Drop watering greatly simplifies the life of owners of greenhouses and summer residents. In order for the system to be able to work as efficiently and as long as possible, the choice of equipment should be taken seriously. All components of the irrigation system must be reliable and of high quality.
Drip tape allows the site to provide the highest quality and optimized watering. Its feature is that water is supplied directly under the root system of plants. This not only favorably affects the good development of crops, but also prevents the rapid growth of weed grass. Thus, with the help of drip irrigation, significant savings are achieved not only in water resources, but also in finance.
What is drip tape for?
This equipment allows you to provide the most optimal and high-quality irrigation of any suburban area, with a very different landscape. A distinctive feature of the tape for drip irrigation is the ability to dispense. This is a very rational approach that allows you to save resources and at the same time get the most out of the land. Before getting into the drip tape, water passes through a special filter, avoiding clogging of the system and, accordingly, increasing its service life.
Next, water enters the control channel of the tape. On its way, it passes through a large number of filter holes. Then it enters a special labyrinth channel, in which the flow rate is adjusted. After that, the water goes to the outlet openings. A drip tape delivers water directly under the roots of plants, which ensures the full development of crops. In addition, such irrigation is used to prevent sunburn in plants.
Main types
Today in Russia, drip tapes are used in three types:
- Emitter.
- Slotted.
- Labyrinth
Which drip tape is better? Each type has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider each of them separately.
Emitter
The emitter drip tape is distinguished by the fact that small special flat droppers, the so-called emitters, are embedded in it along its entire length. They serve to regulate the water pressure, and a special design creates a turbulent flow, due to which the water in the dropper is cleaned of foreign particles. The cost of this equipment option is higher, and the smaller the pitch of the drip tapes, the more expensive the product.
Crevice
In this type of irrigation tape, there is a flexible labyrinth channel inside, which slows down the flow of water and makes its flow more uniform. In certain places there are thin holes through which water seeps out. This type of drip tape is easy to install and reliable for future use. The disadvantages include the need for water filtration, because narrow slots are often clogged.
Labyrinth
In this type of irrigation tapes, the channel through which the water flows has a zigzag shape, which significantly reduces the speed of movement of water. The main advantage of such labyrinth tape equipment is the uniform heating of water, which is very good for all plants. Among the shortcomings, frequent breakdowns in use and the complexity of installation can be noted. Today, the labyrinth tape is considered a slightly outdated option, but at the same time the least expensive.
Benefits of Drip Irrigation
In dosed irrigation with the help of drip tapes, there are their functional advantages, especially when compared with traditional types of irrigation.
Among the advantages of this method can be noted:
- Profitability. This method can significantly reduce the consumption of water or liquid fertilizers, as they come directly to the root system of plants grown.
- The entire watering process is automated. After installing the tape, you only need to turn on and off the water supply in a timely manner. The rest of the work will be done by the system itself.
- Due to the minimum amount of water entering the soil, the leaching of nutrients from it does not occur.
- Such irrigation of plants contributes to their good development, increase productivity and improve the quality of grown products.
- With this method of irrigation, the risk of burns on seedlings that cause the rays of the sun during surface irrigation through a regular hose is eliminated.
- The drip irrigation system eliminates the need to carry sufficiently heavy hoses around the site.
How to make the right choice?
Choosing the best drip tape among the listed options, it is worth paying attention to several important parameters:
- Diameter.
- Wall thickness.
- Water consumption.
- Step emitters.
Diameter
The diameter of the drip tape is very important. Most often in a tape, the length of which is not more than 300 m, the diameter of the tube is 16 mm, if 300-750 m - 22 mm. The choice of a suitable drip tape for watering a land plot depends on the following factors - the required tape length and pressure in the water supply system.
Wall thickness
When choosing such a tape, special attention should be paid to the wall thickness of the tube. The strength of the entire product, its functional capabilities and the duration of operation depend on this parameter in many respects. Systems with increased wall thickness are best suited for watering plants with a long ripening period. Tapes with thinner walls are an excellent option for almost all precocious crops.
Hole spacing
This is also an equally important parameter. So, for example, if crops are planted close to each other, it is necessary to use irrigation tapes having a small distance between the holes. When determining the optimal distance, the type of soil on the land should be taken into account. For medium-grained soil, a drip tube with droppers is suitable, between which a distance of 30 cm.
Water consumption
This parameter depends on the following two factors:
- watering tape lengths;
- water needs of plants.
Low water consumption reduces friction and makes it possible to more rationally water long rows of crops. In addition, the system will not need a higher level of filtering. It is worth paying attention to what pressure in the emitter. If the indicator is 0.7 bar, you need to choose a tape for irrigation based on such parameters:
- for watering plants from the reed family, a flow rate of 1.5 l / h is suitable;
- for most crops choose universal irrigation - flow rate 1.0 l / h;
- a tape with a low permeation rate and a flow rate of 0.6 l / h is able to irrigate the earth for a long time, well suited for long pipelines.
DIY installation
The simplest way of this type of irrigation, which you can arrange yourself without any problems, is a system by which water is supplied to the irrigation points by gravity.
To do this, you need to take a sufficiently capacious container for water and install it on a small elevation. It should be borne in mind that the higher the installation level of the water tank, the higher the pressure in the irrigation system. For every meter, it increases by 0.1 bar. This means that at a tank height of 1 m in the system the pressure will be 0.1 bar, at a height of 2 m it will be 0.2 bar, etc.
In the bottom of the tank, insert the exhaust pipe. At the same time, its upper edge should be slightly higher than the bottom itself. This is necessary so that the pipe does not clog the falling debris. A tap is installed on the inset from the outside of the tank, to which a filter is subsequently connected for primary water treatment.
Then, from the inset with a filter and with a crane, a base (distribution) pipe is laid perpendicular to the beds. Previously, holes are drilled on it for smart connectors, which are located according to the beds. Next, at the end of the distribution pipe, a crane is installed, which is necessary for periodic washing of the entire drip system.
At the next stage, connectors are attached to the holes. Then a tape system is laid along them from the beds. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the dropper emitters are located on top. The end of the tape opposite the distribution pipe is plugged securely (can be tied up well with a rope).
For watering plants planted in one row, the tape is laid on the side. On two-row beds, laying is carried out in the middle between the rows of plants.
Fitting
Fittings for drip tape are special elements that are mounted at the junction of this equipment with a water source or when changing to a different diameter.
Polyethylene fittings:
- Repair connection. These elements are used for damage and tearing of tapes. They can also be used to add sections.
- Knee. Serve for joining a drop tape with a polypropylene pipe. It can be used as a regulator of water supply.
- Clamping tee. It is necessary for branching the drip tape.
- Cranes. Applied to regulate the flow of water into the irrigation system.
- Stubs. Used in the repair of tapes for drip irrigation. They avoid pressure loss.
- Elastic bands for starters. Such a part serves to seal and seal irrigation connections.
This is not a complete list of elements for organizing drip irrigation. Fittings are made of high-quality polyethylene, which is not afraid of the influence of UV rays.
If you approach the issue of choosing a drip tape responsibly, effective watering of the land will be guaranteed.