Drip irrigation is at the heart of the SIPIK 2 project.

HO120 Article Irrigation english.pdf

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This irrigation system, soon to be compulsory in Kenya, allows substantial savings in water needs (-50% under certain conditions) while allowing better managed irrigation throughout from the start to the end of the plantations.

Below is the summary of an article written in English.

Summary: Drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting for small plots

Irrigation, whether powered by pressure or gravity, requires a push to transport water from the source to the crops. Water can come from different sources, and the pressure needed depends on factors like altitude, length of pipes, and the size of the area to be irrigated. Motorized or solar pumps, as well as gravity systems, are used to generate this pressure. The pressure can be calculated based on the height of the water, with each 6O to 90 cm of water generating a pressure of 1 psi (English measure of pressure) equivalent to 1/15 bar.

Note: 10 meters of a column of water whatever its diameter corresponds to a pressure of 1 bar.

Drip irrigation systems typically operate at a pressure between 8 and 15 psi (0.5 to 1 bar), but research shows that pressure as low as 1 to 2 psi (1/15/1/16 of bar) can be effective for small plots, thereby reducing energy costs and allowing the use of inexpensive solar pumps and pipes. These systems are suitable for flat fields or high tunnels, and tests have shown that water application remains uniform at these low pressures.

Recovery water tanks must be correctly sized to avoid pressure losses. The collected water must be filtered to prevent clogging of the pipes, although simple systems can filter out large particles.

In conclusion, low-pressure drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting represent accessible and sustainable solutions for the irrigation of small plots particularly suited to small farmers.