Drip irrigation

The drip irrigation is an irrigation technique in which on hoses at regular intervals outlets are mounted on the only small, precise amounts of water ( a drop at most 2-4 l / h ) may be discharged largely independent of pressure in the pipeline.

Originally thin side tubes ( "spaghetti" ) hoses were connected to the main tubes. Should amount of water coming out of the side tubes, as they have been shortened, which reduced the friction resistance of the tube. Meanwhile, a limited emitter unit with a built-in maze, the amount of water applied, the side tube is generally used only for irrigation of individual pots.

The drip irrigation is being driven with low pressures ( about 0.1 to 4 bar ). In the slope area must be taken to ensure that all the water does not escape in the lower area of the drip system. To avoid this, there are now pressure-compensating drip systems, which balance the pressure difference through the terrain slope. In the high- drip systems membranes are integrated, which only open at a certain pressure and thus also prevent emptying of the drip tube at the lowest point.

First, in arid lands developed for water -saving use, this method can be found also in Central Europe in protected horticultural crops under glass or foil, and increasingly in the wine-growing (about the Wachau), but also in home gardens and in parks application. In addition to precise application of water to avoid evaporation losses and the associated possibility of directly to mix the water and nutrients, is an advantage of the method is that the leaves are not wetted and thus fungal diseases of plants are not encouraged. Other irrigation techniques such as Trommelberegner can always irrigate intensively only small areas and then switch automatically part of their position.

In arid and semi-arid areas it may be some soil salinity even with drip irrigation; However, you can work with relatively small amounts of water because of the great efficiency of drip irrigation, which salinization minimized.

The disadvantage is that hoses and drippers can especially in fertigation, ie the addition of fertilizers, clog. This can be partially prevented by upstream filter. Drip irrigation systems are expensive to purchase, but this is quickly compensated by the saving of water. Drip irrigation can also be combined with strategies of deficit irrigation.

In modern horticulture, the use of drip irrigation is automated using other technology such as sensors, solenoid valves and associated control devices that regulate the timing and amount of watering.