[[Image:Waggon icon.png|right|100px80px|]][[Image:waggon wheel.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Waggon Wheel system. Drawing: [http://www.samsamwater.com/library.php?serie=RELMA%20Technical%20Handbook%20Series RELMA.]]]__NOTOC__ <small-title />The Waggon Wheel system was developed in South Africa by Dr Gerrie Albertse in 1995. It has been used to grow vegetables and grapes in the very harsh conditions of arid South Africa. The Waggon Wheel irrigation system uses a circular arrangement of 6 drip lines radiating out from the central reservoir drum (210 litres) — hence the name Waggon Wheel. The length of each drip line is 6 m. '''Uses of a drum system'''<br> A drum system covering 5 beds each 1 m wide and 15 m long can be used to grow 250 plants (tomato, egg plant and similar plants requiring a spacing of 60 cm along the plant rows); 500 plants (spinach, cabbage, kale, pepper and similar plants requiring a spacing of 30 cm along the plant rows); or 1,500 plants (onion, carrot and similar plants requiring a spacing of 10 cm). The drum system also offers water storage and control through a control valve, making it possible to fill the drum for irrigating at another time.
[[ImageSix examples are presented:waggon wheel.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The the KARI drum system from Kenya, the Waggon Wheel systemfrom South Africa, the Family, Plastro and Micro-Tal systems from Israel, and the IDE drum used in India. Drawing: [http://www.samsamwater.com/library.php?serie=RELMA%20Technical%20Handbook%20Series RELMA.]]]
===Construction operations and maintenance===The Waggon Wheel standard drum kit system was developed comprises a drum, control valve, a manifold and drip lines. The drum should be filled with the valve in South Africa by Dr Gerrie Albertse in 1995the closed position. It has been used To irrigate it is important to grow vegetables and grapes in open the very harsh conditions of arid South Africavalve fully. The Waggon Wheel irrigation system uses a circular arrangement of 6 drip lines radiating out from This allows the central reservoir drum (210 litres) — hence water to be distributed quickly through the name Waggon Wheel. The length of each drip line is 6 mlines and allows for good water distribution.
==Construction operations and maintenance==
'''System components'''<br>
# Connect the drip lines to the manifold and the manifold to the drum outlet.
===Costs===
A typical cost of the homemade Waggon Wheel system is US$ 16 in South Africa.
===Acknowledgements===
* Sijali, Isaya V. [http://www.samsamwater.com/library.php?serie=RELMA%20Technical%20Handbook%20Series DRIP IRRIGATION: Options for smallholder farmers in eastern and southern Africa.] RELMA, 2001.
