Net losses in sprinkler irrigation

✍ Scribed by Ido Seginer

• Book ID: 102979693
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1967
• Weight: 505 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0002-1571
• DOI: 10.1016/0002-1571(67)90028-3

✦ Synopsis

The reported experiment was designed to provide an estimate of net evaporation and interception losses due to overhead daytime sprinkling of corn. Net losses were defined as the difference between the consumptive use of water of sprinkler irrigated crop and the "normal" evapotranspiration of the unsprayed crop. As a reference method to the sprinkler irrigation, a special near-the-ground irrigation system was used, by which spray losses and interception losses were almost completely eliminated. Two irrigation intervals, 3 days and 2 weeks, were used with each method, all treatments receiving the same total quantity of water. Water balance was determined by metering the applied water and measuring soil moisture by means of a neutron scattering unit. Yield was determined by dry weight samples.

The results indicated no significant difference between the treatments, except for that in which overhead sprinkling was applied every 3 days, which was marginally significantly different at the 0.1 level. This treatment consumed 10 ~ more water than the others.

Rough approximations on the basis of both the present results and relationships found in the literature, indicate that regular overhead daytime sprinkling (one irrigation in 2 weeks) would not require more than 5 ~ more water than night irrigation or surface irrigation.