The drip tape spacing is the gap between two emitters. The spacing of drip tapes determines the planting spacing as plants are planted beside the emitters.
Drip tapes come in different types of spacing. There are 10cm emitter spaced drip tapes, 20cm emitter spaced drip tapes, 30cm emitter spaced drip tapes, 40cm emitter spaced drip tapes, 50cm emitter spaced drip tapes and 60cm emitter spaced drip tapes etc.
You can specify the spacing you want in your drip tapes and the drip tapes manufacturer can produce the drip tapes based on your specification.
A drip tape is one of the main components of a typical drip irrigation system.
Types of Drip Tapes according to the Emitter Spacing
The types of drip tapes according to the emitter spacing are explained as follows:
20cm Emitter Spaced Drip Tapes
The 20cm emitter spaced drip tapes have gaps of 20 centimetres in between two emitters. Thiys type of drip tape is used for the growing of closely spaced crops like carrot, rice, soybeans and onions etc.
30cm Emitter Spaced Drip Tapes
The 30cm emitter spaced drip tapes have gaps of 30 centimetres in between two emitters. Thiys type of drip tape is used for the cultivation of crops like pepper, tomato and other crops that can tolerate an in-row plant spacing of 30cm.
40cm Emitter Spaced Drip Tapes
The 40cm emitter spaced drip tapes have gaps of 40 centimetres in between two emitters. Thiys type of drip tape can be used to irrigate crops like pepper, tomato and cucumber etc.
50cm Emitter Spaced Drip Tapes
The 50cm emitter spaced drip tapes have gaps of 50 centimetres in between two emitters. Thiys type of drip tape is used for the cultivation of crops like cucumber, pepper, tomato and other crops that can tolerate an in-row plant spacing of 50cm.
60cm Emitter Spaced Drip Tapes
The 60cm emitter spaced drip tapes have gaps of 60 centimetres in between two emitters. Thiys type of drip tape is used for the cultivation of crops like cucumber, pepper, tomato and other crops that can tolerate an in-row plant spacing of 60cm.
Factors to Consider before Selecting a Drip Tape according to its Spacing
The following factors should be considered before selecting a drip tape according to its emitter spacing:
The type of crops to plant
Different types of crops require different spacing requirements. For example, onions and carrots can peform well using 20cm emitter spaced drip tapes while tomato and pepper cannot do well using the same type of drip tape.
The topograpghy of the land
The topography of the land can also determine the type of drip tape to use. If the farmland is flat, drip tapes with 10 – 30cm emitter spacing can be used. In hilly lands, wider spaced drip tapes should be used.
The type of soil
Loamy soil, sandy soil and clay soil all have preferred types of drip tapes. For sandy soil, wider spaced drip tapes are preferred.
The volume of water available for irrigation
Closely spaced drip tapes use more water than widely spaced drip tapes. This should be taking into consideration when buying a drip tape.
What type of drip tapes do you use in your drip irrigation system? Kindly tell us the emitter spacing of your drip tape in the comments’ section.