Changes

# Reducing cost of water storage – the use of a hanging plastic water storage bag also lowers the cost. Experience shows that costs are reduced by three quarters by doing this, resulting in cost of about US$5 for a 200 litre bag that will cover 20 m2.

* The water tank capacity should be equal to one day retention of the daily water requirement. It should be placed at sufficient height to allow flow by gravity – approximately 1 metre height for an area of 100m2, 1.5 metres for 500 m2, and 2 metres for 1,000m2.

* Pipes vary in size and are made from varieties of polyethylene (PE) and soft PVC.

* The emitter is the most important part of a drip system because it delivers water at the desired rate to the plant and maintains water application uniformity over the entire irrigated area. An emitter should match particular field conditions including type of crop, spacing of the plants, terrain, water requirement, water quality, operating time and pressure head. At the same time, the emitters cause the most problems through blockages (particles, salts or algae) and need to be maintained.