1. Drip Irrigation Systems By: Philip Hanrahan and Matt Garrity

2. What is Drip Irrigation? ●Irrigation method that applies water to plants at a very low rate of application and without any pressure ●The concept of the system is to target the roots of the crop rather than the entire land area the crops cover ●Water is able to reach the deepest roots of the crop through capillaries and gravity

3. History ●First experimented in the 1860’s in Germany using clay pipes ●The first drip tape was first used in the United States in the 1960’s ●It was developed by an irrigation company called Netafin which patented the first drip irrigation system ●These systems have become a valued innovation in agriculture because it gives an alternative to surface irrigation.

4. Advantages over Surface Irrigation ●Less Irrigation Water Needed ●Variation in Application Rates ●Avoid Over Irrigation ●High Yields ●No Water Logging

5. Advantages (cont.) ●Reduced Labor Costs ●Uniform Distribution of Water ●Weed and Pest Control ●Suitable for any type of land ●Maintain surface temperature

7. Disadvantages over Surface Irrigation ●High Costs o Buying the initial system can be more than other systems o Systems can be more expensive because of the extensive piping needed ●Waste o Tubes for drip irrigation can have a short life span requiring replacement pipes

8. Disadvantages (cont.) ●Clogging o When the water is not properly filtered, the equipment could clog easily ●Extra time and money for cleanup costs after harvest ●Not beneficial to crops that are closely panted together (eg. wheat)

9. Irrigation Inefficiencies UN World Water Development Report: - About 70% of all water use worldwide is for agriculture irrigation - 60% of agriculture irrigation water is wasted 50% of the water American’s use outdoors is wasted from inefficient methods

10. Global Water Distribution

11. Water Conservation According to the EPA: - Drip irrigation uses 20-50% less water than pop up systems. - Can save the average American up to 30,000 gallons per year

12. Droughts ● 2013 Government Accountability Office survey stated that state water managers from around the country expect freshwater shortages to continue into the next decade.

13. Population Growth ● An estimated 9.6 billion people by 2050 ● Approx. 2.5 billion more mouths to feed than now

14. Drip Irrigation System Components ●Pumping set o Generates pressure to control the amount of water supplied ●Filters o Removes the impurities in the water

15. ●Main Lines o This is the distribution system for drip irrigation o PVC pipes and polyethylene pipes used in the system o Pipes generally 65 mm in radius ●Sub Main o Connected to main line through a control valve o Distributes the water laterally through the field

16. ●Drippers/emitters o Connected on the laterals in order to emit water in drops at a continuous flow rate o flow rates generally do not exceed 15 liters/hr

17. Example Layout of System

18. Installation

19. Getting Started ● Compared to conventional systems, drip irrigation systems are: - easy to design - inexpensive - easy to install

20. Planning and Designing ● Recommended for: - trees, shrubs, vines, roses, vegetables, flower beds, pots, and individual plants ● Create a plant list as well as a property sketch

22. About the Soil ● Different soils require different drippers - Sandy: 2 GPH drippers (10”-12” spacing) - Loamy: 1 GPH drippers (16”-18” spacing) - Clay:.5 GPH drippers (18”-24” spacing) *GPH → Gallons Per Hour

23. How to Start a System ● Not all systems are going to be the same, thus multiple starting options. ● Factors include: - availability of water outlets - property lay out - types of plants

24. Method 1 ● Starting from a faucet for above ground installation using 1/2” poly tubing

25. Method 2 ● Starting from an anti-siphon valve for above or below grade installation

26. Method 3 ● Starting with an AC or DC in-line valve for below grade installation

27. Method 4 ● Retrofitting an existing sprinkler riser into a multi-outlet drip manifold head

28. Method 5 ● Starting from an existing riser using a conversion elbow

29. Watering Methods ● Different plants require different layouts ● Classifications: 1. Roses, trees, shrubs 2. Container plants, hanging baskets, window boxes 3. Vegetable gardens, row crops

30. Roses, Trees, Shrubs

31. Container Plants, Hanging Baskets, Boxes

32. Vegetable Gardens, Row Crops

33. Calculating Water Flow Requirements ● To determine the total flow, add up the total number of drippers and their flow rates. Ex: A system using 40 drippers consisting of 20-1 GPH and 20-2 GPH drippers - 20-1 GPH drippers = 20 gallons/hour - 20-2 GPH drippers = 40 gallons/hour Total flow rate: 60 GPH/60 = 1 gallon/min *Max flow rate for single line ½” poly tubing is 220GPH/3.6GPM

34. Watering Schedule

35. Drippers and Spacing

36. Potential Problems ● Controller does not work properly - Check to make the battery is still working ● Drippers have uneven or no flow - check for mainline leaks or replace/clean drippers ● Drippers have uneven or no flow at end of line - make sure you have not go over max flow rate (220GPH)

37. Maintenance ● Inspect drippers periodically to prevent clogging ● Filter screens should be cleaned once a month ● Tubing lines should be flushed once a month ● During freezing weather tubing should be drained and stored

38. Interesting Fact ●With marijuana production becoming a booming industry… -Drip irrigation is the most effective system for the plant and is widely used