We have started growing rubber trees on our farm between Udon and Nong Khai. 5 years ago, we put out 800 trees on some land that we owned that was setting idle. They are doing well and should start to produce in a couple of years.

2 years ago, we bought another 20 rai, most of which was in rice paddies. The portion that was not in rice paddies, we put to rubber trees...about 400 trees. We have a family taking care of the place and we have them watering the trees on a weekly basis during the dry season. It really makes a difference in the growth rate. A lot more work but worth it in the end. Oh yes, we have a 40 meter deep well and it pumps a lot of water. Our method for these trees is basically pulling rubber hoses all over the place to get the water to the trees.

This system works OK for these 400 trees plus our 50 avocado trees...but last March, I bulldozed all the rice paddies and converted the area to handle more rubber trees...The local Thais were not thrilled that I bulldozed 35 rice paddies, but they got over it. So last Spring at the beginning of the rainy season, we planted another 800 rubber trees and they really did well during the rainy season. But this is too much to water by pulling rubber hoses, so I want to install a "drip type" irrigation system for these 800 trees.

Basically I will put up a 4,000 liter tank and pump into it from the well.Then I need to carry this water through a 1" PVC pipe for a total of 250 meters. I have 20 rows of trees and will take this pipe down the middle and install 40 1/2" PVC lines(20 on each side). Each line will be about 50 meters long and irrigating about 20 trees. I will install all necessary valves, etc so that I can irrigate part of it at a time and do not need a system large enough to handle all at once.

Two questions...Does this plan basically make sense and how big of a pump do I need to install to have enough pressure to carry this.

Stoneman

Your bigger question might be whether there is enough water in the water table to water that many trees. Will watering that many trees during the dry season ultimately deprive others using the same water table of water for their own use?

Doc wrote:Your bigger question might be whether there is enough water in the water table to water that many trees. Will watering that many trees during the dry season ultimately deprive others using the same water table of water for their own use?

Doc...Not really a problem...We are over 5 km from the nearest village that has a deep well...The water level in the well never seems to drop even towards the end of the dry season.

About 5 km up the road, a Japanese company has started a tea farm and they have several deep wells and are sprinkler irrigating about 50 rai...

Calculate how much water you require per day (or watering session) and build your static tank to that capacity. The pump is then only required to fill this tank, so can be any capacity as there is really no time limit. The feed from the tank to the trees should be by gravity

[quote="treehugger"]Calculate how much water you require per day (or watering session) and build your static tank to that capacity. The pump is then only required to fill this tank, so can be any capacity as there is really no time limit. The feed from the tank to the trees should be by gravity

There is an excellent irrigation tutorial on the web. The site includes tables and formulas that can answer your questions.

Front page:
http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/

Drip Irrigation Design Guide:
http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/dripguide.htm

rickfarang wrote:There is an excellent irrigation tutorial on the web. The site includes tables and formulas that can answer your questions.

Front page:
http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/

Drip Irrigation Design Guide:
http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/dripguide.htm

Rick..

Thanks very much..That is very helpful..Appreciate it

Stoneman

Don't water these trees regularly when they are young or you might build up a water dependency. Roots spread horizontally under the ground surface instead of going deep.

Just my .02

Stoneman

You can contact ATC supply Co in BKK, they import irrigation equipment and tailor designs, you can email them a map of you farm, and explain to them what you want to do; and they can send all the parts you require direct to your farm. You can call them 02-931-7700 or email support@atc1993.com

Spent all of last wek on the farm installing my rubber tree irrigation and it is working well...Spent a lot of time and money in Global. Bought a 2200 ltr tank and the largest size Mitsubishi pump and lots of PVC and black plastic pipe.

Hired 4 local guys for 3 days to help me and it is now installed and operational. We now have drip irrigation to 1171 rubber trees and 45 avocado trees. Even the largest pump is not big enough to pump water to all of them at the same time, so we had to set up 3 zones.

Lot of work and expense, but I believe that watering the trees during the dry season will help the growth...

Stoneman

Stone Man

Do you have any idea or accurate data to what yield is likely and possible from rubber tree's?? I believe that about 288 kg/rai is thai average but this average takes in account of older clones. I also have info from thai's currently harvesting RIM660 that say 4-10kg per tree per year that at 80 tree's per rai would be 360-900kg per rai per year?????

When it comes to yield I am never 100% sure Thai's are calculating correctly.