This blog talks about factors to take into account when choosing a drip irrigation system for your farm.

Due to population growth, industrialization, and infrequent rainfall, the amount of water accessible for agriculture is steadily declining. Modern irrigation techniques like drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation are now required in agriculture.

Drip irrigation, also known as micro-irrigation or trickle irrigation, applies the necessary amount of water through a network of small pipes directly to the root zone of crop plants.

Water is delivered to plant roots through a network of plastic pipes, lateral tubes, and valves in the drip irrigation system. These elements are managed by a dripper and a water pump. Drip irrigation system also simplifies the application of liquid fertilizers to farms.

To set up a drip irrigation system, it’s crucial to understand the required tools, how to install them, how much they cost, and how to get them. This blog will provide an overview of the many components needed to build a drip irrigation system, a general estimate of how much it will cost to set up a drip irrigation system, the various government subsidies available, and how to go about installing the system.

List of components required for Drip irrigation system

Any drip system has some main parts: the emitters that provide water, the hose bib, the fittings that connect the tubing, and the tubing itself.

Hose bib:

Materials that are typically needed for the hose bib are as follows:

• Y Hose Connector with Shutoff Values: The Y connector enables you to use your standard water hose while keeping the drip system connected at all times without taking it apart.
• Timers: These switch on and off the water. Instead of manually turning the faucet, this provides a more secure way to manage the system.
• Backflow preventer: When the system is switched off, this device is necessary to stop water from reentering your water supply.
• Filter: Removes dirt that can jam the drip system’s openings.
• Pressure regulator: Since drip irrigation systems need a lower pressure than the average home water supply, this device lowers the pressure to that level.
• Hose fitting: This device joins the tubing to the pressure regulator.

Alternatively, if you’d like to connect at a valve box: you will need

• A valve pressure regulator: This material combines a filter and regulator, and your sprinkler system should already contain a backflow preventer.
• The valve male threaded barb adapter is 1/2′′ in size: When employing a union system, this valve connects the valve to the tube.

Tubing:

Materials that are required for tubing are as follows:

• Roll of 1/2-inch blank tubing -TIP: Only use a maximum of 200 feet of 1/2-in tubing on one zone.
• A 1/4-inch tube is utilized to attach to emitters.
  Tubing comes in two varieties: blank (without holes) and emitter tubing with spacing (pre-made holes to connect emitters). Make sure you are purchasing the appropriate kind for your project.
• Connectors for 1/2″ tubing: There are four distinct categories.
  • Tee – Splits the tubing’s direction.
  • Straight – Joins a tube portion to another.
  • Right-angle turns are possible at the elbow.
  • End Fitting / Figure Eight – Seals the system at the end of the line.
• Barbed Adapters: 1/2 inch tubing to 1/4 inch tubing, and emitters are connected by barbed adapters. It includes three different varieties.
  • Tee – Splits the tubing’s direction.
  • Straight – Joins a tube portion to another.
  • Elbow – Enables right-angle turns.

Emitters:

The drippers, sprayers, sprinklers, or drip lines are examples of emitters. To meet the plant’s needs, they are offered various flow rates (GPH- gallons per hour). Use 1/2-GPH drippers in clay soil, 1-GPH drippers in loam, and 2-GPH drippers in sandy soil. However, the size of the plant also affects the dripper size.

• Dripper – Use a dripper to irrigate certain plants.
• Bubblers – Frequently used for bigger plants, such as roses, tomatoes, trees, and shrubs, they supply more water faster.
• Sprayers – Use sprayers to irrigate ground cover or densely planted flowerbeds in the same way that ordinary sprinklers do without moving parts.
• Mister – A humidifier for plants.
• Soaker drip line – This dripper-equipped tubing is ideal for vegetable gardens and rows of plants.
• Riser stake – This allows for the placement of emitters above the plants.
• Pipe cutter or pruning shears – This tool is used to cut tubing to the required length.
• Hole punch – Use a hole punch to make holes in the tubing where you wish to attach emitters.
• Goof plugs – It fills a hole you may have accidentally punched (or allow you to move an emitter without replacing the tubing).

Cost of a Drip Irrigation System

The cost of installing a drip irrigation system depends on several variables, including the type of crop being sown, the terrain, the soil’s quality, the pattern of sowing, the water’s quality, the drip material’s quality, the manufacturer of the drip irrigation system, and the drip irrigation system’s design.

The cost of a drip irrigation system per acre for a vegetable crop would be roughly between Rs. 50,000–65,000, and for a fruit crop, the cost per acre for drip irrigation will be approximately Rs. 35,000–40,000.

If you were to use non-ISI material, your initial expenditure for one vegetable crop acre would be between 20,000 and 25,000 rupees. Still, the material would only last two to three years before requiring significant upkeep. The lifespan of ISI material is likewise 7–10 years with minimal upkeep.

Subsidy From The Government For Drip Irrigation

Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, drip irrigation in India is available for subsidy (PMKSY). The Indian government provides up to 5 hectares of subsidies per recipient. For the country’s desert, drought-stricken, hilly, and other regions, financial aid has been provided under various categories set forth by the States.

Visit the PMKSY website or contact the local agriculture office for additional information.

How to install the Drip Irrigation System on your farm

• The installation is typically simple: tubing is placed next to the plants, a hole is punched in it, and an emitter is inserted into the hole.
• Most applications use 1/2″ tubing to supply each separate 1/4″ feeder line, although many people will just stick emitters into the 1/2″ tubing. Stakes are utilized to maintain the tubing in position and close to the ground.
• The water source, which is typically an outdoor faucet hose bibb but can also be a PVC supply pipe, will be laid out as follows in a typical drip irrigation system for a home garden:
• A filter (wye style filters require a female hose adaptor; straight in-line filters can be connected directly to the regulator) is connected after a pressure regulator is linked to the faucet hose bibb or supply pipe.
• The filter is next linked to a vacuum breaker. Finally, a compression adapter is used to connect the male threads of the vacuum breaker outlet to a compression end that is compatible with 1/2″ drip tubing.
• The majority of tubing can be buried, but doing so increases the likelihood of the line becoming clogged or collapsing; instead, look for UV-resistant tubing that won’t degrade when exposed, and cover it with simply mulch.
• Concerned that you might place an emitter incorrectly? You’re not required to be because of goof plugs! Goof plugs allow you to use old tubing in good shape for new designs and fix hole-punch errors. Simply construct new holes and replace superfluous emitters with idiot plugs.
• A bug plug, which is inserted at the end of a line, is another useful plug. This keeps bugs out of the line and stops them from entering and clogging or harming it while allowing water to pass through.

While we all search for more effective ways to use water and deal with shortages, you don’t have to give up or compromise your field. Drip irrigation allows farmers to enhance yields while saving water, electricity, fertilisers, and even crop protection products. Thus, you can look forward to better vegetation with less water and additional savings.