>Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:54:45 -0600
>From: "Steve Diver" <steved@ncatark.uark.edu>
>Subject: Re: Gravity drip
>
>> Several months ago someone was talking about gravity fed drip tape, coming
>> from plastic 55 gallon drums. They said one company had the fittings cheap
>> and another had the tape cheap. If whoever wrote that or remembers the
>> companies I would appreciate it. Any other info on gravity feed tape lines
>> would be appreciated. Thank you.
>
>Chapin Watermatics, one of the oldest suppliers of trickle and drip
>irrigation in the country, carries the Chapin Bucket Irrigation Kits.
>
>Chapin Watermatics
>http://www.chapindrip.com/
>
>The Chapin Watermatics web page doesn't list this item, but I'm
>sure you can buy it directly by calling their phone number.
>
>Chapin offers a discount on these kits for workers involved with
>developing country agriculture. For overseas workers, Chapin
>provides a literature packet and video that shows how to set up
>raised beds, amend the bed with manures or composts to feed
>the soil, and set up the posts and hang the buckets. I seem to
>recall a 5-foot pole is sufficient. You fill the bucket in the
>morning before you go to work, and gravity slowly delivers the
>water to your vegetable garden.
>
>If you have a remote location with a pond or a creek as the only
>source of water, a bucket setup like this can be a real time
>saver. If you have a backyard patch with access to an outdoor water
>tap, there's really no need use the bucket method since plenty of
>drip systems are designed to handle tap water pressure.
>
>Bucket Kit Watering vs Hand Watering
>[Reprint of Chapin Watermatics product literature-article]
>http://www.hydrosource.com/web_clp/971101/chap2.htm
>
>In addition to Chapin, Hydrosource, Inc. is a company that promotes
>integrated planting systems. They sell the Chapin Bucket Irrigation
>Kit for $15.
>
>Hydrosource
>http://www.hydrosource.com/prod03.htm
>
>Especially see:
>
>Marriage of the Chapin Bucket Irrigation Kit and the
>Hydrosource/Sunbelt System
>http://www.hydrosource.com/w3clp009.htm
>
>At this Hydrosource link, you can see pictures of the Chapin bucket
>irrigation system used in combination with Dewitt Sunbelt Weed
>Barrier and Hydrosource hydrogel. These pictures were taken at the
>late Dan Wofford's farm in Eastern Oklahoma.
>
>In this part of the country, Dan was well known to small farmers
>and university horticulture workers. In one year, he helped over 130
>small farmers and market gardeners in Missouri set up an integrated
>planting bed based on the combination of weed barriers and hydrogels.
>
>In fact, there was a SARE grant in Missouri that looked at this
>integrated planting technology for day neutral strawberries.
>
>While you are connected to the Hydrosource website, check out the
>interesting collection of articles with scanned photos that
>illustrate some of the practical on-farm research Dan undertook
>at his farm in Jay, OK.
>
>Polymer & Research Library archives
>http://www.hydrosource.com/serv01.htm
>
>Steve Diver
>Fayetteville, AR
I also use the Chapin bucket irrigation kit. You can contact Richard Chapin at rchapinw@imcnet.net.
The kit recommends that the bottom of the bucket be placed at least 1 meter (3.28 ft) from the ground, the kit uses 15 mil, 12" spacing and .5 GPM per 100 ft.flow at 10 PSI pressure tape. The kit includes 100 feet of drip tape, which can be used in 2, 50 feet rows, 4, 25 ft rows or 6, 16.5 ft rows. It works well at this reduced pressure (which is a bit less than 2 psi at the bucket outlet)
Chapin Watermatics also offers a 1/4 acre garden kit, that can water 20 rows, 100 ft long, using a 10 Gal per min flow.
The bucket kit uses a simple fine metal mesh covered rubber cap as a filter, the garden kit uses a filter/pressure regulator assembly designed to operate with tap or well water. If water is coming from a pond or stream or if there is algae or iron, they recommend using a sand media filter.
Hope this helps
(btw I am not associated with Chapin, but do like what they are doing)
Guillermo Romero Ibarrola
Comala, Colima, MEXICO
<romerog@Prodigy.Net.mx>
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