Drip irrigation is a method that saves water and fertilizer by slowly dripping water directly to plant roots through a network of pipes and emitters. Bamboo is a fast-growing plant that is easily available and low-cost, and its hollow stems can be used to convey water as pipes for drip irrigation systems. Bamboo stems require modifications like adding connectors between pieces and creating emitters by cementing wire through holes to develop localized drip irrigation using mainly bamboo materials. The bamboo drip irrigation system has advantages like maximizing water and fertilizer use while controlling weeds and erosion, but also has limitations such as emitter clogging and vulnerability of bamboo to wet conditions.

1. Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E
B.Sc. Agricutural Engineering
SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
emasawe@hotmail.com
+255 714 048536

2.  Drip irrigation is one of the methods of
irrigation that saves water and fertilizer. In
drip irrigation method, water drips slowly to
the roots of the plants either onto
the soil surface or directly onto the root
zone through a network
of valves, pipes, tubing and emitters. The
process is completed in narrow tubes so that
water is given directly to the root of the plant.
Drip irrigation is also termed as localized
irrigation or micro irrigation.
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 2

3.  Bamboo is the type of tree plants that develop a
hole in the middle of the stem and they are
always tall in terms of height.
 In the past before the invention of modern water
pipes people have been using bamboo stems to
convey water from the source to the considerable
distance where people would easily fetch it up
 Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on
earth with reported rate of 250cm in 24hours
therefore they are easily available and hence of
low cost
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 3

4. Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 4

5. Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 5

6.  Bamboo stems do not have continuous hole at the center
as it stops every after some distance
 Therefore blockages developed I between needs to be
unblocked in the following ways;
 Prepare bamboo stems to be used for piping , they should of
considerably of the similar diameters
 Remove leaves and emerged branches from the stem
 Prepare long , strong and straight iron rod
 Heat the iron rod at one end until it turns red
 Use the hot iron rod to penetrate through the bamboo stem to unlock
the blocked part by burning them internally
 Repeat the process until you find the free movement of iron rod within
the stem as it forms continuous hole through
 The bamboo pipe is then ready to use
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 6

7.  Short pieces of bamboo stems are to be used
as connectors since bamboo pipes wont have
the desired length to cover
They should of small diameter compared to the
pipes to be connected
Ends of every pipe should be increased in
diameter to make the connector fit in between
with less losses in water to be conveyed
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 7

8. Bamboo laterals do not use manufactured
emitters , they are therefore made on the
laterals in the following ways;
 holes are to be made on the bamboo lateral at the
considerable distance depending on the spacing of
crop to be grown
 Cement is mixed with water and used to cover the
holes on laterals
 A wire with a diameter of 0.5mm is used to penetrate
through the wet cement that covers the hole to
develop a hole of known diameter to be used as an
emitter
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 8

9.  Bamboo drip irrigation advantages consist of all
drip irrigation with an addition of others i.e;
 Water is used at maximum level.
 As water is applied locally and leaching is reduced,
fertilizer/nutrient loss is minimized.
 Weeds can not absorb water as no water is available for them.
 Maximum crop yield
 Fertilizers can be used with high efficiency.
 Weeds are highly controlled
 Operational cost is low.
 Low initial cost , material used being bamboo stems.
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 9

10.  Soil erosion is being controlled
 Soil infiltration capacity is increased.
 Fertilizers do not have direct contact with ground water
 Seed germination is improved.
 We can use recycled water safely.
 It is not necessary to level the fields.
 We can irrigate water in irregular shaped lands.
 Energy cost is reduced as it is operated in lower pressure than
other irrigation methods.
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 10

11. Water management problem
Restricted root zone
Maintenance cost
Bamboo stems are vulnerable to wet climatic
conditions
Bamboo pipes are not perfectly mobile they are
therefore limited to certain type of crop such as fruits
where they can be put stationary
Clogging of emitters as a result of poor filtration
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 11

12. Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 12

13. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME…
Author; Masawe, Elifaraja E 13