To make your drip irrigation system last long, you need to implement best practices in maintaining it.
Without a robust maintenance regime for the drip irrigation system, it will not function properly and may also not last as expected.
The best practices for maintaining a drip irrigation system
The following are the best practices for maintaining a drip irrigation system:
Have a Maintenance Schedule
Having a maintenance schedule is one of the best practices for maintaining a drip irrigation system. There should be a clear schedule of time in which the drip irrigation system should be maintained.
Water Pressure regulation
Too high water pressure can damage the drip tapes and other drip irrigation system’s accessories. For instance, the working pressure of a typical drip tape is 1 bar. If the water pressure is 10 bar, the drip tapes will be damaged.
Flushing
Flushing of the drip irrigation system is also one of the best practices for maintaining a drip irrigation system. Flushing involves the removal of the end plugs or stoppers in the drip tapes in order for the water and any unwanted materials in the drip tapes to be removed.
Water Quality
Checking that the water flowing through the drip irrigation system is clean and free of impurities is also one of the best practices of maintaining the drip irrigation system. Water with impurities can block the drip emitters and render the drip irrigation system unusable.
Cleaning the Filter
Cleaning the filter or the filtration system regularly can prevent impurities from entering the drip irrigation system. This is a maintenance work that has to be done frequently. Failure to clean the filters as expected can damage the drip irrigation system. The emitters of the drip tapes can be blocked by impurities from the flowing water.
Check for Root Intrusion
Checking for root intrusion is also one of the maintenance practices that should be implemented. Root intrusion can prevent the drip irrigation system from working properly.
What is Drip Irrigation?
Drip Irrigation is the use of tubes or pipes to irrigate crops by passing water to the roots of the crops in a trickle manner. Drip irrigation is the most efficient type of irrigation in the world.
With drip irrigation, the roots of plants can get water in drops. Drip irrigation only targets the roots of plants for irrigation unlike other types of irrigation that sprays water to the leaves and stems of plants.
How do you maintain your drip irrigation system? Please share your answers with us in the comments’ section.