How To Install Subsurface Drip Irrigation

Getting Started with Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI)

Equally the proper name suggests, subsurface drip irrigation, or SDI for short, is drip irrigation applied clandestine.

There are ii forms of SDI: Shallow and Deep.

Shallow Burying: Refers to the burial of the drip line/tape a few centimetres below the surface. This allows growers to reach many of the benefits of subsurface irrigation while preventing the thin tube from existence diddled past the wind. The drip line/tape is intended to be removed and disposed of after the flavor. Each season, new baste line/tape is installed so growers apply the thinnest drip line/tape possible for the environmental conditions to reduce costs. Frequently the drip line/tape is installed under plastic mulch and installed at the aforementioned time every bit the mulch. This SDI method is often used with single season vegetables, strawberries, and melons.

Shallow Burial SDI

Deep Burial: Refers to the burial of the baste line/tape at least 10 cm (4") below the surface. The goal of deep burial is multi-flavour employ with the aforementioned drip line/tape existence used from a few years to over 20 years. The burial is generally 10 – xxx cm (four – 12") with thicker baste line/tape (minimum 12 mil and upwards to 45 mil) used to ensure that the production will properly part for many years. Additionally, pressure compensated (PC) baste lines may exist used to achieve actress-long run lengths, or to irrigate on sloping basis. This SDI method has a wide range of ingather applications including cane, corn, cotton, vineyards, tomatoes, orchards and alfalfa. Additionally, deep burial can provide an excellent solution for crop rotation.

Deep Burial SDI

Many of the benefits of Subsurface Drip Irrigation utilize to both shallow and deep burying; all the same, the focus of this blog is deep burial applications due to the unique requirements when designing a multi-year irrigation system.

Why Switch to SDI?

We are going to say it upfront. SDI will cost more and exist more complicated to install than virtually other drip irrigation systems to start. However, at that place is a articulate reason why more and more than growers are switching to SDI: they realize the benefits rapidly outweigh whatsoever of the initial challenges. Upfront cost is higher, but long term savings, combined with greater yields, make SDI an excellent long-term financial determination.

"I can't afford not to utilize subsurface drip irrigation." Said Mr.Chuck Dees Irrigation Consultant for Stamoules Product Company, growing over 6500 hectares of crops. USA

Below are some of the long term benefits yous will experience using SDI:

Relieve Water: No Evaporation

Irrigation applied underground eliminates surface water evaporation. Compared to evaporation as high as 45% with sprinkler irrigation (Measurements of evaporation during sprinkler irrigation, Academy of Southern Queensland, 2022)

Minimize Weeds

By applying water directly to the plants no h2o is being applied to the interrow. Less water in the interrows or on the surface means fewer weeds, and less costs (herbicides) to eradicate the weeds.

Stronger Root Structure

When a drip lateral is cached xxx cm, roots demand to 'chase' the h2o. This leads to a very healthy root construction that penetrates deep into the ground equally opposed to concentrating on the surface.

Apply chemigation direct to the root zone – fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides

Fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides are a critical (and expensive) part of growing a successful crop. SDI improves the application of chemigation and reduces total costs. Using SDI, chemigation is injected into the drip irrigation system and is practical directly to the root zone. Awarding is extremely efficient and targeted with xc% efficiency and in some cases, even up to 97% efficiency can be accomplished (Economic Feasibility of Converting Heart Pivot Irrigation to Subsurface Drip Irrigation, American Social club of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers, 2022). What method of spray chemigation can reach uniformity of >ninety% consistency? As well, different spray irrigation, you exercise not demand to worry near air current restrictions. With increased and targeted uniformity, there is a clear toll benefit as less chemigation is required for application. Additionally, when you apply directly via your baste organisation, you practice non need to utilise a tractor and avert all of the associated costs of fuel, labor and machinery.

Reduce Constitute Affliction

A noticeable deviation of SDI is that while the plants are irrigated, the top soil remains relatively dry. Compared to sprinkler irrigation, or even surface drip irrigation, SDI enables yous to irrigate right up to harvest. Furthermore, a drier surface results in less humidity and therefore less risk of fungal disease.

Easy Field Access and Harvest

When drip laterals are buried, field admission is easy every bit SDI eliminates the need for irrigation pipes on the surface. For harvesting of nuts where mechanical sweepers are used, whatsoever irrigation on surface can be a problem. This problem is eliminated with SDI. Furthermore, you can irrigate correct upwardly to harvest without the normal risk of bogging in crops such as sugarcane and alfalfa.

Irrigate odd shaped fields & corners of pivots

Unlike most mechanized irrigation, SDI can be installed in odd shaped blocks – maximizing every hectare. Additionally, when pin irrigation is already installed, SDI can be installed in the corners so this expanse of production is not lost.

Loftier Frequency Irrigation

A fundamental deviation of SDI compared to traditional irrigation systems is that SDI utilizes high frequency irrigation. Small doses of water assist prevent water logging, help keep oxygenation to crop, and provide a better environment for root growth.

SDI is the near advanced irrigation method, simply to achieve performance, y'all demand an irrigation company that has proven experience in SDI projects. Rivulis has decades of experience designing, installing and maintaining SDI projects around the world.

Download our Getting Started with SDI guide to discover SDI for yourself.