Optimizing pressurized agriculture pipe network through simulation modeling techniques in home gardening in Vavuniya area of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Home gardening is identified as one of the remedial measures for food security issues caused by the economic downfall in Sri Lanka. Home gardening contributes to household food security by providing direct access to food. Further, it is also an important source of supplementary income for households. The appropriate function of a pressurized agriculture pipe network system is vital to supply sufficient quantity of water to the plants at sufficient pressure through the sprinkler output. Despite this, very few computer simulation techniques studied the optimization for the case of the home gardening agricultural pipe system. In this study, the WaterGEMS V8i software simulator was used and hydraulic analyses were conducted to design an optimal pressurized agriculture pipe network suitable for home gardening in the Vavuniya area. The water flow rate at sprinkler outlet points for chilli and onion were considered 600 L/h and 325 L/h respectively.