Hello Steemians! Yesterday i introduced myself and was warmly welcomed.
Today as my second post, i am going to take you through the basic steps you only need to follow to design a Drip Irrigation system for your 10m×10m plot at home.
Plot size =100 square meters
Crop = Tomatoes
a) Sizing the plot and drip tapes
- Plot size = 10×10m
- Row spacing = 0.9m
- Plant spacing, i.e., plant to plant spacing = 0.6m
0.9m is the standard; however you have to add that 0.1m allowance to cater for your walking space as the caretaker.
In due time, you will have to perform several agronomic operations such as pruning, weeding, disease monitoring.
You also have to keep checking on how well the emitters (where water is dripping from) are working.
Overall, the 0.1m addition to the 0.9m caters for that space of convenience for you the caretaker, not least because as the tomato plant grows, its leaves spread out.
- Adjusted Row=Row spacing is therefore = 1m×0.6m,
- Accordingly, the number of lines (laterals in the 10m) is 10 rows
b) Number of plants in the plot
Plant population (namely, the number of plants) this standard spacing of 0.9 (1) m×0.6m achieves in a 10m×10m plot is accordingly 166 plants.
1 row = 16 plant heads (Length of row, 10m) ÷ (spacing between plants in row, 0.6m)
Thus the ten (10) rows =10×16 plants =160 plants.
c) Water source and pressure generation
How will water flow through the drip tape? Where is the source of Pressure?
Strictly no pump is required here to generate the required pressure. Instead gravity is used.
At least 100litre drum lifted up at least one (1 to 1.5m) up is sufficient to contain enough water.
Lifting it up to between 1 and 1.5 m ensures that it is able to distribute water to the entire plot by gravity.
(Below 1 m, the pressure generated will be too low to reach the farthest plants in the row, whereas too high up will generate too much pressure that could bust the drip tape.)
By this stage, irrigation system design is complete
Summary
- Plot size = 100 Square meters (10*10)
Row-to Row spacing = 0.9 (1)m spacing
Plant-plant spacing = 0.6m
Number of plants per lateral = averagely 16 plants
Number of plants in plot (plot has 10 lines/laterals = averagely 160 plants
Water source = 100litre Drum
Pressure (no pump) = Gravity (drum is raised 1-1.5m high)
This is a complete irrigation system design for a 100m2 (10×10m) plot.
Next: I will discuss how to now lay out the system after designing it.
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