Drip irrigation offers the most effective water distribution mechanism as it utilizes driplines to water crops. However, there are several common mistakes you should watch out during setup and application for effective crop production and water use.
Over-watering of Crops
Excessive watering one of the mistakes common when using drip irrigation. It occurs when you leave the drip irrigation system running for more than the recommended time frame. The most ideal duration to leave a drip irrigation system running is 40 minutes. However, the duration and frequency of irrigation depends on the type of soil and crop. Overwatering will lead to fungal infections and retarded growth in crops such as tomato, capsicum and onions.
Poor Selection of Driplines
Insufficient irrigation occurs when the drip irrigation system is designed with driplines of unsuitable flow rates. Proper assessment of the crop water needs and the suitable driplines must be chosen. For example, you can choose to use adjustable drippers for crops with varying water needs.
High Water Pressure
Occurs when the system is not designed with a pressure regulator on the mainline section near the source of water. Pressure regulators control and lower the pressure of the system to prevent water wastage and system damage.
Water flow Imbalance
The water supply in the system can fail to reach all the crops due to air trapped in the pipes. The drip irrigation system often have air build up in certain pipe sections and requires air release valves use in high points of the system.
Clogging of the Driplines
Driplines face a high risk of clogging if filters are not installed on the system. Pipes get filled with debris, or sand present in water, builds up and prevents water flow. The water will fail to reach certain parts of the farm and crops will certainly dry up and die.
Incorrect Dripline Spacing
Each type of crop has a certain dripline spacing for ideal water requirement attainment. For instance close spaced crops will require smaller dripline emitter spacing such as 15 cm. Driplines spacing on the planting beds also needs to be designed properly to ensure water falls on the target surface near the root zones.
Improper Laying of Driplines
Dripline laying should be horizontally along the length of the beds and on the surface of the beds for most crops. The surface with emitter holes should face the ground to ensure water falls directly to the ground.
Consult the drip irrigation specialist to learn the ideal number of driplines to use, spacing and best and other inquiries.
Want Drip Irrigation in Your Farm?
Aqua Hub Kenya is the leading supplier and installation company dealing with drip irrigation kits. We also train our clients on the common mistakes when using Drip Irrigation in watering crops.
Call 0790719020
