Drip Irrigation (Trickle)

◦ It is the method of applying uniform and precise amount of

water directly to the root zone of plant as per the
requirement.

◦ Frequent and slow application of water to the soil

 Benefits of Drip Irrigation
 Higher ratio of yield per unit area.
 Increase in water use efficiency.
 Water saving 30 - 70 per cent.
 Labour saving.
 Use of poor quality water.
 Reduce weed growth.
 Saving in fertilizer.
 Irrigation application rate can be adjusted as per the
soil type.
Less disease and pest problem
Fun to do
Limitations of Drip Irrigation
High capital costs.
High power requirement.
Clogging of emitters.
Damage chances.
Short life of the system.
Salt accumulation.
Restricted development of plant roots.
Components of Drip Irrigation system
1) Filters
a) Sand Filter
• effective against inorganic
and organic suspended solids
• using water from open
reservoir.
• gravel/sand: 1-2 mm dia.
• Pressure difference > 10 m:
cleaning
b) Screen filter

• downstream of sand filter.

• Inlet and outlet diameter:
25 mm to 110 mm
• mesh size : 100 to 200 mesh
(0.15 mm to 0.08 mm)
• pressure head : less than 3 m
c) Disc Filter

• It is a stock of thin plastic

disks.
• Housing is 25 mm to 90
mm.
• Can be cleaned easily.
d) Hydro cyclone filter

• Works on the principle of centrifugal

force.
• centrifugal filter or sand separators
• Organic matter (Sp. Gravity of about 1)
cannot be separated with centrifugal
force.
2) Main line

• PVC and HDPE pipes

• 60 to 90 cm below ground
• Velocity of flow : < 1.5 m/s

3) Submain
• 45 to 60 cm below ground
• PVC material
4) Laterals
• LDPE or LLDPE having 12 mm, 16 mm and 20 mm diameter
• Pressure: 4 kg per square cm

5) Emitters or drippers
• Polyethylene or polypropylene.
• Discharge: 1 to 16 lit/hr

6) Ball Valve/ Control valve

• Flow control through sub main
• PVC, cast iron, gun metal
•Size 20 mm to 140 mm
7) Flush valve
at the end of submain to flush out water and dirt accumulated
at the end of submain
8) Non return valve
used to prevent damage of pump
9) air release cum vacuum breaker valve
provided at the highest point in the main line to release
Entrapped air during start of the system
9)Grommet and take-off
Connect lateral to sub main
10) End caps
 Types of drip irrigation system

1) Online drip irrigation

• Drippers are fixed externally on the
laterals at the designed spacing.
• It is commonly used for plant having
large spacing
• Discharge of dripper:-2,4,8,14,16 lph
2) Inline drip irrigation

• Drippers are fixed internally in the laterals at the requirements

of different crops spacing.
• It is commonly used for plant having small spacing like cotton
sugarcane, vegetables etc.
• Diameter of dripper:-12,16,20 mm
• Dripper spacing:-30,40,50,60 cm
Drip Irrigation
Emitters
dripper / Drip Nozzles
Construction and characteristics

• Made from polypropylene material.

• should have Flow path to create turbulence in flow.
• Clog resistant and as far as possible one should be
able to open it up for inspection and repair

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 Basic requirements of drippers

• it should give Low but uniform and constant

discharge, which does not vary significantly
because of minor difference in pressure head.
• Compact, serviceable and inexpensive.
• Large flow cross section.
• Similar material should be available in market.
Types of drippers
1. Flow regime
2. Pressure dissipation
3. Lateral connection
4. Water distribution
5. Flow cross section
6. Cleaning characteristics
7. PC or NPC
8. Production material
1. Flow regime

a. Laminar flow : long flow path and low discharge

b. Partially turbulent flow: long path multi exit
emitters, high discharge
c. Fully turbulent flow
Theory of flow regime
Reynolds number(Re): Inertial forces/viscous forces
Inertial forces= ma
Viscous forces= µd
𝑉𝑑
Re=
𝐾µ
Where,
V= velocity of flow in emitter, m/sec
d= flow cross section, mm
K= constant = 1000
µ= kinematic viscosity, m2/sec =1×10-6 m2/sec
Different flow regime

Laminar flow regime Re ≤ 2000

Unstable flow regime 2000 < Re ≤ 4000
Partially turbulent flow regime 4000 < Re ≤ 10000

Fully turbulent flow regime 10000 < Re

2. Pressure dissipation

 Used to categorize emitter into long path emitters,

nozzle or orifice emitter and leaking lateral pipes.
 must dissipate pressure difference between internal
line pressure and external atmosphere pressure.
3. Lateral connection

a) In-line

b) On-line or plug- in emitter

4. Water distribution

• Orifice or long flow path emitters

• Perforated pipe
5. Flow cross section

• Very sensitive dripper : < 0.7 mm

• Sensitive dripper : 0.7 – 1.5 mm

• Relative insensitive dripper : > 1.5 mm

6. PC and NPC emitters
1. Pressure compensating emitters:
• Discharge water at constant rate over wide range
of operating pressure.
• Hilly terrain

2. Non pressure compensating

• Discharge increases with increase in operating
pressure.
• Plane lands
7. Production materials

• PVC( poly-vinyl-chloride)
• PE( polyethylene)
• Polypropylene
• Porous ceramic clay
• Brass or other non corroding material
Thank You…..