Exuding Tape or Irrigation by exudation: Advantages and installation

We continue with the articles on different types of irrigation systems for the garden. Today we will focus on irrigation with a hose or exudation tape: we will see what are the advantages of irrigation by exudation and how to install it.

As we have already mentioned on other occasions, the supply of water is one of the most important aspects for our plants to succeed. Irrigation with exuding tape or irrigation by exudation is a method that is not as well known as drip or micro- sprinkler, but it is very interesting since, like these, it is an automatic localized irrigation system with which we will save water and time.

How exudation irrigation works: parts of the installation

The installation scheme is the same as in the case of drip irrigation, since it is about emitting pipes connected to a branch or main pipe from which they start.

The water leaves the irrigation head or water intake (which starts from a running water tap or a tank) and circulates at low pressure through distribution pipes until it reaches the exudation tapes or hoses, where it loses pressure and speed so that the output is drop by drop.

Next we will see what are the parts of an exudation irrigation system and what is the role of each of them.

Water intake and pipes

First of all you will need a running water intake (tap) or a tank, which is where the main distribution hose or pipe will start from.

Along this main branch, holes will be made where the collars will be installed, and the exuding tape pipes must be inserted over them, which come out in parallel from the common pipe or hose (the one we call «distribution»).

plain key

If it seems appropriate you can put a simple key at the beginning of each oozing tape. In this way you will be able to water each line independently and, if there are crops that require less water, you can keep the tap closed so that the tape of that line of plants does not expel water, so it will not be wasted watering vegetables that need less water.

cap and clamp

Exudation irrigation pipes normally come in rolls of several meters, so you will have to cut pieces of the necessary length to place them in the different crop lines. So that the water does not come out of the end, place a cap with a clamp at the end of each line.

Normally you can buy the complete pack: exuding tape pipes, collars or clamps, keys… in a specialized horticultural or gardening store, and also online.

How to install exudation irrigation

Before talking about the advantages of irrigation with exudation hose, we are going to see in detail how to install irrigation by exudation in the orchard.

In the following video you can see step by step how to install an exuding tape irrigation system, it will surely help you a lot to understand how it works:

Advantages of irrigation by exudation or exuding tape

• Like drip or sprinkler irrigation, an irrigation programmer can be installed at the water intake to make the system fully automatic. In any case, even if we do not do this, practically the only work to do in each irrigation would be to open the tap, so we would not have to be aware or waste time watering, as with furrow irrigation or manual irrigation.
• In the exuding tape system, the installation is very simple and easy to assemble, and it does not have elements that are likely to break down or become clogged, such as the sprinklers or the drippers of other types of irrigation.
• The cost of installation is much lower than that of other automatic systems.
• The flow of water required is much lower than in other systems, since the drops penetrate directly into the soil without losing anything through evaporation or retention on the surfaces of leaves or branches. Very suitable system to save water.
• It is aesthetic since the exuding tape can be buried and the system would be hidden.
• If it is buried, the water is supplied very close to the roots, so less water is needed to irrigate the same.
• The wind has little influence, there is no loss of water due to strong winds because the water comes out at ground level or indoors.
• Allows gravity irrigation. If the tank is a little higher than the place where the exuding tape will be installed, a pump is not necessary since the required pressure is low.
• It is very versatile: it can be used for fruit trees, aromatic plants, vegetables, seedlings…
• Irrigation uniformity.
• When we change the crops at the end of each season, the dismantling and reinstallation of the installation is very simple: you just have to lift the tapes, set them aside and, once the orchard is planted again, reposition.
• Even if the planting framework changes, you do not have to change the site (as in the case of drippers or micro-sprinklers) since the exuding tape expels water along its entire length.

I hope you have found this topic of irrigation by exudation or exuding tape interesting. If you have doubts or experiences about it, you can comment in the comment thread below.

And if you want to know other possibilities to provide water to crops, I recommend you read the post about types of irrigation systems in the garden.

References

1. Legarda Burbano, L. et al., 2000. Exudation irrigation: description, characteristics and advantages of the system. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 17 (1), p. 355-361.
2. Fernández Gómez, R., et al, 2010. Irrigation manual for farmers: module 4. Localized irrigation. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Junta de Andalucía, Spain.
3. Benavides, O. et al., 2017. Effect of drip irrigation and exudation on the yield of vegetables in cold weather. Magazine of Agricultural Sciences, nº 34 (1), pag. 108 – 116.