Drip Lateral Design

Irrigation calculators for Australian field and crop projects

Tenselo is Australian irrigation design software with calculators and design reports for crop water demand, irrigation scheduling, drip systems, pipe hydraulics, pump sizing, centre pivots and sprinkler packages.

Start 14-day free trial View sample reports

Explore public worked examples and sample PDF reports now. Live project calculations require authorised application access.

Choose a calculation or design guide

Read a public example, check the required inputs, or explore a calculator. New accounts require approval; start a 14-day free trial.

Guides & worked examples

Understand the calculation

Follow the inputs, equations and assumptions before working on a project design.

Design guide

Centre pivot design: area, flow and operating time

Work through a 300 m radius example, allocate flow by irrigated area and connect the duty to the sprinkler and pump design.

Read the worked example

Field and crop irrigation calculators

Drip irrigation design: demand, flow and run time

Translate a crop water requirement into daily volume and run time, then identify the lateral pressure checks.

Read the worked example

See calculator results before requesting access

These four public report examples come from Tenselo calculation runs. Choose the task closest to your work, then inspect the inputs, results and limitations. The PDFs use a curated demonstration layout.

Domestic pump replacement: Grundfos CH2-30 and a DAB comparison. Inspect the pump curves and the report's match limitations.
Supply-main sizing: 650 m at 34 L/s and 5.4 bar. Follow pipe bore, velocity, friction and remaining pressure. This is a supply-main example, not a complete pivot design.
Solenoid cable sizing: one Hunter valve at 160 m. Review the conductor size and the inrush and holding-voltage checks.
Screen-filter selection: Amiad Sigma Pro at 55 m³/h. Review water-quality assumptions, loading and cleaning-pressure requirements.

Manufacturer names identify the equipment discussed. The examples do not imply manufacturer approval or replace a project-specific design review.

Watch

Irrigation & pumping in Tenselo

A short introduction to what Tenselo covers in this category.

Video summary: Crop demand, irrigation scheduling, drip design, pipe hydraulics, pump sizing and centre or center pivot calculations for Australian and New Zealand work.

Watch and share on YouTube View all Tenselo videos

Result preview

Netafim UniRam AS 20010

2.3 L/h PC dripper @ 0.75 m · ID 17.5 mm

This abbreviated result preview omits some design inputs. Use the linked worked examples for reproducible arithmetic; review the complete inputs, product data and warnings for a project design.

Inputs

ETo (peak) 9.0 mm/d

Crop Almonds (Kc 0.95)

Tree spacing 7.0 × 5.0 m

Lateral length 300 m

Results

332 L

Per tree / day

167 kPa

Start pressure

50 kPa

End pressure

1.06 m/s

Max velocity

400

Emitters / lateral

Not shown

Uniformity assessment

Why it matters on the job

Crop demand, properly

Estimate crop water demand from ETo, crop coefficient and the assumed irrigation efficiency.

Driplines that perform

Start/end pressure and emission uniformity checked against the tube rating and grade.

Scheduling that saves water

Compare application rates and run times with crop demand, soil intake and the available operating hours.

Crop water demand, pipe sizing and pump duty in one workflow

Tenselo is irrigation design software built around individual engineering calculations. Use it to work through water demand, emitter and pipe choices, pressure losses and operating time, then keep the selected inputs and results with the design. The irrigation calculator catalogue lists the available tasks.

Start with the operating zone

Record the crop, area, water requirement, available operating hours and the zones running together. Our drip irrigation design guide shows how these inputs become daily volume and run time. A daily water requirement alone does not determine a lateral length or pump size.

Irrigation scheduling software for crop demand and run time

IRR-015 Irrigation Scheduling Calculator applies the selected reference evapotranspiration, crop coefficient, irrigation efficiency, system type and operating limits. It reports the net and gross water requirement, application rate, run time and a practical schedule for the stated Australian region.

Use the schedule with the actual soil, rooting depth, weather, rainfall, system capacity and measured field performance. A calculated worst-case schedule is a design starting point; it is not a substitute for current site observations or agronomic review.

Build the operating plan in three checks

Estimate demand and run time. Use the irrigation scheduling calculator for the selected crop, climate and system assumptions. The depth-to-volume worked example shows how net depth, application efficiency and available flow affect the hours required.
Check the root-zone water deficit. Review soil type, effective rooting depth and current soil moisture with IRR-017 Soil Moisture Deficit. Compare the calculated deficit and irrigation trigger with field measurements before deciding when to water.
Fit the valve blocks into the available hours. Use IRR-018 Valve Block Runtime Scheduler to examine valve run times and shifts. Confirm which zones can operate together at the required flow and pressure, and allow for other demands on the water supply.

Before using an operating plan, record recent effective rainfall, observed soil moisture and any changes to crop stage or system performance. Recheck the inputs when conditions change; a peak-demand design calculation alone does not maintain a daily field water balance.

When comparing irrigation scheduling software, decide whether the job needs design calculations, an ongoing agronomic scheduling service, automatic sensor data or controller operation. Ask for a demonstration of the functions and integrations required for your site. Start a Tenselo evaluation with a representative calculation and check its inputs, results and report against your existing design records.

Check irrigation water quality before selecting equipment

Use the laboratory report to review the salinity, sodium hazard and emitter-clogging questions separately. The SAR / Sodium Hazard calculator, Emitter Clogging Risk Score and Leaching Requirement calculator cover different parts of that assessment. Keep the reported units and any untested parameters visible.

For the complete laboratory report, start with water-test interpretation. Then follow treatment-process selection or irrigation filter sizing as appropriate. A calculated irrigation schedule does not establish that the water is suitable for a crop or emitter.

Connect the hydraulics

Use the actual pipe bore, emitter data and ground levels to assess delivery pressure. Carry the resulting zone flow through the mainline and into the pump duty calculation. For a rotating machine, the centre pivot design example connects radius, operating hours and flow before sprinkler selection.

Keep the evidence with the result

Review the selected product data, assumptions and warnings before using a report for procurement or installation. Confirm that the specific calculator covers the task you need; a calculation report and a site layout drawing serve different purposes.

Can I use an irrigation calculator without an account?

The guides and static worked examples are public. Project calculations run in the separate Tenselo application with account access. New accounts require approval; see pricing and availability to start a 14-day free trial.

Choosing irrigation software for your work

Compare the calculations, reports and drawings you need before choosing a plan. Our irrigation software selection guide covers CAD workflows, orchard and pivot tasks, metric units, report checks and current trial availability.

Method & worked example

Irrigation depth, water volume and run time

One millimetre of water over one hectare is 10 m³. Separate the water required in the root zone from the gross volume delivered by the system.

Illustrative one-hectare irrigation event
Step	Assumption or calculation	Result
Net depth	10 mm over 1 ha	100 m³
Gross volume at assumed 80% application efficiency	100 / 0.80	125 m³
Operating flow	10 L/s × 3.6	36 m³/h
Operating time	125 / 36	3.47 h ≈ 3 h 28 min

The depth and efficiency are illustrative inputs, not crop recommendations. Determine crop demand, effective rainfall, root-zone storage and allowable depletion for the site. Actual operating flow must be available at the required pressure.

For zone and emitter calculations, follow the drip-design example. For a circular area, use the centre-pivot guide. Check the resulting flow against pipe losses and pump duty.

Static educational example · Updated 1 October 2026 · Methods and limitations. Project calculations run in the subscription application; New accounts require approval.

What is in this category

28 Irrigation — Field & Crop calculators

Every calculator in this category, by its reference code. Running them requires an approved Tenselo account with access to the relevant calculators.

IRR-001 SAR / Sodium Hazard

Sodium adsorption ratio and infiltration hazard for irrigation water (FAO-29)
IRR-002 Drip Lateral Design

Pick the dripline, prove the run, schedule the block
IRR-003 Drip Maintenance (Dosing & Flushing)

Peroxide / chlorine / acid dosing-pump sizing + line-flush flow (Netafim method)
IRR-004 Emitter Clogging Risk Score

Physical/chemical/biological clogging risk and filtration recommendation
IRR-005 Solid Set Lateral Design

Max run of a coupled aluminium lateral with riser-mounted impacts - 20% rule, stepwise hydraulics from the sprinkler database
IRR-006 Centre Pivot Design

Full centre-pivot machine selection & design report -- tower/span schedule, pipe package, gearbox/drive, auto sprinkler pack, end gun, pump duty, application rate vs soil intake, energy and BOM
IRR-007 Hand-Move Sprinkler System

Hand-shift / portable lateral design -- precipitation rate, set time, sets and moves per day, lateral positions, days per cycle and keep-up vs the irrigation interval
IRR-008 Lawn / Turf Water Management

Turf watering schedule -- weekly water use, depth and run time per watering, waterings per week, and cycle & soak to stop runoff on heavy soils
IRR-009 Sprinkler Spacing & Precipitation

Head/row spacing for wind, arc-aware precipitation, run time and CU / DU / SC uniformity estimates from the sprinkler database
IRR-010 Travelling Irrigator

Hard-hose, soft-hose and boom travellers -- net application from gun flow, lane spacing and travel speed, run time, whole-field coverage, hose friction and the pump duty to drive it
IRR-011 Travelling Irrigator Lane Planner

Lane spacing, speed, runtime and application depth for a travelling gun
IRR-012 Distribution Uniformity & Catch-Can Audit

DU(lq), Christiansen CU & precipitation rate from catch-can readings (golf / turf / irrigation audit)
IRR-013 Frost Protection Sprinkler Rate

Overhead sprinkler application rate & system flow for frost protection (latent-heat / FAO guidance)
IRR-014 Furrow / Border Surface Irrigation

Gross/net depth, efficiency & cut-off time for furrow or border surface irrigation (volume balance)
IRR-015 Irrigation Scheduling Calculator

ET-based worst-case schedule: drip / micro / spray / rotor, any AU region
IRR-016 Leaching Requirement (Salinity)

Leaching fraction & extra water depth for salt balance (FAO-29 Ayers & Westcot)
IRR-017 Soil Moisture Deficit

Soil-water deficit, RAW trigger & irrigation required (mm) from soil type, root depth & current moisture (FAO-56)
IRR-018 Valve Block Runtime Scheduler

Valve runtimes, shifts and daily schedule from crop demand
IRR-019 Chemigation Tank Batch Runtime

How long a chemical batch lasts and whether it covers the set
IRR-020 Fertigation Injection Point Mixer Check

Whether injected chemical mixes before the first valve/emitters
IRR-021 Centre Pivot Pumping Cost per ML and per mm

Operating cost per hour, per ML and per mm applied for a centre pivot
IRR-022 Irrigation Mainline Energy Optimiser

Compare pipe sizes by friction, pump energy, cost and payback
IRR-023 Irrigation Uniformity Loss Cost

Extra water, energy and yield-risk cost of low distribution uniformity
IRR-024 System Capacity & Irrigable Area

Quick sizing -- the flow needed to irrigate an area, or the area a flow can keep watered, from peak crop water use and the operating hours
IRR-025 Dam Aeration Sizing

Fountain / surface / venturi-jet aerator selection & number of units for a dam
IRR-026 Hunter FX Luminaire Lighting

FX Luminaire LED garden lighting: fixture load, cable size & transformer (AU range)
IRR-027 Irrigation Storage Tank Sizing

Minimum tank fed from a town main (with fire reserve, other draws & pump duty) - or the original dam/ML buffer
IRR-028 Centre Pivot Sprinkler Pack Calculator

Design or check a complete centre-pivot sprinkler package and build a manufacturer BOM -- annular-area flow split, chart-verified Nelson / Senninger nozzle selection, pressure/regulator checks, outlet schedule + BOM

Start 14-day free trial

More categories

Electrical Power & Cable Water Treatment Irrigation Advanced Design Stormwater & Drainage Instrumentation & Control All categories →

Access by approval

Start your 14-day free trial

Tell us about yourself and the work you do. We review each application before granting access. The 14-day trial requires no payment card.

After approval, verify your email and set your password. Your account shows the time left in your trial. When it ends, choose a paid plan and review the price in Stripe before subscribing.