes: white sweet Radishes Strawberries Squash: Summer Tomatoes Turnips Brush Pollination and pod development Pod enlargement Head development Root development Silking and tasseling, ear development Flowering and fruit development Bulb enlargement Seed enlargement and flowering Tuber set and tuber enlargement Root enlargement Establishment, runner development, fruit enlargement Bud development Early flowering, fruit set, and enlargement Root Enlargement

Advantages Uses less water and fertilizer than with sprinkle or surface irrigation systems Lower energy and equipment cost than overhead equipment Once in place, it requires very little labor to manage and operate Disease and insect damage on the crop is reduced because the leaves do not get wet

Disadvantages *****Need to water on rainy days***** Drip tubing can be damaged by insects, rodents, and laborers Cost of pressure regulators and filtration equipment Can not use the system for frost control

Hours Required to Apply 1 Inch of Water to Mulched Area (gph/100ft) (gpm/100 ft) 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 8 0.13 15.5 19.5 23.5 27.0 31.0 10 0.17 12.5 16.5 18.5 22.0 25.0 12 0.20 10.5 13.0 18.0 21.0 16 0.27 8.0 10.0 11.5 13.5 18 0.30 7.0 8.5 12.0 14.0 20 0.33 6.0 9.5 11.0 24 0.40 5.0 6.5 9.0 30 0.50 36 0.60 4.5 40 0.67 5.5 42 0.70 48 0.80 50 0.83 54 0.90 60 1.00 (gph/100ft) (gpm/100 ft) 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 8 0.13 15.5 19.5 23.5 27.0 31.0 10 0.17 12.5 16.5 18.5 22.0 25.0 12 0.20 10.5 13.0 18.0 21.0 16 0.27 8.0 10.0 11.5 13.5 18 0.30 7.0 8.5 12.0 14.0 20 0.33 6.0 9.5 11.0 24 0.40 5.0 6.5 9.0 30 0.50 36 0.60 4.5 40 0.67 5.5 42 0.70 48 0.80 50 0.83 54 0.90 60 1.00 Trickle Tube Flow Rate Mulched Width (ft)

Pole Butterbeans

Organic Compost

Greens

Greens – Marketing Day

Contact Information Clifton A Slade 1111 Mt Ray Dr. Surry, VA 23883 cslade@vt.edu

Questions or Comments? Thank You

Come to see us! “The farm gate hangs on welcome hinges” - Pop Slade