Small Farm Gravity Drip Irrigation System for Crop Production

Abstract

This study involves the construction, installation and testing of a small farm gravity drip irrigation system on a land area of 900m 2 (30mx30m). It was done using a network of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes of three sizes (which served as the main, submain and laterals), control valves (located on the sub main) and micro emitters (which controlled uniform application of water and fertilizer directly into the root zone of the plant by gravity). The water application uniformity of the system was determined by measuring emitter flow rates at the times required to fill a container of 1 litre. Fertigation chamber was incorporated into the system for fertilizer application. The average discharge rate from the emitters was 5.5 l/hr. The average wetting diameter and wetting depth of 60 cm and 1.5 m respectively were achieved. The emission uniform of 85% and above compared favourably with micro irrigation uniformity classification standard based on American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE). It is recommended that the system be flushed after each irrigation season to prevent clogging.

Field Performance Evaluation of a Small-Scale Drip Irrigation System Installed in the Upper West Region of Ghana

“…Statistically, Table 6 shows significant effect of the gravity-fed drip irrigation system under study and depth of irrigated water for the period under consideration. In line with the finding of Isikwue et al (2016) [30], the wetting depth of up to 1.5 m can accommodate 0.3 -1.0 m effective rooting depth for small vegetables (such as spinach, carrot, lettuce, cabbage, garlic, onions etc. ), 0.7 -1.5 m rooting depth for vegetables of solanium family and 0.6 -1.5 m rooting depth for vegetables of cucumber family.…”

Design of small gravity drip irrigation for smallholder farming in water scarce region of Indonesia

“…Moreover, the installation of drip tape emitter in soil surface should be adjusted appropriately in order to reduce head loss in sub unit drip irrigation system. Cleaning filters on a regular basis, inspecting the pressure drop through the filter, looking over the screen holes, and flushing the laterals at least twice or three times a year could all help to prevent clogging, as also suggested by Storlie et al [14], and as described in [15].…”

Effectiveness of Measures to Reduce the Influence of Global Climate Change on Tomato Cultivation in Solariums—Case Study: Crișurilor Plain, Bihor, Romania

“…In the case of mixed PV coupling, the best performances are obtained for solar pumps. Numerous researches on the architecture of SPAPV have shown that in order to improve the efficiency of water use, increase distribution uniformity and increase yield, at direct pumping systems (that pump water only when PV captures solar radiation) [46], water storage tanks [47] or accumulators (batteries) have to be added. The arrangements for localized irrigation with a water storage tank allow the administration of water to the plant when the energy generated by PV is not enough [48].…”