GOING DRIP 2018 IN A MODERN WAY

#Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation is a controlled ,slow application of water to soil over a long period of time, usually lasting for several hours . The water flows under low pressure through plastic pipes /tubing laid along each row of plants. It reduces water loss by u[to 60%.Flow rates needs to be adjusted so that there's no run off or flooding.

•  Apply enough water to water the soil in depth of 4 - 6 inches 
• Avoid frequent light application of water 
• water in early day light hours

#Planning a drip system

• Source of a clear water that flows at a rate of at least 2-5 gallons per minute with at least 30 - 40 pounds of pressure ,if using a rain barrel , raise or elevate it to increase water pressure 
• Locate the area to be irrigated to be close to water source 
• Dripsol company will help you determine and sketch design for the area you want to irrigate on a site visit 
• Have a plan when you shop and take it with you to our office in limuru town
• When buying irrigation equipment , avoid mixing brands of fittings, hoses and emitters unless they are compatible 
• Emitter selection and performance are keys to the success of all drip irrigation system .  Some emitters perform satisfactory underground , while other tube is used only above the ground .Emitter clogging  is a major problem in drip irrigation . They clog easily 

#Operating drip system 

operating drip system is a matter of deciding when to on and how long to leave it on. The object is to maintain adequate soil moisture without wasting water 

Bring the moisture level in the root zone to a satisfactory level 

#BASIC PARTS OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM 

• Valves  - Turn on and off the water flow through the drip lines
•  Pressure regulator  - Reduces the water pressure and keeps it at a constant level.
• Filter - Cleans the water, 
• Emitter - controls how fast the water drops onto the soil , common emitters emits 4ltrs/hours of water 
• Drip lines - it's laid on the ground surface  between or along side the plants 
• Drip line fittings - Fittings (Tees, coupling and adapters) are the plastic connectors used to attache  the drip tube 

Contact dripsol company at +254746300055 / +254738690937 or through email at sales@dripsol.com / info@dripsol.com

#HappyFarming
#Mordernfarming2018

10 tips for soil conservation

let's have a look at the major component of Farming either small scale or large scale farming, In order to have fertile and productive soils and to contribute to a sustainable environment, it is necessary to prevent erosion, taking care of our fields. How does that work? Well, here are simple best practices you can adopt to prepare and preserve the land.

•  No-till farming

This farming technique provides that at the end of the season (after harvest) each plot of land is left “resting”. This allows natural herbaceous plants to grow without direct intervention on the field by agricultural vehicles. So, the soil can recover the organic substances needed for fertility. On the other hand, spontaneous herbaceous plants maintain the stability of the soil and protect it from the effects of erosion by water and wind.

• Terracing

This technique takes advantage of the natural inclination of the ground to slow the flow of water through a series of “grades”. This allows for a better management of soil and water, facilitating agricultural operations.

• Contour farming

This technique provides for crop sowing not in vertical and parallel lines, but rather following the natural contours and shapes of the plot. Contour farming slows the flow of water along the land and prevents the effects of erosion.

• Eliminating impermeable surfaces

Surfaces impermeable to water such as driveways, roads or asphalted areas allow the rain to flow and drain too quickly. This leads to rapid erosion of banks and ditches, streams and ponds. In order to eliminate this risk, you may choose to pave these areas with natural porous stone, instead of cement, so that the water can easily penetrate the underlying soil instead of flowing away.

• Creating a rain garden

What’s that? A rain garden is none other than a ground that is slightly lower and ridged in relation to the rest of the area. The water tends to accumulate in these lots of depression with two positive effects: it does not flow away and, therefore, does not erode the soil it crosses. It also provides the ability to grow plants that require plenty of water or that grow in marshy areas.

•  Collecting rainwater 

You can arrange a cistern to collect rainwater, for example at the edge of roofs. If left to flow freely, water can damage the soil and, therefore, collecting and storing it not only protects the soil but is also good for the environment: you can even use it for irrigation, reducing consumption and waste.

• Planting windbreaks

Not only water, but also wind represents a serious menace that contributes to soil erosion. To prevent its effects you can plant some types of windbreak plants around the edges of your plot that reduce its speed, protecting the crops. Some examples? Try hedges with laurel, cypress, oak and poplars.

• Restoring ponds and marshes

Small ponds and marshes form naturally in certain depressed areas of the ground, and many farmers tend to remove them and improve the areas in order to have more arable land. However, these areas can limit soil erosion; we have already seen that water accumulates in these areas and cannot erode the soil. In addition, these small ponds are the perfect habitat for small animal species, contributing to the biodiversity of the ecosystem.

• Buffer strips

Buffer strips are certain types of plants, natural herbs and small bushes that enrich the banks of ditches. Their roots dig deep into the soil subject to erosion and the continuous action of flowing water, and they help to keep it compact and solid even in the event of large water flows or small floods.

• Maintaining natural flora

The presence of large trees on the grounds is crucial to fight soil erosion. Plant roots create a dense network that form a sort of skeleton for the underlying soil making it less prone to erosion of possible landslides.

Each of these tips contribute a little to maintain the soil and its resources intact over time, providing an answer to one of the most crucial problems in agriculture. In addition, when it is time to work the soil, don’t stop protecting it. Choose tires that are the least aggressive as possible in order to reduce compaction of the soil and preserve its integrity and productivity, #SoilConservation #DripsolCompany #HappyFarmer #ModernFarmer

Easy Lock Fittings

Are you having struggles when connecting drip irrigation? Not any more. Setting up your new drip system is a snap with Easy Lock Fittings. No more sore hands or wrists, They hold very well at higher pressures—up to 50 PSI. Plus, Easy Loc Fittings are faster and easier to use than compression or barbed fittings too!

Making changes or adding to your drip system is a breeze when using Easy Lock Fittings. Start each drip line with an Easy Lock Female Hose Beginning connected to your  assembly. Then use an Easy Lock coupler or Easy Lock Tee to increase the size of your irrigation system. Always get a few extras for expanding your drip system in the future—you can even reuse them!

The Easy Lock x 1/4" Barb Fitting is one of the coolest Easy Lock Fittings. This fitting is used to tee off your Mainline Tubing. The flow through the 1/4" barb is around 80 gallons per hour so it can often replace a "T" fitting. Our 1/2" Easy Lock Tee and 3/4" Easy Lock Reducing Tee are both excellent for branching off your mainline too (e.g. in order to circle a tree with 1/2" Emitter Tubing). However, substituting Easy Loc x 1/4" Barbs (EL14B) for tees is a more economical method that works just as well—provided a Hold Down Stake is placed near the connection to add stability and to prevent leakage to your line.

Once you've used the Easy Loc Fittings you'll never regret it. Dripsol Company  use them in  all of their Irrigation Kits.

Get in touch: sales@dripsol.com / +254746300055 / +254738690937..We wouldn't think of using anything else!

Growing Egg Plant (Brinjal)

The brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a warm-season crop grown for its edible fruit.

Climate is one of the most important factors that determine planting times, and the wide climate variation in SA means that good-quality brinjals can be grown in open lands across various parts of the country year-round. The brinjal cannot tolerate very low temperatures; the minimum it can withstand is around 10°C, and the maximum is 34°C.  The optimum temperature for brinjal cultivation is between 26°C and 29°C.  The earliest seedling establishment period is when soil and air temperatures meet the minimum requirements for plant growth. The latest seedling establishment period should allow for growth and harvesting to be completed before adverse conditions set in.


Preferred soil types
Brinjals favor a well-drained loam to sandy loam soil, but will grow reasonably well in a wide range of different soil types.  However,  certain criteria in terms of the soil structure and content must be met to make the crop commercially viable.  These include nutrient composition, compaction, effective soil depth, pH, crop rotation, herbicide residue and the water-holding capacity of the soil.

Varieties
Different varieties produce fruit of different sizes, shapes and colors, varying from white to yellow or green, reddish-purple and dark purple.

The currently favored cultivars produce a fruit that is egg-shaped, 12 cm to 25 cm long and 6 cm to 9 cm in diameter, and has a dark purple skin.

How to prepare the soil
Good soil preparation will improve the potential for profitable brinjal production. Primary soil preparation must create growing conditions that enable the plants to develop the optimal root system.  Most roots occur in the top 600 mm of the soil.  Soil preparation depends on the soil type and the specific variety’s requirements.  On sandy soils, the focus should be to reduce compaction and erosion; on heavier soils, the aim is to reduce crust formation.  Soil should be worked to a depth of between 200 mm and 400 mm.

Ridging is highly recommended, but this should be done according to the land contours. This keeps excess water away from the plant, improves root zone aeration, increases soil depth in the growing bed and promotes root development.

Growing seedlings

Brinjals reproduce by seed. Seedlings should first be established in 128- or 200-hole trays and then transplanted. Although more expensive, the larger 200-hole trays ensure better root development.  Deep sowing is better in warmer conditions, as seedlings take longer to emerge at longer growing distances and cooler temperatures.  Shallow sowing is better under cooler conditions, as seedlings emerge sooner due to shorter growing distances and higher temperatures.  If possible, place seed at a uniform depth using a precision seeder. Grow the seedlings in a well-aerated medium, with good water-holding capacity and a pH of around 6,5. Peat, bark and vermiculite mixes provide good results.

Potential problems
Typical difficulties at this stage include an excessive tannin level and low soil porosity, resulting in poor drainage and green mould build-up. Pre-enrich the medium and fertilise the seedlings 10 days after germination, using a liquid fertiliser.  Keep the seedlings moist, but not wet, by using a watering can or hose with fine spray.

In hot season, seedlings take four to six weeks to reach transplant maturity. In cold, they take approximately eight weeks.
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#Happyfarming

Growing Pumpkins

In some countries, bush-type varieties are available.The leaf area of these is not large enough to produce more than one or two fruits; for a better yield, the plants must be spaced very close together.

Ultimately, however, the type is less important than the size of fruit and the yield, or the number of fruit per hectare.

Seed is expensive, so space the plants further apart if you can still obtain a good yield.

The old Boer pumpkin is a strong runner that starts producing fruiting flowers only when the runners are quite long. The maximum yield is only about 25 t/ha, however, whereas modern grey-skinned varieties have a substantially higher yield potential.

Spacing is all important, because when the pumpkins ‘join up’ between the rows, they start aborting fruit, a remnant of a primitive survival trait.

The plant’s main objective is to produce seed for the next generation; your eating pleasure is of little consequence. The plant, therefore, tends to strike a balance between the amount of fruit it sets and the leaf area it requires to support the fruit to seed maturity.

Different varieties abort fruit at different times, but all obey the same principle: the plant will not set more fruit than can reach maturity. Moreover, it is often conservative in this regard, so spacing really is important.

Cool weather
Other factors also play a role. A lower average temperature results in the distance between the inter nodes of the vines being shortened and causes the first female fruit to be set closer to the crown.

This means that more fruit will be set on the vines before the rows meet in the middle. Row spacing can therefore vary within one variety depending on the time of the year being planted.

Shorter day-length, often coupled with cooler weather, will also cause fruit to be set closer to the crown.

Finally, conditions in the land can influence spacing in an unexpected way. Good management and high fertility will produce more vigorous vine growth, causing the vines to meet in the middle and start aborting fruit.

For this reason, ironically, yield may be higher where there has been neglect or poorer fertility!

For a good yield
This doesn’t mean that you should not strive for ideal conditions. It just means that when growing conditions are good, you should space the rows further apart. Put another way, for a good yield, the fruit population should be set before the entire area is covered.

#HappyFarming2018

To mark World Water Day 2018, here are some mind-blowing and alarming facts.

“Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively impact food security, livelihood choices and educational opportunities for poor families across the world. Drought afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition.”

According to the U.N., 2.1 billion people don’t have safe drinking water at home.
Of those, 844 million don’t have access to a basic drinking water service, including 263 million people who travel for over 30 minutes per trip to collect water.
And 159 million still drink untreated water—a serious health risk—from surface water sources, such as streams or lakes.

There are 663 million people who live without a safe water supply close to home.

About 71% of the Earth's surface is water-covered, according to The United States Geological Survey Water Science School.
The world’s total water supply equates to 332.5 million cubic miles.
Oceans hold around 97% of all Earth's water, which means all but about 3% of our water is saline.
Of the world’s total freshwater, 69% is frozen in ice and glaciers and another 30% is in the ground.
Just 0.26% of the world’s water is in freshwater lakes.
And only 0.001% of all our water is in the atmosphere.
By 2050, the world’s population will have grown by an estimated 2 billion people—nearing 10 billion—increasing demand for water by up to 30%, predicts the U.N.

Over 80% of society’s dirty wastewater flows back into the environment without treatment or reuse.
As much as 71% of the world’s natural wetlands have been lost since 1900—and it’s humans’ fault.

Also check World Water Day 2018: 80 Powerful Images to Make You Think Twice about Leaving Your Shower Running

Source http://www.newsweek.com/

FERTILIZING CROPS CORRECTLY

Farmers frequently ask us for specific fertilizer for their crops. Dripsol company fraternity would happily oblige if all crops were the same!

How to fertilize a crop correctly



 This can only be done if the organic status and soil life are healthy enough to ensure that recycling of nutrients takes place. Unfortunately, each crop is different because each land is unique. Each land has its own reserve of nutrients and this must be taken into account when determining a crop’s fertilizer requirement. This is why it’s necessary to have the soil analysed. Only once you have these results can you determine how to fertilize according to the specific needs of the crop.

The nutrients in the soil are bound in clay colloids and may not be readily available to the plants due to the soil pH or the action of certain minerals. As a result, the nutrients must first be ‘altered’ chemically or biologically before the plants can use them.

Phosphorous, for example, can be in the form of Iron Phosphate, Aluminium Phosphate or Manganese Phosphate. In any of these states, it is unavailable to plants. Fertilizer companies therefore finely grind rock phosphate and treat it chemically. Applied to a crop, this makes phosphate available to plants. The duration of this availability will depend largely on the soil’s pH. Plants convert the sun’s energy into sugary substances in their leaves and exude these from their roots to supply soil microbes. About 30% of the energy used by the plants goes into feeding microbes, and these in turn make nutrients available to the plant. If we don’t consider the value of a healthy microbial environment in the soil, the plants certainly do!

Organic content also acts as a buffer. A hectare of good soil with a healthy organic content can contain up to 5t of soil organisms. These represent a reservoir of nutrients that are constantly recycled and provide food for plants. A healthy, balanced quantity of minerals in the soil is good for all crops, especially vegetables. Once you have achieved this, you need only ‘top-up’ where necessary, irrespective of the crop.

More soil organisms present in the soil, fewer worries 

The higher the organic content of the soil and the accompanying soil life, the less you need to know about soil fertility and the less important mineral imbalances become. Farmers and fertilizer companies place too much emphasis on establishing the precise quantity of fertilizer to apply to each crop instead of getting the soil properly fertile in the first place. How soon you can achieve this depends on your operation. Field crops do not always have enough of a profit margin for a farmer to fast-track the process but the principles remain the same.


Soil health

 Compost  is  a  mixture  of  dead  plants,  roots  and leaves. If your soil is heavy clay adding compost will help the soil drain water . If your sandy, adding compost will help the soil hold more water. Adding compost brings earth worms and other living things that help plants and roots grow strong and healthy. Vegetable farmers,  have too much to lose by ignoring soil fertility. Focus on improving soil health as soon as possible – by increasing organic content, achieving the correct mineral balance and tilling as little as possible.  As world population and food production demands rise, keeping our soils healthy and productive is of more importance.

Happy Farming,

contact us for drip irrigation quotes sales@dripsol.com  / +254 (0) 746-300-055 / +254 (0) 7-3869-0937