From steved@ncatark.uark.edu Mon Jan 17 13:13:54 2000
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2000 17:54:45 -0600
From: Steve Diver <steved@ncatark.uark.edu>
To: Kfc110259@aol.com
Cc: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.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 


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From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Jan 17 13:19:32 2000
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 13:19:09 -0500 (EST)
From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <london@metalab.unc.edu>
To: london@metalab.unc.edu
Subject: Chapin Bucket drip irrigation (fwd)




Lawrence F. London, Jr.  Venaura Farm
metalab.unc.edu/intergarden InterGarden
metalab.unc.edu/permaculture PermaSphere
metalab.unc.edu/intergarden/orgfarm
lflondon@mindspring.com  london@metalab.unc.edu


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:05:55 -0600
From: Guillermo Romero <romerog@Prodigy.Net.mx>
To: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu
Subject: Chapin Bucket drip irrigation




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>

