Influence of drip irrigation emission rate on distribution and drainage of water beneath a sugar cane and a fallow plot
| MSI99P0106 | |
| Ah Koon, P. D. Gregory, P. J. Bell, J. P. | |
| Influence of drip irrigation emission rate on distribution and drainage of water beneath a sugar cane and a fallow plot | |
| Periodical article | |
| 1990 | |
| Agric. Water Manage. | |
| 0378-3774 | |
| 17: 267-282 | |
| En | |
| En | |
| This study investigated the effects of 3 emission rates (1, 2 and 4 1 per hour) from drip irrigators on the distribution and drainage of water beneath a crop of sugar cane and a fallow plot. Soil hydraulic potential was measured intensively and regularly by a three-dimensional array of tensiometers. A computer program allowed linear interpolation of hydraulic potential between points of measurement and plotted the equipotential zones. Hydraulic conductivity characteristics (K µ) were measured in the bare plot and saturated conductivity at 77.5 cm depth (1.74 x 10 -7 m per second) used to estimate drainage below both cropped and fallow plots. The fastest rate of emission (4 1 per hour) resulted in greatest lateral spread of water but emission rate did not affect the amount of drainage. More drainage occurred beneath the dripline than farthest from it and contrary to expectation the maximum loss by drainage was found to be beneath the point half way between emitters; this was interpreted as due to the overlapping pattern of water from adjacent emitters. Although drainage occurred beneath the entire bare plot, a small amount of upward flux (less than 1 mm d-1) was greater than from the cane plot (0.9 mm d-1). The practical applications of the findings are discussed; the adoption of an emission rate of 4 1 per hour and a wider spacing between emitters (currently 75 cm) by growers might allow the irrigation of a greater area of cane in these soils without increased drainage. | |
| SUGARCANE TRICKLE IRRIGATION IRRIGATION DRAINAGE WATER HYDRAULIC POTENTIAL | |
| MAURITIUS | |
| Sugarcane: Water use and management | |
| Irrigation: Drip irrigation | |
| 1992-02-05 | |
| En | |
| LIB | |
| CAT | |
| 1 | |
| BOT |