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NETAFIM GlobalGROW THE BEST MAIZE YOU’VE EVER GROWN
When you’re growing maize, every season is a race to higher yields. But when you’ve got a more precise way to control your water and nutrients, every season is better than the last one.
Why choose drip irrigation for maize?
Get higher profitability using less resources
- Higher yields, consistently
Drip irrigation delivers a yield range of 15-18 tons/ha consistently, year over year, regardless of weather conditions. - More maize per M3 water
Drip irrigation fosters zero evaporation or runoff, so it creates the best water use efficiency (WUE) index possible. - More maize per Kg fertilizer
Drip irrigation’s high nutrient application efficiency ensures maximized production per fertilizer unit. It enables precise, measured nutrient application according to the crop’s development stage, ensuring optimal crop nutrition with zero leaching. - 100% land utilization
Drip irrigation uniformly irrigates 100% of your field, avoiding dead corners or unused plots, even on slopes or in odd-shaped fields. Drip is also a great solution for sandy soil where more frequent irrigation is a must.
Maximize operational efficiency
- Long lasting performance
A subsurface drip irrigation system can last for up to 20 years, and many of the components, like filters, valves and conduction pipes, can last even longer. - Effective weed control
Precise water delivery ensures minimal weed growth, reducing herbicide application costs. - Easy operation, minimal maintenance
Drip systems have no moving parts or complex mechanisms, so, when compared to pivots, they require less maintenance and endure less breakdowns. Drip irrigation systems can be operated and programmed remotely, requiring less working hands per hectare.
Things we often get asked:
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Should I use on-surface or subsurface drip irrigation?
Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are most suitable for large-scale operations. Compared to on-surface systems, they require a higher initial investment but deliver additional benefits like lower labor requirements and operational simplicity. SDI systems favor modern tillage practices such as no-till or minimum tillage.
On-surface systems are more suitable for small to medium-sized farms. They require a lower initial investment but carry a higher operational cost related to seasonal dripline deployment and collection. On-surface systems can be designed as 100% portable, making them a good fit for rented plots, allowing farmers to take their investment with them. Moreover, on-surface systems provide more flexibility in rotational crops.
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Why should I choose drip irrigation over center pivot irrigation for my maize crop?
Drip irrigation is proven to deliver up to 20% higher yields than center pivot irrigation using the exact same amount of water. Since pivots spray water on the leaves, much of it is lost to evaporation, whereas with drip 100% of your water is used to produce more maize. In addition, subsurface drip systems irrigate 100% of your field, while a center pivot leaves 21% of your crop unirrigated. Drip is also the ideal delivery solution for fertilizers. With precision fertigation, you minimize fertilizer and crop-protection products' application costs and increase the efficiency of every resource you have.
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Why should I choose drip irrigation over furrow irrigation for my maize crop?
Drip irrigation fits all plot shapes and sizes, all soil types and all topographies. You can use pressure compensating dripper lines that maintain the same flowrate across different pressure levels so every plant in the field gets exactly the same amount of water and nutrients, no matter the elevation changes or distance from the water source. In fact, you get much better yields and maize quality, which are a direct result of water stress and fertilizer availability.
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If I have a lot of rainfall, will drip still be a good investment?
Definitely. While having ample rainfall is obviously a huge advantage, rain is never timely enough or consistent enough to allow the crop to reach its full yield potential. This is even more evident with sandy soils that have a lower water holding capacity. On top of that, drip is also a nutrient delivery system that allows you to fertigate and control the nutrient levels in your soil in a precise and economical way. Applying all of your fertilizer in just a few applications can be wasteful, especially under rainy conditions that provoke leaching. Splitting your nutrient application throughout the season guarantees that your corn crop gets what it needs when it needs it. This is what makes drip systems the perfect tool for increasing productivity in previously rain-fed plots.
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What if I have uneven topography or an irregularly shaped field?
Drip irrigation fits all plot shapes and sizes, all soil types, and all topographies. You can use pressure compensating drip lines that maintain the same flow rate across different pressure levels so every plant in the field gets exactly the same amount of water and nutrients, regardless of elevation changes or distance from the water source.
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Is subsurface drip irrigation a new practice for maize?
For over 40 years, top growers have been adopting drip irrigation in their maize fields. Many of the biggest players in the USA, Latin America and the Middle East have transitioned hundreds of thousands of hectares to drip. Every year, Netafim installs over 50,000 additional hectares of subsurface drip irrigation in maize fields globally.
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Can my maize field be irrigated remotely?
Yes. Precision irrigation is easily combined with remote control and automation to make your irrigation more efficient, giving you immediate access from your cell phone, tablet or computer. Read more about digital farming.
Weather forecast for
Growers stories
Meet the people pioneering precision irrigation
Turning Ethiopia into one of the world's leading sugarcane producers
“We are changing the way sugarcane is cultivated in my country.”
Beyene Chemeda
Wolkaite
Sugarcane, Ethiopia
Rubén Sánchez Perez is thriving in a severely drought-affected region
"We’re producing 50% more than we used to"
Rubén Sánchez Perez
Corn, Mexico
Kelly Garret grows record-breaking yields on land he didn’t know he can irrigate
“Its cheaper than buying more land….worse case scenario you need another truck to haul away the bushels, that’s a wonderful problem".
Kelly Garret
Corn, USA
Find what you need
DripNet PC™
Pressure-compensated, medium and thick-walled drip lines – designed to uniformly irrigate crops with long runs or uneven topographies. Medium-walled models are ideal for field crops and the thick-walled models are ideal for orchards and vineyards.
Read More
Typhoon™ Plus
Thin-walled drip lines – the ideal choice for irrigating field crops with semi-permanent usage. Built to deliver the optimal drip line ROI.
Read More
Digital farming
Find out how digital farming is empowering growers with precision irrigation to control their own destinies in new ways.
Read More
Need help finding the best solution for your farm?
Get in touch, and we can talk about what your crop needs.
Innovation at farmers, for farmers
The next 50 years of farming won't be like the last 50. The agricultural system that served us until now needs to change. Growers need more control. We're farmers and innovators committed to bringing innovation to Africa, evolving together with our customers.
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