Common types of drip irrigation pipes

Haili admin
May/06/2025
Common types of drip irrigation pipes
Drip irrigation is a highly efficient and water-saving irrigation method widely used in modern agriculture. Choosing the right type and material of drip irrigation pipe is crucial for ensuring stable water delivery, improving crop yield, and reducing operational costs. This article introduces the common types and materials of drip irrigation pipes, along with their application scenarios, advantages, and selection suggestions, helping growers make informed decisions based on crop type, terrain conditions, and budget.

Types of drip irrigation pipes

1. Inlaid drip irrigation pipe

Inlaid drip irrigation pipe is a kind of drip irrigation pipe that directly inlays the dripper on the inner wall of the pipe during the production process. The dripper spacing is uniform, the dripping volume is stable, and it has good anti-clogging performance. Because the dripper and the pipe are integrally formed, the leakage problem at the connection between the dripper and the pipe body is avoided. This type is widely used in long-term crop irrigation such as fruit trees, grapes, tea gardens, horticultural flowers, etc. It is suitable for medium and long-term use scenarios, easy installation, convenient maintenance, and long service life.


2. External drip irrigation pipe

The external drip irrigation pipe is a connection method in which the dripper is inserted into the outside of the main pipe by punching. The biggest advantage of this form is its high flexibility. It is suitable for crops with irregular planting spacing or irregular plant distribution, such as seedlings, economic forests, and flower planting. During construction, the drippers can be flexibly arranged according to the actual position of the crop. Although the installation complexity is slightly higher than the internal type, it is easy to maintain and replace.


3. Drip irrigation tape

Drip irrigation tape is a thin-walled ribbon pipe with small drip holes or labyrinth flow channels built in, suitable for irrigation of short-term crops such as vegetables, strawberries, watermelons, etc. Its biggest advantages are low cost, fast laying, and suitable for large-scale one-time use. The general use cycle is one to two seasons. It is not resistant to high pressure and is often used in flat terrain and temporary irrigation projects. The filter needs to be replaced and cleaned regularly to prevent the drip holes from clogging.


4. Pressure-compensated drip irrigation pipe

The pressure-compensated drip irrigation pipe is equipped with a pressure compensation device inside, which can maintain a stable and uniform water output under different water pressures. This pipe is very suitable for areas with large terrain undulations and significant horizontal drops, such as mountainous areas, hilly areas or large-scale greenhouse planting. The pressure compensation function ensures that the water volume at each point of the entire irrigation system is consistent, which improves irrigation uniformity and water use efficiency. This type of drip irrigation pipe is usually more expensive, but has superior performance.


5. Labyrinth drip irrigation pipe

The labyrinth drip irrigation pipe is a drip irrigation product with a complex flow channel opened in the pipe. The shape of the flow channel reduces the water flow rate and achieves uniform water output. This type of pipe has a moderate cost and mature production technology. It is the main form of commonly used drip irrigation tapes or simple drip irrigation pipes. It is suitable for irrigating short-term economic crops, such as vegetables and cotton, and has better effects on flat terrain.


Applicable crops, terrain conditions and selection suggestions for various types of drip irrigation pipes

1. Inlaid drip irrigation pipe

Applicable crops: perennial economic crops such as grapes, fruit trees, tea trees, roses, etc.

Terrain conditions: Suitable for plains and gentle slopes

Selection suggestions: If you are planting perennial crops such as trees or shrubs, and hope that the pipeline has a long service life and less maintenance, the inlaid drip irrigation pipe is the preferred choice. The spacing between drippers should be designed according to the crop spacing.


2. External drip irrigation pipe

Applicable crops: flowers, seedlings, economic forests, greenhouse crops, irregular planting crops

Terrain conditions: Suitable for areas with irregular terrain and flexible crop layout

Selection suggestions: Suitable for planting environments where the irrigation object is not fixed or the dripper position needs to be flexibly adjusted. Although the installation time is long, it is easy to adjust and replace the dripper, which is suitable for technicians to cooperate with the construction.


3. Drip irrigation tape

Applicable crops: short-term or annual crops such as vegetables, watermelons, strawberries, cotton, corn, etc.

Terrain conditions: Suitable for open farmland with flat terrain and regular fields

Selection suggestions: Suitable for large-scale planting and cost-sensitive planting projects. The drip irrigation tape has a short life and generally needs to be replaced after 1 to 2 seasons of use. It needs to be used with a filter device and can only operate normally when the anti-blocking effect is good.


4. Pressure-compensated drip irrigation pipe

Applicable crops: high-value crops such as orchards, vineyards, blueberries, coffee trees, greenhouse vegetables, etc.

Terrain conditions: Suitable for complex terrains such as mountains, hills, and large elevation differences

Selection suggestions: For scenes with obvious elevation differences, uneven water pressure, or the desire to achieve long-distance uniform irrigation, it is recommended to use pressure-compensated drip irrigation pipes. Although the price is high, it has strong reliability and high irrigation uniformity, which is suitable for high-end or long-term investment agricultural projects.


5. Labyrinth drip irrigation pipe

Applicable crops: cotton, corn, peanuts, tomatoes, peppers and other field crops

Terrain conditions: Suitable for areas with flat terrain and good filtration equipment

Selection suggestions: It is an economical and practical product suitable for users who are using drip irrigation technology for the first time. Pay attention to the cleanliness of the water source to prevent the drip holes from being blocked.


If you pursue low cost and high efficiency, plant annual crops, choose drip irrigation tapes or labyrinth drip irrigation pipes

If you pay attention to stability and durability, plant perennial fruit trees and economic crops, choose embedded drip irrigation pipes

If the terrain is complex or the pressure fluctuates greatly, choose pressure compensation drip irrigation pipes

If the crop planting position is not fixed and has strong flexibility, choose external plug-in drip irrigation pipes


Drip irrigation pipes of different materials

1. Polyethylene (PE) drip irrigation pipe

Features: good flexibility, corrosion resistance, anti-aging, convenient construction, moderate cost

Scope of application: widely used in irrigation projects such as orchards, vegetable greenhouses, and open fields

Advantages : Can be used for hot-melt connection, suitable for multi-season or even multi-year use, thick pipe wall, strong pressure bearing capacity

Notes: Need to be used with high-efficiency filtration system to avoid clogging


2. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) drip irrigation pipe

Features: strong rigidity, good pressure resistance, low price

Scope of application: suitable for fixed pipeline trunk line or branch pipeline

Advantages: hard material, neat pipeline layout, suitable for permanent irrigation system

Notes: not suitable for frequent bending or movement, the connection is easy to age


3. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) drip irrigation pipe

Features: better flexibility, easy to install and bypass obstacles

Scope of application: horticultural planting, small drip irrigation system, potted plants, greenhouses, etc.

Advantages: convenient construction, economical and practical, suitable for home gardening or light agriculture

Notes: slightly lower pressure resistance than high-density polyethylene (HDPE), suitable for low-pressure drip irrigation system


4. Recycled plastic drip irrigation pipe

Features: lower cost, partly made of recycled plastic

Scope of application: short-term planting, field crops with strict cost control

Advantages: obvious price advantage

Notes: large quality fluctuations, poor anti-aging ability, easy to deform and crack, not recommended for long-term use or for high-value crops


5. EVA blending material Drip irrigation tape

Features: high softness and tensile strength, heat resistance and flexibility

Scope of application: used for drip irrigation systems with certain requirements for flexibility and heat resistance

Advantages: good resistance to environmental stress cracking, long life

Notes: slightly higher cost than ordinary PE materials, relatively less used in the market


Orchards, high-end greenhouses, irrigation trunk pipes: HDPE or PVC is preferred

Vegetable greenhouses, economical irrigation: LDPE or ordinary PE drip irrigation pipes are selected

Home gardening or micro systems: LDPE is recommended

Cost-sensitive users: recycled drip irrigation pipes can be considered, but attention should be paid to service life and filtration equipment guarantees



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