Agricultural Crop Production 10

QUARTER III – Module 1

MATERIALS, TOOLS AND

EQUIPMENTS FOR
IRRIGATION WORKS
Introduction
Water is an essential element for survival. About
seventy per cent of the human body consists of
water while plants contain almost 90 percent of
water. Still, we have to depend on some outside
sources to fulfil the water requirements of our
body.
Similarly, crops require water for their growth
and development. The process of supplying water
to the crops is known as irrigation.
MATERIALS, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENTS FOR
IRRIGATION WORKS
An irrigation tool is any type of tool or device
that is used to design, maintain, and/or
repair irrigation systems. Irrigation tools are
typically sold under several main categories,
including drip and underground irrigation
tools, sprinklers, hoses, and irrigation timers.
Drip irrigation tools such as
connectors, piping, and sprinklers
are used to create overhead
irrigation systems. These tools work
together to help control the exact
flow of water to flower and
vegetable gardens.
Underground irrigation tools, such as pop-up
heads and sprinklers, as well as irrigation
timers and sprayers are used for one of the
most popular types of irrigation systems —
the underground irrigation system.
This system works for lawns, flower gardens,
and vegetable gardens, both big and small.
Underground systems are also frequently
used for custom landscaping projects.
IRIS M. VILLAFLOR AGUISAN NHS
Although not as high tech as timers and
pop-up heads, watering cans are also
important, but often overlooked,
irrigation tool. A simple watering can
has several useful functions, but can be
of most used when other equipment
fails.
Watering cans can be of great
assistance during a drought to transport
water from other sources. They help
simplify hand watering when necessary,
and this simple tool waters plants and
flowers more evenly when nozzles
become inefficient or when they
malfunction.
KENNEDY B. SADORRA - ARBOLEDA NHS - ALCALA, PANGASINAN
While irrigation equipment such as
garden hose repair parts, watering cans,
nozzles, and hose carts fall under "repair
and accessories," these irrigation
supplies are just as important as the
major types of tools.
Without tools such as adapters, and
quick fixes such as the hose mend, the
average system would not function
properly. Lack of adequate tools or
repair products could quickly turn any
system into an inconvenience to
maintain or create unwanted
replacement costs
The irrigation equipment most familiar to
many people is that used for lawns and
residential landscaping.
A garden hose is the simplest, and probably
the most widely used, piece of home
irrigation equipment. One of several types
of sprinkler heads is often attached to the
hose in order to irrigate a wider area.
Many kinds of landscaping and agriculture can
require irrigation, including lawns, golf courses,
gardens, and large fields of agricultural crops.
Various types of irrigation equipment are
available to cater to the entire spectrum of
irrigation needs.
These can range from simple sprinkler equipment
for residential landscaping to large center-pivot
irrigation systems for watering acres of crops.
An impact sprinkler head sprays out a
stream of water while moving in a circle.
There are also pop-up impact sprinklers,
which can be withdrawn into the ground
when they are not being used. Like the
impact sprinkler, oscillating sprinklers move
around to distribute water, but they spray
out a fan of water which moves back and
forth.
Stream rotors and spray heads are
stationary sprinkler heads. The stream
rotor sprays out streams of water in all
directions, while spray heads may be
adjusted to spray in all directions or
only towards one or two areas.
While sprinklers spray water through the
air, leading to lost water because of
evaporation, methods classified as micro-
irrigation apply water under the soil or
directly to its surface. Drip irrigation
equipment is composed of a tube with drip
emitters inserted at desired locations along
it, which apply water close to the roots of
the plants.
Asimilar but less permanent option is
drip tape, which is a very thin type of
drip tubing that is designed to be
replaced after one or two years of use
Microsprayers are a very small type of
sprinkler attached to very thin drip tubing,
sometimes called spaghetti tubes. They are
an option somewhere in between
conventional sprinklers and drip irrigation.
A microsprayer can cover more area than
drip irrigation, and is more efficient than a
full-sized sprinkler, as it is closer to the
ground and thus has less evaporation loss
Large agricultural fields require different
types of irrigation systems than those used
by home gardeners. The irrigation
equipment used in these fields typically
consists of some type of framework to
support many sprinkler heads or nozzles,
the heads or nozzles, and the pumps and
pipes necessary to deliver the water.
Common irrigation systems for these
uses include center-pivot, in which the
irrigation equipment moves in a circle
around a central point, and linear
move, which moves the system in
straight lines.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA - ARBOLEDA NHS - ALCALA, PANGASINAN

IRRIGATION TOOLS AND EQUIPMENTS
 Installing an irrigation system yourself will require specific irrigation
tools to do the job right. Here is a list of the most common irrigation
tools you’ll need to install an irrigation system, and how to use
them.

1. Trenching Shovel
A trenching shovel will be needed to dig holes
and clean-out machine-dug trenches for the
irrigation pipes and valves. Its narrow blade
makes this the ideal tool for this tedious job.
2. Mattock
A mattock is used to dig short trenches,
and the pick end works great for
breaking and removing rocks.
3. Tamper
A tamper bar is used to compact the soil
after it is replaced over the piping.
4. PVC Pipe Cutter
The PVC pipe cutter is used to cut the
PVC pipe leaving clean edges.
5. Hack Saw
A hack saw can be used to cut PVC
pipe, as well as metal pipe.
6. Wire Cutter/stripper
A combination wire cutter and stripper
is used for cutting and stripping wires.
7. Screw Drivers
You will need a flat screwdriver and a
Phillips head screwdriver to connect the
wires to the controller.
IRRIGATION SYSTEM
In irrigated crop production, farmers
depend on irrigation to supplement rainfall
to supply the water requirements of the
crop. Proper operation and maintenance
ensures that an irrigation system performs
optimally. Before an inspection can be done
you need to understand the components of
an irrigation system.
The irrigation system
A basic irrigation system consists of the following components:
Pumps
Almost all irrigation systems, except gravity
feed systems, rely on pumps to pump water
to the field blocks or orchards and supply
pressure to the emitters to work properly. The
pump moves, or displaces, water by sucking
water from the source, such as a river, dam,
reservoir, etc., and propelling in through the
irrigation system.
Pumps come in a wide range of shapes,
sizes and types, such as centrifugal,
submersible, and positive displacement
pumps. They are driven by either diesel
engines or electrical motors.
The most commonly used pumps are single
and multi stage centrifugal pumps driven by
electrical motors as electricity is generally
significantly more cost effective than diesel.
Single stage pumps have only one stage
containing a single impeller, while multi
stage pumps have two or more stages and
delivers higher pressures where required.
Pumps consist of various components,
including the motor that drives the
pump, the suction and delivery pipes,
and various valves. Figure 1.3 shows the
various components of a standard pump.
Filters
 Filters clean and remove impurities from water
that can block emitters. Various types of filters
are used, most commonly sand, disc and screen-
type filters.
The pipeline channels water between
points, such as from the water-source
to the pump, from the pump to the
main lines and from the mainlines to
the crops.
A wide range of pipes is available and
used on farms. For main and sub-main
lines u-PVC and steel pipes are normally
used. In some older installations,
asbestos-cement pipes are still in use.
These pipes are unsuitable where acid
is introduced into the irrigation water
for fertigation purposes.
Polyethylene pipe (black plastic pipe) is
mostly used for lateral lines, which is
the name of pipelines that deliver
water to the crops.
Valves
Valves control the flow of water by opening or
closing, thereby allowing water through or
cutting it off. Various types of valves are used.
 Gate and butterfly valves are used to open
or close a pipeline;
 Pressure control valves are used to regulate
pressure and flow rate;
 Non-return valves are used to prevent the
reverse flow of water when the pump is
switched off;
 Air and vacuum valves are used to expel
air in the pipeline and to prevent a vacuum
from forming after a line is closed or the
pump is switched off.
Emitters
 Emittersare placed in lateral lines and apply water to
individual crops in a uniform and efficient manner.
Examples of emitters are micro-sprayers, drippers and
sprinklers.
Pipes
 Asbestos Cement (AC) Pipes
 Asbestos cement pipes are not manufactured any
longer due to health concerns regarding the
manufacturing process. It is however not uncommon
for these pipes to be used second-hand. Many older
systems also use these pipes for mainlines and sub-
mainlines. AC pipes are hard but very brittle, so
care must be taken when they are handled and
transported.
Pipes
The trench must be free of protruding stones and
the pipe must be laid on a bed of clean sand. AC
pipes are joined by collars. Triplex couplings are
made out of asbestos cement and have three seal
rings. The pipe slides into this socket shaped
joint. The other method of joining AC pipes is with
the short collar, which is a coupling with two iron
rings that are tightened around an iron collar.
Pipes
Each ring contains a rubber ring that is
compressed around the pipe when the
collar is tightened, preventing the collar
from leaking. AC pipes were manufactured
in COD (constant outside diameter) and CID
(constant inside diameter).
uPVC Pipes
This is the most commonly used pipe
for irrigation. PVC is a plastic material
and these pipes are more flexible and
tolerant to movement. It is available
as uPVC or mPVC. The latter is more
pliable than uPVC, but not widely used
yet.
(Normal garden hoses are made of PVC
and are plasticized i.e. soft and
bendable.) The one end of the pipe is
chamfered and the other end is socket
shaped with an integral rubber ring. The
chamfered end slides into the socket
shaped end.
Trenches must be free of stones but
need not to be lined with sand for
smaller pipe sizes of 200mm and
smaller. Fittings are either metal or
uPVC and are also socket shaped.
Inside the sockets are lip-seals that
seal the pipe.
Steel Pipes
Steel pipes are very expensive but very
reliable and durable and are therefore used
more often as suction pipes, delivery pipes,
risers and filter manifolds where the line
must go trough or over unsuitable terrain.
Steel pipes can be threaded at the end (up
to 150mm) or flanged (from 50mm and
bigger).
Steel Pipes
Threaded pipes are connected using
screwed sockets. Flanged pipes are
bolted together with a packing in the
middle. Steel pipes rust, so they must
be coated with a rust-proof coating
such as paint, coupon, galvanizing or
powder coating
Poly pipe Poly pipe (or polyethylene or
PE) class 3 LDPE (low density PE) pipe is
most often used for the lateral lines.
Although HDPE (high density PE) is also
available, it is normally used in
boreholes, shade houses and for stock
water supply.
General Fittings

Reducers
A reducer is used to connect pipes of
different sizes.
Bend
A bend is used to allow a pipe to
change direction. Bends are
commonly available in 90° and 45°.
End Cap
An end cap is used to plug the end of
a pipe.
Air Valve
An air valve expels air from the system,
preventing air locks. Some air valves
have a vacuum function (see below).
Vacuum Valve
A vacuum valve prevents the
formation of a vacuum when the
pump system is switched off.
Non-return Valve
A non-return valve prevents the back-
flow of water.
Gate and Butterfly Valve
Gate and butterfly valves open and
close the pipeline, thereby decreasing
and increasing the water flow. They are
used to regulate the water pressure
manually in a block.
Hydraulic Valves
Hydraulic valves are also used to
decrease or increase the water-flow.
Infield Fittings
Grommets
A grommet is a fitting that is used to
connect lateral lines to the sub main
line.
Nylon Couplings
Nylon couplings and reducers are used
to connect poly pipes.
Micro-jets and Drippers
Micro-jets or sprayers and drippers are
the emitters that supply water to each
individual tree. They are installed on
the lateral lines.
Sprinklers
Sprinklers are larger emitters
commonly used for field crops. They
are mostly impact sprinklers but can
also be gear driven.
 Thank you for listening…

KENNEDY B. SADORRA - ARBOLEDA NHS - ALCALA, PANGASINAN

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

KENNEDY B. SADORRA - ARBOLEDA NHS - ALCALA, PANGASINAN

KENNEDY B. SADORRA - ARBOLEDA NHS - ALCALA, PANGASINAN