Drip tape provides effective irrigation while conserving water.
Proper irrigation is an integral element of successful farming. Since weather is often volatile and undependable, growers need to ensure their soil has sufficient water content throughout the growing season. Drip tape technology applied to subsurface irrigation appears to meet that test, if correctly installed. The pattern of manifolds and laterals which emanate from the main water source must be designed to meet the moisture needs of each row of crops and each section of pasture. The laterals possess small perforations known as emitters. The water to nourish the soil comes from these holes.
Instructions
1. Plan where you want your water to flow. You may not need subsurface irrigation in every field or stand. Some soils are more drought-resistant than others. Collect soil samples from different locations and have them analyzed by the county extension office.
2. Sketch where manifolds -- or sub-mains -- will connect with the main source. Likewise, display where the drip tape -- or laterals -- will spread out from their manifold connections.
3. Deal with destructive insects and weeds in advance of installing drip tape. They can obstruct the system if present in large numbers.
4. Signify the locations of lateral placement using lime or gypsum. Flags may also be used for this purpose. Alternatively, you can preset the locations into a global positioning system. Determine the depth of the drip tape according to crop in consultation with your extension agent. Grains are generally deeper, while vegetables are more shallow. If you plan to retrieve the tape after the season, shallower is better.
5. Attach the drip tape injector, mounting it to your tractor's three-point hitch. Set the chisel to a depth according to crop and system duration. Load the tape rolls onto the injector, emitters facing up, making sure they clear any sharp or rough contours when coming off. Many attachments have tangling prevention rings and brackets to protect the delicate tape.
6. Lay the tape according to your design. At the end of each lateral, stop the tractor, dismount and cut the tape.
7. Make trenches, with a backhoe or trenching tool, for manifolds and pipes connecting to the main water source. Exceed the depth of the tape when laying the pipe by at least 6 inches. Width should allow for 2 inches to 3 inches on each side of the pipe.
8. Connect the laterals to the manifolds by burrowing tunnels from where the tape is first injected to the trench walls. Using PVC hoses and reinforcement washers, bore holes in the sub-main pipe and couple the tape to the pipe at each meeting point. Seal the connections with steel wire.
9. Fasten the manifold pipes to the main pipes, securing them from leak. Connect laterals to flushing lines at the ends opposite the manifolds. This procedure mirrors the tape connection to the manifolds.
10. Run water through the system after you have made the last connection. Doing so will ward off entry by pests.
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