In southern Europe, irrigation is what makes high-value farming possible. Spain’s agriculture ministry recorded 3,713,936 hectares under irrigation in 2023 — about 23% of cropland, producing around 65% of the value of crop output — and 57.6% of that area was watered by localised (drip) irrigation, ahead of gravity, sprinkler and self-propelled systems. Drip lines get the attention, but every block of drip tape is fed by a sub-main, and every sub-main by a main from the pump. Much of that is lay flat hose.
/01Where lay flat fits.
- Supply mains: temporary or seasonal lines from the pump, well or reservoir to the fields, moved between plots as crops rotate.
- Drip sub-mains: the line along the head of a block that feeds each drip lateral through a take-off connector, often with a pressure regulator and a flush valve at the end.
- Transfer and filling: moving water between reservoirs, tanks and ponds.
- Emergency and drought supply: bringing water from a distant source when local supplies fail.
/02PVC or TPU?
| Property | PVC lay flat | TPU lay flat |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lowest | Higher |
| Weight | Light — one person can run it out | Light for its strength |
| Pressure | Low-pressure water | 21 bar at small bores, 14–15 bar to 14" |
| Sun, heat and coldHighlighted | Ages and stiffens fastest | Resists UV and ozone; −50 to +80 °C |
| Abrasion and dragging | Moderate | High |
| Best for | Seasonal sub-mains, short low-pressure runs | Long mains, multi-season use, higher pressure |
For a drip sub-main that works at low pressure, is laid in spring and lifted in autumn, PVC lay flat is often enough. For long supply mains, pumped lines with real pressure, and hose that has to last many seasons in sun and on rough ground, TPU lay flat pays back its higher price. Where the water also serves people or livestock, use drinking-water hose. Our materials comparison goes into more detail.
/03Sizing mains and sub-mains.
A main carries the peak flow of every block running at once, so it is sized on friction loss over its length, like any pumped line — see our friction loss guide. A sub-main has a different job: to deliver nearly the same pressure to the first and last drip lateral. Because flow falls along the sub-main as each lateral draws off, the loss is less than for a pipe carrying full flow throughout, but a sub-main that is too small or too long still starves the far end. Drip tape works at low pressure, so keep the variation along the sub-main within what the tape maker allows, and fit a pressure regulator at the inlet where the main runs higher.
/04Handling and storage.
Large farms move hose a lot. A tractor-mounted reel lays and recovers about 610 m of 6" lay flat from the tractor hydraulics, and a hose mover relocates long lines between fields without dragging them. At the end of the season, drain and flush the hose, roll it flat from the far end, and store it under cover, out of the sun and away from rodents — the same practice we recommend for lay flat hose in Gulf heat.
Common questions
- Is PVC or TPU lay flat better for irrigation?
- PVC for seasonal, low-pressure sub-mains where cost matters most; TPU for long mains, higher pressure and hose that must last several seasons in the sun.
- What size lay flat hose for a drip sub-main?
- Large enough that pressure at the last lateral stays within the drip tape maker’s allowed variation. Send the block length, number of laterals and flow per lateral and we will size it.
- How do you connect drip tape to lay flat hose?
- With take-off connectors fitted through holes punched in the hose wall, matched to the hose wall thickness and pressure.
- How much of Spain is drip irrigated?
- 57.6% of Spain’s 3.71 million irrigated hectares in 2023, according to the ESYRCE survey.
- How should irrigation hose be stored over winter?
- Drained, flushed, rolled flat and stored under cover, out of the sun and away from rodents.
For irrigation
IH-LF-PVCPVC Lay Flat Discharge HoseIndus Hydraulics
IH-LF-TDWTPU Lay Flat Dewatering and Water Transfer HoseIndus Hydraulics
IH-LF-TPWTPU Lay Flat Drinking Water HoseIndus Hydraulics
IH-LF-EHRTractor-Mounted Lay Flat Hose Reel, 3-Point HitchIndus Hydraulics
IH-LF-EHMLay Flat Hose Mover, 3-Point HitchIndus Hydraulics
IH-LF-SEPEPDM/PE Suction Hose with Rigid HelixIndus Hydraulics
