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SDI in the Great Plains​

Session 14. Design and Management of Microirrigation Systems

Bubbler Irrigation System Design and Management

M. Yitayew, C. A. Reynolds, and A. E. Sheta

Low-head bubbler irrigation systems are well-suited for irrigation of trees and orchard crops. Bubbler systems do not require pumping and elaborate filtration systems which are necessary for most microirrigation systems. Despite these advantages, bubbler systems have not been widely used. The lack of a well defined design procedure is one of the primary reasons. In this paper, a design procedure for low-head gravity bubbler systems is presented. A design example and design chart is also provided. The air lock problem for systems located on level fields is also addressed, and a solution to prevent air locks is provided to improve the management of bubbler systems.

Keywords: Microirrigation, bubbler system, gravity-flow, design procedure, air lock

Abstract taken from paper found on pages 402 to 413 in Proceedings of 5th International Microirrigation Congress, April 2-6, 1995, Orlando, Florida. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085-9659, USA. Phone: 616-429-0300 FAX: 616-429-3852 EMAIL: HQ@ASAE.ORG

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Lysimeter-Based Crop Coefficients for Highbush Blueberries

Craig A. Storlie

Inexpensive ($1475/unit) weighing lysimeters with a surface area of 0.21 m2 and depth of 0.50 m were used for measuring evapotranspiration of drip-irrigated blueberries. The use of a single load cell and other design characteristics decreased measurement accuracy but minimized construction costs. Resolution of daily measurements of plant evapotranspiration was + 3%.

Crop coefficient curves for 3- and 4-year-old highbush blueberry plants (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) were generated using reference evapotranspiration and crop water use data from the 1991 and 1992 growing seasons. The crop coefficient increased during leaf expansion and flowering in the spring to its maximum value of about 0.19 in 1991 and 0.27 in 1992 and remained near this value until leaves began turning color in the fall.

Keywords: Drip irrigation, evapotranspiration, Vaccinium corymbosum

Abstract taken from paper found on pages 414 to 419 in Proceedings of 5th International Microirrigation Congress, April 2-6, 1995, Orlando, Florida. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085-9659, USA. Phone: 616-429-0300 FAX: 616-429-3852 EMAIL: HQ@ASAE.ORG

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Response of Young Blueberry Plants to Microirrigation in Florida

D. Z. Haman, A. G. Smajstrla, R. T. Pritchard, P. M. Lyrene and F. S. Zazueta

Vegetative growth and yield of two species of blueberry plants, highbush and rabbiteye, were evaluated under three different microirrigation treatments. Irrigations were scheduled using tensiometers. The soil tension threshold levels were set at 10 kPa, 15 kPa, and 20 kPa. Highbush plants grew much slower than the rabbiteye plants, with the 10-kPa treatment showing the largest increase in growth over the 2 years of the study. Blueberry yield varied as a function of irrigation treatment, species, and variety. Both the Powderblue and Premier rabbiteye cultivars out-yielded the Sharpblue highbush cultivar. Highbush blueberry yielded approximately 40 days earlier than the rabbiteye.

Keywords: Blueberry, Vaccinium ashei Reade, Vaccinium corymbosum L., microspray, tensiometers

Abstract taken from paper found on pages 420 to 424 in Proceedings of 5th International Microirrigation Congress, April 2-6, 1995, Orlando, Florida. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085-9659, USA. Phone: 616-429-0300 FAX: 616-429-3852 EMAIL: HQ@ASAE.ORG

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A Simple Method to Design Tapered Sloping Manifolds

F. S. Zazueta and A. G. Smajstrla

Analytical expressions are presented to obtain the pipe diameters of a sloping tapered multiple outlet pipe. These are based on the assumption that outflow from a multiple outlet pipe is continuous and constant along the pipe, and that the friction coefficient is constant. An intermediate correction factor was developed that allows computation of head losses between any two points of a multiple outlet line. Finally an example is given to demonstrate on how to use this factor in tapered sloping lateral design.

Keywords: Microirrigation, drip irrigation, trickle irrigation

Abstract taken from paper found on pages 425 to 430 in Proceedings of 5th International Microirrigation Congress, April 2-6, 1995, Orlando, Florida. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085-9659, USA. Phone: 616-429-0300 FAX: 616-429-3852 EMAIL: HQ@ASAE.ORG

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Effects of Irrigation and Two Soil Management Schemes on Yield and Fruit Quality of Peaches in Uruguay

Gabriel Baccino Giannetto, Mario Garcia Petillo

Three irrigation treatments: a) irrigation only from stone hardening, b) irrigation throughout the growing cycle and c) no irrigation; and two soil management schemes: a) whole mechanized superficial weed control and b) the same as in a) but adding chemical control in the tree rows, were maintained for five years since transplanting of "Rey del Monte" peaches (Prumus persica (L) Batsch.)

Average rainfall for bloom to harvest period was 337 mm and the average irrigation amount was a) 102, b) 153 and c) o mm for each treatment, respectively.

Both irrigated treatments showed greater vegetative growth compared with no irrigation. Fruit yield in the fifth year was 27400 kg/hectare in the irrigated treatments, and 19900 kg/hectare in the no irrigated treatment. Fruit size in the irrigated treatment was 92% bigger than 110 g, while it was only 72% in the no irrigated treatment.

There were no significant differences between irrigation treatments, nor between soil management treatments. Even under the semihumid Uruguayan climate, supplementary irrigation after transplanting increased vegetative growth, yield, earliness and fruit quality.

Abstract taken from paper found on pages 431 to 435 in Proceedings of 5th International Microirrigation Congress, April 2-6, 1995, Orlando, Florida. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085-9659, USA. Phone: 616-429-0300 FAX: 616-429-3852 EMAIL: HQ@ASAE.ORG

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Water Balance of a Trickle Irrigation System on Tin-Tailings

Salim Said

One of the main characteristics of a trickle irrigation system is that water is applied at a low rate near or into the plant's root zone. Due to this characteristic, trickle irrigation is viewed to be economically feasible to irrigate crops grown on sandy soils. It is commonly believed that with the low application rate, crops will have a better chance to consume the water. Thus, sophisticated emitters have been developed to deliver water at very low rates.

Results from our study at UPM have shown contrary outcomes to this popular belief. Better performance in terms of soil moisture content and crop yield was observed from the higher application rate treatments. Higher percolation losses were observed from the low application rate treatments, indicating that the plants were not able to consume the water effectively. These findings were again substantiated when comparison between different trickle system types were carried out. It was found that the percolation loss from a point source emitter is consistently higher than that of a spray type. These findings are useful when designing a trickle irrigation system on tin-tailings or any other sandy soils. Farmers have to be properly advised on the selection of appropriate emitters.

Keywords: Water balance, Trickle irrigation, Tin-tailings, Lysimeters

Abstract taken from paper found on pages 436 to 441 in Proceedings of 5th International Microirrigation Congress, April 2-6, 1995, Orlando, Florida. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085-9659, USA. Phone: 616-429-0300 FAX: 616-429-3852 EMAIL: HQ@ASAE.ORG