Onion Drip Irrigation Kit

Grekkon Limited’s onion drip irrigation kit is for crops with close spacing. These are; onion, garlic, lemongrass, herbs, strawberry, and green/ French beans. A farmer will choose to have either raised beds or just plain lying land to install an onion irrigation drip kit. Commercial production of onions needs irrigation, and we train onion farmers on how to irrigate onions in Kenya. The knowledge of water requirements for onion is key to ensure that onion yield per acre is high. Key to understanding too is irrigation methods for onion; the pros and cons so as to make an informed decision.

Center pivot overhead irrigation in an onion field

Onion varieties in Kenya do not determine the irrigation method adopted. For example, a hybrid seed onion farmer, and another practicing Red Creole OPV variety onion farming will irrigate the same way. Spring onion farming too is largely through irrigation.

Overhead irrigation through; pivot systems, rain hose kits, rain gun, and impact sprinklers work, but are water inefficient.

Drip irrigation by Grekkon Limited in an onion field

How to grow onions using a drip irrigation system

Onion Drip Irrigation Kit FAQs

1. What is the cost of an onion drip irrigation kit?

 

Acreage	Size in Meters Square	Price in KES
1/8th acre	506	KES 38,000
1/4 acre	1,024	KES 55,000
1/2 acre	2,025	KES 85,000
1 acre	4,048	KES 165,000

These are prices for 3 drip rows per bed

Hybrid onion seed price in Kenya is a determining factor in the area under irrigation

2. How do you irrigate an onion?

Use closely spaced drip emitters of 10cm to 15cm apart and below. Onion drip irrigation spacing is important in ensuring that there will be no irrigation dry shadows. Irrigate in the morning hours and avoid late evening irrigation

3. Do onions require a lot of water?

No. An onion plant will require just an inch of water per week under dry conditions. Too much water causes bulb rot

4. When should you stop watering onions?

Stop watering onions 14 days before harvesting. This is when the mature leaves begin to droop.

5. What PSI should you use for drip irrigation?

Grekkon Limited’s drip irrigation systems are designed to operate at 10 to 35 PSI

6. Do onions need lots of sun?

Yes. 10 to 12 hours of sunlight for bulb formation in the tropics

7. Should I water onions?

Yes. One inch of water 3 times a week is enough.

8. Can you grow onions in hot weather?

Yes. So long as enough irrigation water is given to the crop

Components of an onion drip kit

• Tank connector for low pressure gravity flow
• Water pump connectors for high pressure flow
• Filtration system
• PVC ball valves
• HDPE pipe and fittings for HDPE main and sub main-lines
• PVC pipes and PVC fittings for PVC main and sub main lines
• 15cm drip emitter spacing drip tape, and drip fittings

 

Onion beds have 3 drip line rows each