Sixty years after inventing the world's first dripper and leading the drip irrigation revolution, Netafim—the world's largest and leading precision irrigation company, part of the Orbia Group—launched the patented hybrid dripper system. This is the first and only integral dripper in the world with a built-in outlet that allows for accessory connection and prevents runoff—features that were previously exclusive to pin drippers.The unique technology integrates the benefits of an integral drip system and a pin dripper into a single solution, resistant to leaks and clogs, while reducing labor costs.
Netafim’s hybrid dripper system simplifies irrigation operations: it allows for easily adding more drippers as needed or, alternatively, shutting off drippers that are not in use. With a built-in outlet that transforms the integral dripper into one with the characteristics of a pin dripper, the need for spacing measurements, manual hole punching, and dripper pinning—labor-intensive tasks in greenhouse cultivation, orchards, and vineyards—is eliminated. The system ensures a fixed drip point while adapting to different growth stages. Initially launched with the ™UniRam series, the technology will soon be expanded to all of Netafim's heavy-wall drip tubing series.
“The hybrid dripper is an exciting breakthrough in precision irrigation technology, achieved after many years of development,” said Ziv Ribak, CEO of Netafim Israel. “This innovation saves farmers time, labor, and resources while delivering optimal irrigation results. By combining two separate systems into one solution, we are proud to enhance efficiency, reliability, and performance for farmers, helping them achieve optimal yields even with challenging water quality.”
Abed Masarwa, Global VP of Products at Netafim, explained that the uniqueness of the hybrid dripper lies in its built-in outlet, which allows the integral dripper to function with the efficiency and flexibility of an online system. “This innovation provides diverse and targeted advantages for farmers in vineyards, greenhouses, and orchards by ensuring uniform water distribution while reducing labor-intensive tasks.”
Masarwa noted that Netafim plans to expand the hybrid technology to its entire heavy-wall drip tubing series to improve irrigation efficiency and performance for farmers in Israel and worldwide.