Effect of fertilization and sediment flow hydraulic characteristics on emitter clogging in muddy water drip fertigation system^†

Abstract

In a drip fertigation system using the Yellow River, suspended solids in the water serve as a bridge between physical flocculation and chemical adsorption. They impact the emitter clogging process and flow turbulence properties. Therefore, a laboratory test was conducted with artificial muddy water drip fertigation (MWF) to investigate the anti‐clogging performance of emitters. Four types of fertilizer (i.e. [CO (NH2)2], Ca (H2PO4)2·H2O, K2SO4 and [CO (NH2)2] + KH2PO4 + KNO3) were applied at 0.5, 1, 2 and 3% concentrations respectively. The results showed that the relative discharge of emitters (Dra) remained in a fluctuation balance phase, and at 0.5% concentration with MWF, there was a decrease of 5, 11.1, 8.8 and 4.9%. For fertigation concentrations between 1 and 2%, the fluctuation balance phase significantly reduced, and the Dra began a linear decrease of 12.5, 42.2, 37.6 and 5.1%. At a fertilizer concentration increase of 3%, the Dra improved relatively with urea and P fertilizer drip irrigation but slightly declined with K and compound fertilizer. The particle size distribution of flocs ranked from broad to narrow as follows: P fertilizer > K fertilizer > urea > compound fertilizer. Urea showed a viscosity‐reducing effect on muddy water (MW). Conversely, K fertilizer exhibited the greatest viscosity‐increasing effect, followed by P fertilizer, while compound fertilizer exhibited the least viscosity‐increasing effect. The filter criteria of the drip irrigation system can be suitably reduced for drip fertigation with urea in the Yellow River irrigation area. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Increasing phosphorus availability by reducing clogging in drip fertigation systems

“…However, this threshold did not take the effect of fertilizer application into account. Suspended solids in the water may serve as a bridge between physical flocculation and chemical adsorption (Liu et al, 2018).…”

Effect of irrigation commutative flow technology on reducing deposition and improving anticlogging performance of a flat labyrinth drip pipe

“…A mass of small particles of sediment settled in the posterior part of the drip irrigation pipe with a low flow velocity, and these particles entered the flow channel of the emitter with a high concentration. The deposited of small particles of sediment blocked the flow channel of the emitter, which caused a flow discharge decrease of the emitter (Liu et al 2018). With the increase of test times, the blockage degree of the emitter increased, resulting in a continuous increase of the clogged emitter quantity.…”

The Dynamics Characteristics of Soil Water Infiltration and Capillary Rise for Saline–Sodic Soil Mixed with Sediment

“…Most sediments (mainly silt particles) are deposited on both sides of the riverbed, where ecological problems such as soil desertification and sandstorms often occur [13,14]. Because the sand particle content is relatively high and the available water is low for the sediment, how to deal with the accumulated sediments remains a serious problem [15][16][17]. Previous studies have shown that sediment addition can change both the soil particle composition ratio and soil texture, thus changing the water and salt transport pattern of saline-sodic soil [18,19].…”