DRIPKIT-ENG

A SUCCESSFUL DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM
TO MEET THE NEEDS OF SMALL FARMERS

FOR BANANA CULTIVATION
“MORE CROP PER DROP”
Dr. S.J. Arasakesary

Mr. A. Amirthalojanan
Eng. M. Sooriasegaran
Dr. A. Kandiah
Regional Agriculture Research and Development Centre

Kilinochchi
A
TECHNICAL PUBLICATION
2
Save Water, Save Nation
A SUCCESSFUL DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM TO
MEET THE NEEDS OF SMALL FARMERS FOR
BANANA CULTIVATION
“DRIP KIT - MORE CROP, PER DROP”
Dr.S.J.Arasakesary
(Senior Plant Breeder, Additional Director of Agriculture -
Research, RARDC)
Mr. A. Amirthalojanan
(Organic Research Fellow, Research Assistant - RARDC)
Eng. M. Sooriasegaran
(Irrigation Engineer and Consultant, United Kingdom)
Dr. A. Kandiah
(Water Resources Development and Management Ex-Un
Expert, USA)
Regional Agricultural Research and Development Center,

Kilinochchi.
2020
3
PREFACE
Micro irrigation system has been reported with frequent failures among
small farmers in the dry zone. It has become necessary to promote
globally proven technology in our country in order to save water and
save nation. Therefore a preliminary study was conducted to evaluate
the applicability of a simplified drip system that operates under static
pressure (Drip Kit) as an alternative to standard drip systems to small
farm holdings, in the range of ¼ to ½ acre.
The study was done at the Regional Agricultural Research and

Development Centre (RARDC) in the Kilinochchi District. The trial
was conducted in an area of 1/8thof an acre. The banana variety used
was tissue culture propagated dwarf cavendish, cultivar Musa
acuminata. Plants were spaced 2.5 m between rows and 2 m within
rows. The Drip Kit used in the study consisted of (a) a headworks
system comprising a 4 m high water tower, a 1000 L plastic water tank,
a 1 ½” screen filter, water supply and water delivery pipes and
associated control devices; and (b) a field system comprising main and
sub-main lines, 16 mm laterals, and 2 online drippers per plant, each
dripper having 4L//h discharge rate. The plants were irrigated twice a
day, with a combined duration of irrigation of 60 minutes per day
during the early stages and gradually increasing the time of irrigation
with the development stages of growth development with a maximum
duration of irrigation of 180 minutes per day during fruit setting and
fruit maturity. The total quantity of water applied from planting to
harvest to the entire population of 96 plants amounted to 254,208 liters.
Total banana yield was 1079.35 kg. Yield, expressed in standard units,
was 8.6 tons/acre or 21.7 tons/ha.
4
The field trial showed that the design of the Drip Kit system was sound.
The water tower constructed using two scaffolding unit was stable and
served the purpose. The water tank, placed at the top of the water tower
at a height of 4 m, provided adequate pressure to operate the drippers.
Water saving and water efficiency under the Drip Kit system was much
greater compared to potential water use and water productivity of a
hypothetical traditional basin irrigation system. Water productivity
under the Drip Kit was 4.2 kg/m3, compared to water productivity of
0.5 kg/m3 under the hypothetical basin irrigation system. The study
shows that, a minimum size of land for economically viable banana
production, under the Drip Kit system, would be ¼ acre and the
optimum size would be ¾ of acre.
Further work is needed to incorporate fertigation facility into the Drip

Kit. Other improvements, such as a better design of the water tower,
selection of more efficient filtration units and improved drippers (such
as pressure compensating drippers) would make the Drip Kit more
efficient than the one used in the present trial. It is also recommended
that replicated and statistically designed field trials on Drip Kit
irrigation are conducted to obtain more reliable results and conclusively
assess the potential of the Drip Kit system in banana cultivation by
small holding farmers.
As such, Micro irrigation system with feasible Drip-Kit has proved its
efficiency in banana cultivation in the dry zone of srilanka.
-Authors
5
INTRODUCTION
Average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka is generally

between 1,200 to 1,900 mm with a distinct dry season from May to
September. The entire area of the Northern, Eastern and North Central
provinces and significant parts of the North Western, Uva and Southern
provinces fall under the Dry Zone weather pattern. While critical
climatic factors such as temperature, sunshine and relative humidity
favour crop growth in the Dry Zone, water shortage remains the
limiting factor (Wickramagamage, 2010). The problem of water
shortage is further exacerbated by the impact of climate change, which
brings decreased and unpredictable rainfall and prolonged droughts and
floods (World Bank 2018). Many farming areas in the Dry Zone,
particularly the Northern Province, have recently experienced
unprecedented drought. Irrigation is, thus, critical for sustainable
agriculture in the Dry Zone.
The irrigation practice in Sri Lanka is predominantly surface irrigation,

which wastes water and results in a meager 40% efficiency. This
means, 60% of water diverted from surface water sources or pumped
from wells is wasted. Surface irrigation is also energy intensive,
laborious, prone to excessive weed growth and costly. In this context,
drip irrigation becomes the best alternative to the traditional surface
irrigation method (Kandiah 2016). In drip irrigation, water is applied
precisely to the crop very near to its root system, minimizing any
wastage. Each drop of water is used by the plant. The efficiency of
water use is around 80 to 90%. Crop yields are doubled, and the quality
of the produce is superior to that obtained under surface irrigation
(TNAU, 2008). Drip irrigation is considered a climate-smart
agricultural practice, the best option to minimize climate change
impacts and critical to sustaining groundwater use and conservation
6
CGIAR (2016). Drip irrigation when practiced with compatible and
improved agricultural practices, such as improved tillage and land
preparation, planting healthy seedlings raised by techniques such as
“tissue culture”, improved fertilizer management practices and smart
pest and disease control measures, results in high productivity and high
profit potential (Kandiah, 2018).
In 2016, ONUR launched a drip irrigation project in three districts,

namely, Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Hambantota with the objective of
introducing drip irrigation technology to small farmers. Under this
project, 300 farmers and 100 agriculture extension officers were trained
in drip irrigation technology in three districts, namely, Jaffna,
Kilinochchi and Hambantota (ONUR, 2016). Subsequent analysis and
feed-back from trained farmers revealed that small farmers are
reluctant to adopt the “standard drip irrigation systems”. Standard drip
irrigation systems are expensive, costing around Rs. 650,000 per acre.
Further these systems are technically complex and small farmers find
it difficult to operate and maintain such systems, even after training. In
addition, standard drip irrigation systems are not economical in small
plots of land; they require farm sizes of more than 2 acres (minimum 1
acre) to be economically viable. However, most smallholder farmers
cultivate highland crops in lands less the 1 acre, typically ½ to ¼ acre.
An alternative to the standard drip irrigation systems for smallholder
farmers is the Drip Kit system.
7
THE STUDY
A study was initiated to test the applicability of the Drip Kit system, a
simplified drip system that operates under static pressure as an
alternative to standard drip systems to small farm holdings, in the range
of ¼ to ½ acre. Objectives of the study were threefold, namely:
(a) To validate the design and installation of the Drip-Kit system;
(b) To determine the yield potential and water productivity of banana

under a Drip-Kit system; and
(c) To assess the economic feasibility of the system for small holder
banana production.
8
METHODS AND MATERIALS
The study was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research and

Development Centre (RARDC) located along the A9 Road at the
Iranamadu Junction, in the Kilinochchi District. The climate was a
typical Dry Zone climate with some variation. The total rainfall
received at the trial location from February 2018 to January 2019
(period of the study) amounted to 1514.2 mm. The monthly rainfall
distribution is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. The monthly rainfall received, February 2018 to January 2019

(Data from Arasakesary and Amirthalojanan 2019)
The soil belonged to the Red Yellow Latosol group. It has good texture
and good drainage. The chemical properties of the soil are presented in
Table 1.
9
Table 1. The chemical properties of the soil (Amirthalojanan, 2018)
EC K2O P2O5
Sample PH OM %
(us/cm) (ppm) (ppm)
1 6.23 43.6 1.8 120 4.03
2 6.65 62.1 1.4 142 3.92
Trial was conducted in an area of 1/8thof an acre, which was rectangular

in shape and had the dimensions of 20 m width and 25 m length. The
banana variety used was tissue culture propagated dwarf cavendish,
cultivar Musa acuminata, supplied by Hayleys PLC. Plants were
spaced 2.5 m between rows and 2 m within rows. There were 8 rows
and each row had 12 plants. Altogether, there were 96 plants. Planting
was done following standard procedures recommended by the
Department of Agriculture. At each planting point, a pit, 45 cm x 45cm
x 45 cm was dug and 5 kg of cattle manure was incorporated into the
soil. Just before planting, basal dozes of P and K fertilizers, consisting
of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 100 g/plant and Muriate of Potash
(MOP) 50 g/plant, were applied. The first doze of urea was applied 14
days after planting at the rate of 25 g/plant. Subsequent split dozes of
fertilizers were applied as per the recommendation of the Department
of Agriculture. Fertilizers were applied manually and not through the
drip system.
A Drip-Kit system was used to irrigate the plants. Basically, the Drip-
Kit consisted of (a) a headworks comprising a water tower, 4 m high, a
1000 L plastic water tank, a 1 ½ ” screen filter, water supply and water
delivery pipes and associated control devices; and (b) a field system
consisting of main and sub-main lines, laterals, online drippers and
10
control valves. The water tower was constructed by stacking two
standard scaffolding units one on top of the other. The base scaffolding
unit was firmly attached to four anchoring tubes, each anchoring tube
buried in a concrete foundation, 60 cm deep and 45 cm x 45 cm in cross
section. Figure2 illustrates the features of the water tower of the Drip
Kit system.
On top of the water tower, a 1000L plastic water tank was securely
placed. The water tank was connected, at the top, to a 1” (PVC) water
supply pipe. A water delivery pipe (PVC), 1 ½ “diameter was
connected at the bottom of the tank which delivered water to the
drippers in the field. The water tank was also attached to a 1” (PVC)
drainage pipe at the bottom and a 1” (PVC) overflow pipe at the top.
The water flow in the delivery pipe was controlled by a 1 ½ “(PVC)
main control valve.
When the main control valve is in open position, water would flow
from the water tank to the drip system through a 1 ½ “(PVC) screen
filter. The screen filter was an important component of the Drip Kit
system, as it filtered the water by removing solid particles in the water
and prevented the clogging of the drippers. Figure 3 illustrates the water
supply and water delivery arrangements, the position of the screen filter
and the main control valve and other associated features. Photograph 1
shows the Drip Kit system used in the study.
11
12
Figure 2. Construction details of the water tower of the Drip Kit system
(Sooriasegaram and Kandiah, 2018).
Figure 3. The water supply and delivery systems attached to the
water tank (Sooriasegaram and Kandiah, 2018).
13
Screen Filter Online drippers
On-line
Inside the online Online
Screen filter dripper
filter dripper
attached to
lateral
Figure 4. The screen filter and the online drippers
Photograph 1. The Drip Kit used in the study.
14
On the ground, the main 1 ½” delivery pipeline transitioned into a 1”
sub-main pipeline line, which ran along the top of the banana plot. 16
mm (PVC) lateral pipes were connected to the 1“sub-main pipeline
coinciding each row of the banana plants. There were 8 rows of lateral
pipes, one lateral pipe dedicated to each row of the banana plant. At the
base of each banana plant, two online drippers were fixed. Each on-line
dripper discharged 4 l/hr. There were altogether 12 laterals. Figure 4
shows the features of a screen filter and online drippers. Figure 5
presents the layout of the trial.
Figure 5. Schematic layout of the trial.

15
The banana plants were irrigated daily through the Drip-Kit system.
Plants were irrigated two times every day. The amount of water applied
varied with the stage of growth and the weather condition. The duration
of irrigation varied between 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Table 2 presents
the watering regime from planting to harvest. Irrigation was stopped
during rainy days. Photographs 2, 3, 4 and 5 show the various stages
of growth and development of the banana plants.
Seedlings actively growing
16
Table 2 Watering regime from planting to harvest (Data from
Arasakesary and Amirthalojanan 2019).
17
Photographs 2, 3, 4 and 5. Bananas at various stages of growth,
development and fruiting
18
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
(a) The design and construction of the Drip Kit system
The design and construction of the water tower, the pipelines, and field
drip system have met the engineering standards. The construction of
the water tower utilizing two standard construction scaffolding units
proved to be efficient and economical. The concrete foundation of the
anchoring tubes provided adequate stability to the water tower. The fact
that the water tower could be constructed in two days was a positive
aspect of the design and construction.
The use of a readily available plastic water tank of 1000 L capacity was
another added advantage of the design. 1000 L capacity plastic tanks,
manufactured by companies such as S-Lon PE (by PE Plus (Pvt) Ltd);
The Plastic shells Tank (Arpico-Richard Pieris Group); Anton Max
Double Layer Water Tank (Anton by St.Anthony's Industries Group)
and a few other others, are available in hardware stores all over in Sri
Lanka at an affordable cost. The cost of materials for the construction
of the water tower, including the scaffolding units, 1000 L plastic water
tank, and foundation for anchoring the water tower, was around Sri
Lanka Rupees 45,000. It should be noted that a team of an experienced
mason and a plumber is required to construct water tower, secure the
water tank atop of the water tower and make appropriate pipe
connections. In addition, a minimum of two labourers are required to
dig the foundation and assist the mason and the plumber.
19
(b) The design and installation of the screen filter, water delivery
pipes and the field system
The water delivery pipes conveyed water from the water tank to the
drippers (emitters). Water flow was controlled by a single 1 ½ “ball
valve fitted to the main pipeline which ran down, perpendicularly, from
the water tank. When the ball valve was in open position water flowed
down to the secondary pipeline through a screen filter. The screen filter
was fitted to the delivery pipe in such a way to minimize turbulent flow
and for this purpose, it was fixed to the horizontal portion of the
pipeline. For this purpose, two 90obends were utilized in the design, as
illustrated in Figure 6.
Main control
valve
Filter
Figure 6. Details of fitting the screen filter on to the delivery pipe.
The 1 ½” main water delivery pipe, upon reaching the ground was
directed towards the banana plot and was transitioned into a 1”
secondary pipeline by means of a reducer. At the point of transition, a
1” ball valve was fixed to control the flow into the secondary pipeline.
The secondary pipeline ran along the top of the banana plot.
20
At the end of the secondary pipeline, a 1” ball valve was fixed. This
valve acted as a “flushing valve, which would be opened periodically
to flush out sediments and soil particles that accumulate in the pipes.
(c) The field Design
The 16 mm lateral pipes were connected to the secondary pipeline by

means of barbed connectors and grommets. These were very critical
connections. It was important to ensure that water did not leak at these
connections. At the very end, the lateral tubes were tightly closed to
ensure that water did not leak when the system was under operation.
This was achieved by completely bending (180 o) the tubes and
fastening them with plastic twine.
Along each lateral, two drippers were fixed close to the base of each
banana plant. One lateral irrigated 12 plants and thus there were 24
drippers (12 pairs) in each lateral. Each dripper had a manufacturer’s
discharge rate of 4 L/h.
(d) Water Application
Irrigation was done twice daily, except for rainy days. Water was
applied in the morning, (around 8 to 10 am) and in the afternoon (3 to
5 pm). The duration of irrigation varied with the growth and
development stages of the plants as shown in Figure 7.
21
22
Figure 7. Variation of duration of irrigation with the stages of growth and development phases.
Figure 8. Variation of quantity of water applied with the stages of growth and development
phases.
23
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a progressive increase in irrigation duration
and quantity of water applied as the plant grows, flowers and produces
fruit. Combined application of water, morning and evening
applications, increased in the following manner:
8 liters/day/plant during the seedling to early growth stage;

10 liters/day/plant during active growth and full vegetative growth
stage;
12 liters/ day/plant during the flower initiation stage;
18 liters/ day/plant during flowering stage; and
24 liters per day during the fruit growth and maturity stage.
There was quite a bit of variability among the banana population

within the plot in terms of growth, flowering and fruiting. This could
have been due to variations in water discharge by drippers from the
top to the bottom of a long lateral and between laterals. It could also
be partially due to variation in soil properties within the plot.
The variation in growth and development was reflected in the

flowering pattern of the plants. Flowering spanned over a two month
period, beginning on 19 August 2019 to 10 October 2019, despite the
fact that all seedlings were planted on the same day. Figure 9
illustrates the distribution dates of flowing among the banana
population.
24
Figure 9. Distribution of flowing among the banana population
(Amirthalojanan, 2018).
15 plants located at the end of laterals due to receiving less water,

flowered at long after 10.10.2018. Therefore they were not included in
Figure 9. The total quantity of water applied from planting to harvest
to the entire population of 96 plants, -28 February 2018 to 20 February
2019 - amounted to 254,208 liters. It should be noted that no irrigation
was done during the period -24 September 2018 to 3 January 2019 - as
there was plenty of rainfall during these months. The total rainfall
recorded during this period was 1223.8 mm. The distribution of water
from day 1 (planting) to 352 days (harvest) is shown in Figure 10 .
25
Figure 10. Quantity of water applied
CROP YIELD
Harvesting began on 27.12.2018. Out of a population of 96 plants,

harvesting was made from 63 plants (as of 20. 02.2019). Table 3 shows
the yield of banana. Total banana yield was 1079.35 kg. Average yield
per banana plant was 17.1 kg. Yield expressed in terms of standard
units comes to 8.6 tons/acre or 21.7 tons/ha. This yield is impressive.
National average of banana yield is around 15 tons/ acre and average
banana yield in the Northern Province is reported to be around 20
tons/acre. It should be noted the cultivar of banana planted was tissue
culture propagated dwarf cavendish which is a medium yielding
cultivar. However, it is a short duration variety, producing fruits in
about 9 to 10 months.
26
Bunch of Cavendish Banana
WATER PRODUCTIVITY
Water productivity, with respect to crop production, is referred to as

crop water productivity (CWP) and is defined as the amount of crop
produced per volume of water used. The unit of CWP is kg/m3.
In this field trial, a total of 254,208 liters or 254.2 m3of water were
applied. The total crop production was 1079.35 kg of fresh banana.
Water productivity of banana under the Drip Kit irrigation, calculated
from the results of this preliminary study, works out to be 4.2 kg/m 3.
27
Observation of water productivity
Table 3. Yield of banana in kg (Data from Arasakesary and

Amirthalojanan, 2019)
Date of harvest Line and plant no. Total Weight in kg

27.12.2018 Line-03-02 16.5
Line-02-04 19.5
Line-02-08 18.5
Line-01-06 16.5
Line- 02-09 20.5
Line-03-03 17.5
Line -01-03 16.5
Line-02-10 17.05
Line-01-06 16.3
Line-02-01 17
Line-04-03 17
Line-04-02 18.5
Line-04-11 17.5
Line-04-04 18.5
Line-01-11 17
Line-05-01 17.5
Total Weight 281.85
Table 3 (a) Date of harvest, plant number and yield
28
Amirthalojanan, 2019), cont’d.
Date of Line and plant Total Weight in

harvest no. kg
27.12.2018 Line-03-09 18
Line-02-02 15
Line-12-09 21
Line-04-10 18
Line-01-07 17.5
Line-12-12 17
Line-01-05 15
Line-01-07 17
Line-07-08 16.5
Line-02-05 16.5
Line-05-06 17.5
Line-05-07 15.5
Line-06-10 15
Line-06-01 17.5
Line-04-04 18.5
Line-03-10 15.5
Total Weight 271
Table 3 (b) Date of harvest, plant number and yield
29
Date of Line and plant Total Weight in

harvest no. kg
Line-03-08 15
01.01.2019 Line-05-10 16
Line-04-08 16.5
Line-07-11 15.5
Line-03-01 15
Line-12-05 17
Line-03-12 18
Line-06-07 17
Line-12-06 17.5
Line-01-09 16
02.01.2019 Line-06-11 18.5
Line-01-02 16.5
04.01.2019 Line-08-08 18
Line-07-09 17.5
Line-06-03 16
Line-02-11 16.5
Total Weight 266.5
Table 3 (c) Date of harvest, plant number and yield
30
Date of Line and plant Total Weight in kg

harvest no.
Line-05-02 19.5
07.01.2019 Line-02-07 20
Line-03-07 17.5
Line-05-09 16.5
Line-03-05 17.5
Line-07-02 15.5
Line07-11 16.5
Line-07-05 16
Line-05-12 18
11.01.2019 Line-08-07 18.5
22.01.2019 Line-05-08 15.5
24.01.2019 Line-06-04 16.5
Line-08-04 18
13.02.2019 Line-02-06 17
15.02.2019 Line-03-11 17.5
Total Weight 260
Table 3 (d) Date of harvest, plant number and yield
Total Total Total Total Grand

banana banana banana banana total of
yield in Kg yield in yield in Kg yield in banana
Table (a) Kg Table able (c) Kg Table yield in
(b) (d) Kg
281.85 271 266.5 260 1079.35
31
It is assumed that if the plots were irrigated by the traditional surface
irrigation of basin system, irrigation would have been done every 4
days during the non-rainy days. During each application, a minimum
of 4 mm water would have been applied. On this basis, a total amount
of 1984 m3of water would have been applied, as shown in Table 3.
Water productivity under this hypothetical basin irrigation system,
assuming the same yield, works out to 0.5 kg/m3.
Table 3. Hypothetical calculation of water use under a basin irrigation

system.
Month Rain mm No of Amount Total amount Volume in

irrigation per of irrigation m3
per month irrigation per month
mm mm
8
Feb 0 2 4 64
Mar 12.7 6 4 24 192
Apr 0 8 4 32 256
160
May 21.4 5 4 20
June 0 8 4 32 256
Jul 0 8 4 32 256
Aug 0 8 4 32 256
Sep 77 4 4 16 128
Oct 341.3 0 4 0 0
Nov 397.9 0 4 0 0
Dec 469.3 0 4 0 0
Jan 1.9 8 4 32 256
Feb 21.7 5 4 20 160
Total amount of water 1984
32
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
The cost of installing the Drip Kit system (material, installation and
labour costs) for the 1/8th ha of the banana plot worked out to Sri
Lankan Rs. 80,000, as shown in Table 4.
Table 4. The cost of installing the Drip Kit system
Component Cost, Srl. Rs.

Material cost of head works including 45,000
scaffolding, 1000 L water tanks and
foundation.
Material cost of the field system including 20,000
drippers, pipelines, laterals, screen filter,
valves and connectors.
Cost of Installation including the wages to the 15,000
drip technician, mason and plumber and
laborers and transporting of material to the
site.
Total cost 80,000
Cost of planting material, fertilizers, agrochemicals, and operation and

maintenance of the drip system (including technicians’ salaries and
labour cost) is estimated as Rs. 50,000.
The total cost of installation and production amount to 130,000.00.

Total banana yield was 1079.35 kg. At a market price of Rs.60.00 per
kg, the total income from the plot was 64,761/-. This variety
33
(cavendish) if exported, will fetch up to Rs.100/- per Kg due to its better
keeping quality and better appear in oversea market. If export market
facilities are arranged profitability can be substantially increased.
The trial conducted was purely for experimental purpose and not for
commercial production. Therefore, strictly speaking, a cost-benefit
analysis of the trial data for commercial -scale banana production is not
applicable. However, if we apply the cost-benefit analysis to a
commercial production system, we could come to the following
conclusion:
(a) Producing banana under the Drip Kit system in a plot of 1/8 th of
an acre will take about 2 years of production to recover capital
cost. In year 2 some profit could be expected.
(b) On the other hand, if banana is cultivated under the same Drip
Kit system on a ¼ acre plot, the capital cost would be fully
recovered in the 1st year itself. Year 2 will lead to good profit
making.
(c) If the area of planting is extended to ¾ of an acre, which the

1000 L tank system can support, the capital cost would be fully
recovered in the first year of production and some profit could
be expected in the first year itself.
In order to make farmers adopt this high water productivity

technology affordably government subsidies the cost of installation of
the drip kit (approximately Rs.80, 000.00).
34
CONCLUSION
The study reported in this paper was a preliminary trial. It was not a
replicated experiment and should be considered an observational trial.
Nevertheless, it has provided a number of very useful information.
The field trial showed that the design of the Drip Kit system is sound.
The water tower constructed using two scaffolding unit was stable and
served the purpose. The water tank, placed at the top of the water tower
at a height of 4 m, provided adequate pressure to operate the drippers.
The water tower gave a theoretical pressure of 0.4 bar at the ground
level. However, there would be loss of pressure head as water flows
through the pipes, screen filter, bends and connections. The average
pressure needed to operate the drippers is 0.3 bar. It appears that the
pressure head loss in the system was less than 0.1 bar, and the system
provided the minimum pressure necessary for the functioning of the
drippers.
The Drip Kit is very simple in design, the materials needed are readily
available, the system is easy to install and the whole system could be
installed within two days. Cost wise, the Drip Kit is relatively cheap
and costs around Srl Rs, 80,000 for a 1/8th acre land and Srl Rs. 120,000
for a ¼ acre land. The system can be easily operated and maintained by
small holding farmers. The Drip Kit system tested in the trial was a
simple version. It did not have provision to supply fertilizers with the
irrigation water (fertigation) which is typical in standard drip systems.
Water saving and water productivity under the Drip Kit system was
enormous, compared a hypothetical traditional basin irrigation system.
Water productivity under the Drip Kit was 4.2 kg/m3, compared to water
35
productivity of 0.5 kg/m3under the hypothetical basin irrigation system.
In terms of economics, a minimum size of land to grow banana for
commercial purposes, under the Drip Kit system, would be ½ acre and
the optimum size would be ¾ of acre.
Further work is needed to incorporate fertigation facility into the Drip

Kit. Other improvements in the design of the water tower, and selection
of a more efficient filtration units and improved drippers (such as
pressure compensating drippers) will make the Drip Kit more efficient
than the one used in the present trial.
It is also recommended that replicated and statistically designed field

trials on Drip Kit irrigation are conducted to obtain more reliable results
and more accurately assess the potential of the Drip Kit system for
banana cultivation by small holding farmers.
36
REFERENCES
Amirthalojanan (2018) Presentation at the farmers’ field day held at the

Regional Agricultural Research Development Centre (RARDC).
Arasakesary, S. J. and A. Amirthalojanan (2019) Data from the Drip

Kit irrigation trial conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research
Development Centre (RARDC).
CGIAR (2016) Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in Sri Lanka, CGIAR

Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
(CCAFS) Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Kandiah, A. (2016) Drip Irrigation Training Manual, a reference

material prepared for training farmers and extension personnel under
the ONUR funded drip irrigation project.
Kandiah A (2018) towards transforming small scale farming to a

commercially viable venture Northern Province Workshop on
Agriculture Sponsored by the Gramashakthi Programme, Kilinochchi.
ONUR (2016) Drip irrigation technology for sustainable livelihoods of

small farmers in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka, a sustainable livelihoods
project of ONUR, Colombo.
Sooriasegaram, M and Kandiah (2018), A. Design and installation of a

Drip Kit system, unpublished.
TNAU (2008) Precision Farming System. NADP projects implemented

by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India, 2007-08.
37
Wickramagamage P. (2010) Seasonality and spatial pattern of rainfall
of Sri Lanka: Exploratory factor analysis International Journal of
Climatology Int. J. Climatology. 30: 1235–1245.
World Bank (2018) Building Sri Lanka’s resilience to climate change,

World Bank, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
38
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Designed by – RARDC, Kilinochchi
Ms. V. Sathananthy (ICT Officer)
Mr. H.M.R.S.Bandara (ICT Assistant)
40

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A SUCCESSFUL DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

TO MEET THE NEEDS OF SMALL FARMERS

“MORE CROP PER DROP”

Dr. S.J. Arasakesary

Regional Agriculture Research and Development Centre

“DRIP KIT - MORE CROP, PER DROP”

Regional Agricultural Research and Development Center,

The study was done at the Regional Agricultural Research and

Further work is needed to incorporate fertigation facility into the Drip

Average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka is generally

The irrigation practice in Sri Lanka is predominantly surface irrigation,

In 2016, ONUR launched a drip irrigation project in three districts,

(a) To validate the design and installation of the Drip-Kit system;

(b) To determine the yield potential and water productivity of banana

The study was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research and

Figure 1. The monthly rainfall received, February 2018 to January 2019

Trial was conducted in an area of 1/8thof an acre, which was rectangular

Figure 4. The screen filter and the online drippers

Photograph 1. The Drip Kit used in the study.

Figure 5. Schematic layout of the trial.

Seedlings actively growing

(a) The design and construction of the Drip Kit system

Figure 6. Details of fitting the screen filter on to the delivery pipe.

(c) The field Design

The 16 mm lateral pipes were connected to the secondary pipeline by

(d) Water Application

8 liters/day/plant during the seedling to early growth stage;

There was quite a bit of variability among the banana population

The variation in growth and development was reflected in the

15 plants located at the end of laterals due to receiving less water,

Harvesting began on 27.12.2018. Out of a population of 96 plants,

Water productivity, with respect to crop production, is referred to as

Table 3. Yield of banana in kg (Data from Arasakesary and

Date of harvest Line and plant no. Total Weight in kg

Date of Line and plant Total Weight in

Table 3 (b) Date of harvest, plant number and yield

Date of Line and plant Total Weight in

Date of Line and plant Total Weight in kg

Table 3 (d) Date of harvest, plant number and yield

Total Total Total Total Grand

281.85 271 266.5 260 1079.35

Table 3. Hypothetical calculation of water use under a basin irrigation

Month Rain mm No of Amount Total amount Volume in

Table 4. The cost of installing the Drip Kit system

Component Cost, Srl. Rs.

Cost of planting material, fertilizers, agrochemicals, and operation and

The total cost of installation and production amount to 130,000.00.

(c) If the area of planting is extended to ¾ of an acre, which the

In order to make farmers adopt this high water productivity

Further work is needed to incorporate fertigation facility into the Drip

It is also recommended that replicated and statistically designed field

Amirthalojanan (2018) Presentation at the farmers’ field day held at the

Arasakesary, S. J. and A. Amirthalojanan (2019) Data from the Drip

CGIAR (2016) Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in Sri Lanka, CGIAR

Kandiah, A. (2016) Drip Irrigation Training Manual, a reference

Kandiah A (2018) towards transforming small scale farming to a

ONUR (2016) Drip irrigation technology for sustainable livelihoods of

Sooriasegaram, M and Kandiah (2018), A. Design and installation of a

TNAU (2008) Precision Farming System. NADP projects implemented

World Bank (2018) Building Sri Lanka’s resilience to climate change,