Drip Irrigation has typically been used in high-value fruit, nut, and vegetable crops. Recently, it has become popular in field crop applications, including corn/soybean rotations and alfalfa, cotton, and processing tomatoes. USDA’s recent Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey reported 3.76 million acres in the U.S. are under drip. This acreage is expected to be significantly higher in the 2013 report, which will be released this fall.
5 Components Of Drip Irrigation Systems
1. Drip tape: a “line source” drip irrigation lateral product that incorporates a continuously produced fl ow path emission device into a thin- to medium-walled seamed or extruded tube.
2. Flat emitter dripline: a “point-source” lateral product that incorporates injection-molded emitters into a thin- to medium-walled extruded tube.
3. Oval hose: a sub-main pipe made from polyethylene that is flattened to an oval shape during production to simplify transportation.
4. Layflat: a sub-main pipe made from flexible PVC that is
coiled flat.
5. PVC pipe: a rigid pipe available in various thicknesses and
cut lengths.