Abstract
Publisher Summary In bubbler irrigation, water is applied to the soil surface as a little stream, typically from a small diameter tube (1 mm to 13 mm) or a commercially available emitter. Because the application rates generally exceed the soil infiltration rates, small basins or furrows are needed to control the water distribution on the land. Although bubbler application is extensively utilized in landscape irrigation systems, its use in agriculture is currently limited. Two major types of bubbler irrigation systems are available; the low head or gravity (about 10 kPa) and pressurized (50 to 150 kPa) systems. Design procedures for gravity systems have been developed over the past several years and are relatively unique to this type of irrigation. Design of pressurized bubbler systems is similar to the procedures for most micro-irrigation systems. This chapter primary discusses the gravity systems. Two of the first long-term, operating bubbler irrigation systems were established in citrus groves at Tacna, Arizona and Riverside, California. Water to the systems was supplied from irrigation canals and distributed through thin-wall, corrugated polyethylene pipe to the bubbler tubes. By adjusting the elevations of the tube outlets, the gravity pressure water flow to each tree was equalized. Despite this early experimental success, the bubbler concept has not been widely adopted in agriculture. Perhaps one of the main reasons for the lack of interest is that design criteria and recommended operating procedures have not been readily available.
Published Version
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