Abstract
Among the irrigation systems used today, trickle irrigation is one of the most efficient methods. This research, conducted by means of field tests, had the objective of comparing head loss evolution on water filtration with a disc filter (130 mum) and a non-woven synthetic fabric filter used in a drip irrigation system. The test consisted of fertirrigation with organic fertilizer, and chemical treatment of the water with sodium hypochlorite. Physical, chemical, and biological parameters were analyzed, such as: pH, turbidity, suspended solids, dissolved solids, EC, hardness, Langelier index, total iron, manganese, sulfides, algae, and bacteria. The water source used in this experiment was from an open reservoir, where an experimental trickle irrigation system had been installed. The research was developed in four steps lasting 30 days each, during different seasons. The chemical factors pH, total iron, and concentration of sulfides presented a medium risk of clogging the emitters. All other physical and biological water quality parameters analyzed resulted in values that did not present an emitter-clogging risk. There was a correlation of results between physical parameters turbidity, suspended solids, and algae, and suspended solids. Fertirrigation influenced water quality. The concentration of free chlorine was higher in the effluent from the disc filter. Head loss evolution in the non-woven synthetic fabric filter was more striking and faster than in the disc filter.
Highlights
Among the irrigation systems used today, trickle irrigation is one of the most efficient methods
A frequent problem in this type of irrigation system is the clogging of emitters, which is directly related to water quality and filtering system efficiency
Equipment An irrigation system was set up in the experimental area, consisting of an electric-powered centrifugal pump, an automatic irrigation controlling device, two electrical valves with solenoids, drip emitters, two differential pressure transducers, two pressure regulators, three turbine-type digital water meters in the flow range from 0.6 to 6 m3 h-1, two Bourdon gauges, a fertilizer and chlorine injection system consisting of two piston dosing pumps, and a filtering system consisting of two filters, one of them a 130 mm disc filter with a 25.4 mm diameter, and the other a synthetic fabric filter
Summary
Among the irrigation systems used today, trickle irrigation is one of the most efficient methods. The fabric was more efficient than the screen and disc elements, removing a larger amount of suspension solids and algae that were present in the irrigation water; head loss developed more rapidly in the fabric filter as a function of filtered volume (Scatolini, 2001). Comparisons were made by means of field assays to determine head loss evolution as a function of volume filtered by two filters: a disc filter (130 μm) and a non-woven synthetic fabric filter, during one year, in a drip irrigation system. The fertirrigation technique was used with application of chlorine during irrigation, in the form of sodium hypochlorite In this comparison, variations of physical, chemical, and biological nature present in the irrigation water were studied throughout the year, which could cause emitter clogging problems. A study concerning the influence of fertirrigation on irrigation water quality was conducted
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