Drip irrigation is the most efficient method of irrigating. While sprinkler systems are around 75-85% efficient, drip systems typically are 90% or higher. What that means is much less wasted water! For this reason drip is the preferred method of irrigation in the desert regions of the United States. But drip irrigation has other benefits which make it useful almost anywhere. It is easy to install, easy to design, can be very inexpensive, and can reduce disease problems associated with high levels of moisture on some plants. If you want to grow a rain forest however, drip irrigation will work but might not be the best choice!
Drip irrigation (sometimes called trickle irrigation) works by applying water slowly, directly to the soil, bloop, bleep, bloop, bleep. The high efficiency of drip irrigation results from two primary factors. The first is that the water soaks into the soil before it can evaporate or run off. The second is that the water is only applied where it is needed, (at the plant's roots) rather than sprayed everywhere. While drip systems are simple and pretty forgiving of errors in design and installation, there are some guidelines that if followed, will make for a much better drip system. The purpose of this tutorial is to guide you toward materials and methods that will increase the benefits of your new drip system, while steering you away from some common misconceptions and practices that can cause you trouble.
The main premise of the drip irrigation method is being able to water plants using a small amount of water delivered through pressurized pipes and drippers without creating problems that might otherwise arise from lack of moisture in the root zone.
One of the most important aspects of this method is that the watered zone is only along the plant line, leaving the rest of the field dry, thus using the least amount of water possible.
The advantages of the drip irrigation method are as follows:
When water resources are scarce and costly, a much larger highly-targeted zone can be watered rather than covering the whole field with water.
Because the watered zone is shadowed by the plant itself, evaporation is minimal and the consumption is lowered.
The required moisture level in the root zone is maintained and the plant gets its water from the soil without using much energy. This is an important advantage that facilitates effective growth.
Fertilizers can be used via the dripping system (where and when they are required), reducing the volume needed.
The land between the plant rows remain dry and unwanted plant growth is prevented.
The surface of the soil is dry which enables processing, medication, harvest and transfer work to be executed more easily and with minimal effort.
Foliage remains dry, thus reducing the risk of disease.
Moisture is spread through the root zone, contributing to properly aired soil.
The output of each nozzle can be controlled with great efficiency, high water application efficiency and lower labour cost due to the automated system
