A typical drip irrigation system consists of drip tapes or tubes, sub-main pipes, connectors, filters and the fertigator (Venturi Injector or Dosing Pump) connected to a source of water (borehole, well, dam, river or stream etc.

Drip irrigation remains one of the most innovative forms of irrigation today.

Drip Irrigation involves the passing of water to the roots of plants through the use of emitters, lined in tube-like pipes for efficient absorption of water.

Fertigating with drip irrigation system can increase your yield by 50 - 200% whilst reducing labour by up to 60%.

Drip Irrigation is like passing water to a dehydrated person through the veins rather than pouring it on the body.

Veggie Grow Limited offers solutions that reduce the need for physical labour and harmful chemicals whilst positively impacting on the profitability of the average farmer. Our company is staffed by experts who have worked in the agribusiness space in Europe, Asia and Africa for several years.

Our goal is to make farming brain fed in Nigeria instead of rain fed. Farmers will be able to farm in the dry season by using our affordable drip irrigation kits and other farm technologies.

Complete Farm Set-Up (Tomato, Cucumber, Kale, Brocolli, Plantain and Cocoa etc.)

Design and installation of drip irrigation system and other irrigation system

Drip irrigation repairs and unblocking/replacement of emitters

Design and installation of Greenhouses, hydroponic systems and vertical bag farming

• Drip Irrigation Kits and  Drip Tapes
• Spray Tubes, Rain Guns and Sprinklers
• Fertigating Tools
• Hydrogel for Irrigation
• Plastic Mulch
• Nursery Trays
• Microbial Innoculum
• Pesticides
• Humates
• Tillers and Weeders

Soil test, Plant Sap Analysis to gauge nutrients imbalances, plants’ fertility levels, impending insects attack, brix level and pH value

Soil decontamination and Remediation and Soil Microbial Innoculation

Migration from inorganic to organic farming

Farm Profit Optimisation and training of farm workers

Design and maintenance of Golf courses and sport fields

Setting up of organic home garden and orchards.

Are you smart, innovative and business minded? Start a career with us now.

careers@veggiegrow.ng

Drip Irrigation is the wetting of crops at the root level through the use of a form of pipe or hose with emitters. The emitters emit water in a trickle form.

With drip irrigation, you can be sure that your crops will efficiently utilize water. Most of the water you pass to the base of your crops will be used well. No run offs like other forms of irrigation.

Drip Irrigation systems use a low water pressure level to wet the root zones of plants.

The story of a dehydrated man has been used severally to explain the efficiency of drip irrigation system. When anybody is dehydrated, the doctor speedily passes water to his body through his veins not pouring the water on his body. This is how drip irrigation works; the roots of the plants are like the veins in human. Plants use water more efficiently when it is passed through their roots not pouring it on their leaves and water.

Examples of the different types of drip irrigation system

There are different types of drip irrigation system. We have the following specifications:

Drip irrigation tapes or micro-irrigation tapes with inline emitters, the emitters are spaced between 20cm – 60cm depending on the type you want. The water emission rate is between 2 litres per hour to 4 litres per hour. The diameter of the drip tapes is 16mm.

Another type of drip irrigation pipe is called the poly tubes; this is thicker than the drip tapes. You can also install the emitters at the spacing you like. The emitters are detachable.

We also stock drip irrigation system that can be automated with mobile phones and the internet. With this, you can switch on and off your drip irrigation system from a remote location.

Some drip irrigation pipes are pressure compensating while others are non-pressure compensating.

For small farms, you can use gravity push drip irrigation system but for big farms, a pump should be used to pump water into the drip irrigation system.

What a drip irrigation system can do

Irrigation: As explained above, a drip irrigation system can be used to pass water to your crops in an efficient manner

Fertigation: A drip irrigation system can be used to pass soluble fertilizers to your crops. Soluble fertilizers like NPK, Mono Ammonium Phosphate, Mono Potassium Phosphate, Calcium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate, humates like humic acid and fluvic acid and other fertilizers can be mixed in water and sent to your crops through your drip irrigation system. A fertigator called the venturi injector or fertiliser dosing pump can be used.

Chemigation: You can send chemicals like pesticides to your soil and the roots of your crops using your drip irrigation system. Nematicides can be passed through the drip irrigation system to your crops. However, you should use no return valves so that the chemicals will not flow back to your source of water.

For organic farmers, you can use drip irrigation pipes to send molasses, fluvic acid and dispersed neem oil to your soil and the roots of your crops. High dosage of fluvic acid can decontaminate your soil and take out harmful nematodes, ditto molasses and dispersed neem oil.

Biopesticides can also be passed to the soil and crops through drip irrigation. Microbial innoculants can also be sent to your crops through this type of irrigation system.

Components of a drip irrigation system

The components of a drip irrigation system are the parts or pieces of the irrigation system that are assembled to make the system work perfectly.

Without these components, your drip irrigation system may not function properly. The following are some of the components of a typical drip irrigation kit:

Drip Tape: The drip tape is polythene made hose or pipe with pre-installed emitters installed on it. The drip tapes are run parallel to the rows of plants on the field.

The drip tape comes in different diameter, emitter spacing, emitter water emission rates and thickness.

We sell 12mm, 16mm and 20mm diameter drip tapes. We also stock drip tapes with emitter spacing of 20cm, 30cm, 50cm and 60cm. Our drip tapes have emitter water emission rates of 1 litre, 2 litres and 3 litres.

We also have drip tapes with thicknesses of 0.2mm, 0.3mm and 0.4mm.

Lay Flat Hose: The lay flat hose or the sub-main hose acts as the main pipe or hose that the drip tapes are connected to.

The lay flat hose helps in the distribution of water to the drip tapes and the whole drip irrigation system.

Lay Flat Hose Connector: This is a type of drip irrigation connector used in connecting the drip tapes to the lay flat hose.

The lay flat hose connectors are usually fixed on the lay flat hose.

Venturi Injector: The venturi injector is a fertilizer or chemical injector that is used for injecting soluble fertilizers and chemicals into the drip irrigation lines or pipes.

With a venturi injector, fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals can be easily passed to the root zones of plants.

End Plugs: The end plus is a device used in closing the end of the drip tapes so that the flowing water will not escape or waste away.

Grommet and Take-Off: The grommet and take-off are types of connectors used in connecting the drip tapes to PVC pipes.

Drip Joiners: The drip joiners are used in connecting or join drip tapes. They are also used for the repairing of drip tapes.

The other components of the drip irrigation system include filters, emitters, punch tool, dosing pumps, valves, bolts and screws etc.

Gravity drip irrigation system

The gravity drip irrigation system is a type of drip irrigation system that works through the gravity push of water from a height to the irrigation lines or hoses.

In a gravity drip irrigation system, a water reservoir or tank is placed on a height. The height enables water to flow with good pressure through the pipes of hoses.

One acre drip irrigation system

A one acre drip irrigation system is a drip irrigation system for just one acre of farmland.

This includes all the accessories needed for setting up a drip irrigation system for one acre of farmland.

What you should look out for in order to buy the best drip irrigation system in Nigeria

The following are the things to look out for if you want to buy the best drip irrigation system in Nigeria:

The quality of the drip irrigation system: You should check the quality of the drip irrigation system before buying from any vendor. If you see any drip irrigation system that appears too cheap, you need to exercise caution, you may be buying a low quality system.

The expertise of the irrigation dealer: Buying from irrigation vendors who are expert in irrigation matters is better than buying from just any dealer. An expert will do a design for you and guide you on the best type of drip irrigation system to buy.

Thickness of the drip tape: Do not be deceived by the thickness of drip tapes. Some drip tapes are very thick, yet, they become brittle and bad within a few weeks. Some of the best drip tapes in the world are very light and they last for several years.

The price of the drip irrigation system: Never ever buy any drip irrigation system because it appears very cheap, you may blame yourself later.

The trick unscrupulous dealers use is to sell low quality drip irrigation system at ridiculously cheap price or cost, only for you to buy and use for a few months and they get bad. Pennywise, pound foolish!

Setting up of drip irrigation system

You need a source of water before you can set up your drip irrigation system. Borehole, well, dam, river or stream can be used. The water to be used must be clean, if dirty, you are advised to use a filtration system.

You may also need a pump if your farm is big. The drip laterals will be connected to a sub main which can either be a PVC pipe or a hose. The pump will lift water from your borehole or well to the drip irrigation system.

Advantages of drip irrigation

The following are the pros or advantages of drip irrigation:

Better water efficiency than other types of irrigation.

Low or non-existent possibility of soil erosion and leaching of nutrients because of the localization of wetting

Lesser weed pressure

Ability to fertigate and increase crop yield

Maximization of seed germination rate

Lesser need for labour, energy and fertilizers

Maximization of the efficiency of applied fertilizers

All year round farming and improvement in yield and profit of farmers

Disadvantages of drip irrigation

The disadvantage or con of using drip irrigation is discussed as follows:

In poor countries like Nigeria, the initial cost of acquiring the drip irrigation system may be considered high but the increase in crop yield will compensate for the cost.

Crops drip irrigation can work for

You can cultivate almost all types of crops using drip irrigation system. Tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, cabbage, watermelon, onions and egg plants etc can be cultivated under drip irrigation system.

Rice, maize and soyabeans can also be planted using this innovative type of irrigation.

Cash crops like cocoa, cashew and oil palms can also use this trickle type of irrigation. The Sumisansui irrigation system (similar to drip irrigation system) can be used for irrigating oil palm seedlings and trees.

With this trickle irrigation system, you can farm all year round, no need to wait for the rains again. Even during the rainy season, the rains can be very unpredictable.

Brain fed farmers using drip irrigation systems are making good money, why not contact us now for your own irrigation kit.