ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the basic layout and design aspects of a drip irrigation system and describes the most commonly encountered problems at farm level and the adaptations made. Drip irrigation systems have been improved over the last few decades with a lot of effort from Western irrigation equipment suppliers who aimed at meeting the demands of commercial agricultural enterprises for higher distribution uniformity (DU). The selection of drip irrigation materials and the configuration of a drip system is often a trade-off between DU and economics. Drip irrigation systems have been improved over the last few decades with a lot of effort from Western irrigation equipment suppliers who aimed at meeting the demands of commercial agricultural enterprises for higher irrigation efficiency and DU. Low-cost drip irrigation systems, such as those disseminated in Zambia are often made of lightweight tape as laterals because it brings the cost down.
