Pressurized Irrigation Systems Research Articles

Outcome of nonsurgical management of large cyst-like periapical lesions using a modified apical negative pressure irrigation system: a case series study

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of a self-constructed modified apical negative pressure irrigation (ANPI) system employing commonly used clinical instruments in nonsurgical root canal therapy (NSRCT) for large cyst-like periapical lesions (LCPLs).MethodsFrom 2017 to 2022, 35 patients diagnosed with LCPLs (5-15 mm) via preoperative clinical and radiographic evaluations of endodontic origin underwent NSRCT combined with ANPI. These patients were subjected to postoperative clinical and radiographic follow-up at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years, with a CBCT scan specifically conducted at 6-month follow-up. Through the reconstruction of three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data, an early prognosis was facilitated by monitoring changes in lesion volume. Various treatment predictors—including sex, type of treatment, lesion size, preoperative pain, jaw, type of teeth involved, sealer extrusion, and the number of root canals—were meticulously analyzed. The evaluation of post-treatment outcomes leveraged both clinical observations and radiographic data collected during the follow-up periods. The Kruskal‒Wallis test and one-way ANOVA were also conducted to determine the independent factors influencing treatment outcomes. A significance level of 5% was established.ResultsThirty-five teeth from 35 patients with a median age of 28 years (range 24–34) were treated; the median follow-up duration was 19 months (range 12–26). The overall success rate was 91.4%, with a median lesion reduction of 77.0% (range 54.2–96.4%) at 6 months. Patients under 30 years of age exhibited a significantly greater success rate than older patients did (100.0% vs. 80.0%, p = 0.037). Other factors, such as sex, jaw, treatment type, preoperative pain, cyst size, tooth location, sealer extrusion, and the number of roots, did not significantly impact treatment outcomes.ConclusionsDespite limitations related to the observational case-series study design and relatively small sample size, our findings suggest that utilizing the ANPI in the NSRCT for LCPLs may hold promise. The notably higher success rate in patients younger than 30 years is worth noting.

Cost-centric innovations to address Water-Agriculture nexus challenges in Egypt: Research Status Analysis

High costs associated with technology adoption can be a barrier against the improvement of water use in agriculture. Therefore, interventions must be not only technically feasible but also financially affordable and accessible to farmers. To understand the current situation of research in lowcost (and cost-effective) water solutions for effective management of agricultural water challenges in Egypt. A total of 19 peer-reviewed papers were obtained from systematic research on various databases, the employed keywords are: “Egypt” AND “irrigation” AND “low cost” OR “low-cost” OR “cost-effective” OR “cost-effective”. Based on the analysis of the selected studies, many low-cost technologies and techniques are applied in the Egyptian Delta on-farm levels, such as using low-cost soil moisture sensors attached to a smart monitoring unit operated by Solar Photo Voltaic Cells (SPVC), wireless sensor network in cultivating the potato crop, flexible on-field irrigation, cut-off irrigation, and Pressurized Irrigation Systems. The proposed solutions can help improve water use efficiency, increase crop yields, reduce the cost of irrigation, improve the quality of irrigation water, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The economic analyses and feasibility studies presented in these papers provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in making informed decisions about water use and agricultural practices.

Assessment of Irrigation Potential in Jewuha Watershed, Middle Awash River Basin, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is endowed with immense water and land resources that could be tapped and used for irrigation development. However, little has been done so far due mainly to lack of comprehensive knowledge on the potential of these resources. This study was, therefore, taken up to assess the irrigation potential in data scarce Jewuha watershed of the Awash River Basin. To achieve the objective of the study, the suitability of the land for both surface and pressurized irrigations was estimated using a parametric evaluation technique combined with the FAO land evaluation framework in the GIS environment with multi-criteria analysis of irrigation suitability factors. The irrigation water demands of major crops adopted in the area were determined using CROPWAT software. The surface water potential at the sub watershed was estimated using a combination of SWAT model and the spatial proximity regionalization technique. The performance of the SWAT model was checked by statistical parameters. The irrigation suitability analysis reveals that 51372ha of the study area are suitable and 16274ha are unsuitable for surface irrigation system. Furthermore, 52768ha of the area are suitable and 15088ha are unsuitable for a sprinkler irrigation system. For drip irrigation, 52751ha are suitable and 14855ha are unsuitable. The calibration and validation of SWAT model showed that the model has performed well to simulate the hydrology of the watershed with a coefficient of determination (R2), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and Percent of bias (PBIAS) of 0.74, 0.73 and 0.80 for calibration and 0.71, 0.70 and 7.90 for validation, respectively. From a combined analysis of the available land and water resources, the gross irrigation potential of the area is estimated to be 12,997ha, of which 3098ha of land is exclusively suitable for surface irrigation and 9,899ha is suitable for pressurized irrigation systems.

Management of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis using irrigation agitation techniques in anterior teeth.

Endodontic pain, a common complication after root canal treatment, affects 2.5% to 60% of patients. Therefore, it is of interest to compare apical negative pressure irrigation (EndoVac) with conventional needle irrigation to assess their impact on postoperative pain in permanent anterior teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Fifty patients were randomly assigned to either the EndoVac or needle irrigation group. Pre and post-operative pain levels were assessed using a Visual Analog Scale and the amount of Ibuprofen taken was recorded. At 12-, 24-, and 48-hour intervals, the EndoVac group reported significantly less pain than the needle irrigation group. The needle irrigation group also required more Ibuprofen. The apical negative pressure irrigation system (EndoVac) resulted in significantly less postoperative pain and reduced the need for analgesic medication than the conventional needle irrigation protocol.

Modifying physical supply and use tables (PSUTs) in the system of environmental-economic accounting (SEEA) for off-farm irrigation water management

A reliable water accounting framework is crucial for understanding the contribution of water resources in meeting agricultural demands and selecting appropriate operating systems for off-farm water systems, including hydraulic conveyance and distribution structures. This ensures fair, adequate, and dependable irrigation water distribution, especially under water scarcity operational scenarios. This study presents a novel and effective method for modifying PSU tables in the SEEA water accounting framework that is specifically designed for small-scale agricultural water management study areas. The proposed approach entails a comprehensive analysis of the surface water distribution within the water holders using a hydraulic simulation model and a spatial analysis of the groundwater extraction for meeting on-farm water demands. This approach was implemented on Iran's Central Plateau and revealed notable variations in water rights and distribution effectiveness among stakeholders so that, surface water contributed 27–40% less than the legal water rights, leading to aquifer overexploitation. The evaluation indicated that changing crop patterns and upgrading to pressurized irrigation systems led to 4–7.5% overexploitation of groundwater and 3.5–6% water conservation on farm scales. Besides, the spatial assessment verified a considerable overlap of 59% between the farms with modern irrigation systems and those with cultivated area expansion, resulting in sustained overexploitation pressure on the aquifer. The present study has two significant practical implications. Firstly, it specifies the contribution of surface- and groundwater resources in fulfilling the water demands of individual water-holders. Secondly, it provides reliable information to decision-makers about the incentives for modernization, rehabilitation, and renovation projects in an irrigation district.

The potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing yield losses using the negative pressure irrigation system

Efficient strategies for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without yield penalties are crucial for sustainable agricultural development in the context of population increases and global warming. This study investigates the efficacy of negative pressure irrigation (NPI) in mitigating GHG emissions, as well as its impact on crop yield, global warming potential (GWP), and GHG emission intensity (GHGI), using surface irrigation (CK) as the control. The NPI system operated at three water pressure levels: NPI1 (-2 kPa), NPI2 (-4 kPa), and NPI3 (-6 kPa). The results revealed a notable pattern under NPI: a single peak in GHG emissions that remained consistently, and much lower than CK for the majority of the vegetable season, directly results in the lower cumulative GHG emissions and GWP from NPI than those from CK. Notably, the central region, located near the emitter, exhibited significantly lower GWP compared to the edge region, accompanied by higher yields, leading to a lower GHGI. Based on the findings, the -2 kPa water pressure level demonstrated the optimal performance in sustaining crop yields for Chinese chives while effectively reducing GWP and GHGI. Additionally, regions situated 20 cm on both sides of the emitter under -2 kPa NPI were identified as suitable areas for crop cultivation, offering higher yields and lower GWP and GHGI compared to CK. These results emphasize the win-win situation by balancing vegetable yield while reduced GHG emissions.

Nutrition quality response of orange‐fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea Batatas L. Lam) varieties to deficit irrigation in Tanzania

AbstractMalnutrition in all its forms is a global problem, with the worst effects felt in developing countries. The importance of producing food to improve nutrition security is self‐evidently a promising approach to combating malnutrition. The present study assessed the nutritional quality response of orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) varieties to deficit irrigation (DI). The study's specific objectives were to (i) evaluate yield and root quality and (ii) assess the nutritional root yield and nutritional water productivity of selected OFSP varieties under full and DI. Beta‐carotene, iron, and zinc were the root quality parameters studied. A factorial arrangement of treatments was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The irrigation rates used for scheduling were 100% (full irrigation), 60% (60 [DI]), and 30% (30 [DI]) of total available water (TAW). The test varieties were Naspot‐13 and Jewel of the OFSP crop. The beta‐carotene content of the Jewel cultivar was 27% higher than that of the Naspot‐13 cultivar. However, neither cultivar's root quality changed under DI. The results show that serving 125 g of boiled OFSP varieties provides more than 100% of vitamin A, sufficient iron, and minimal zinc dietary requirements for 4‐ to 8‐year‐old children and 10‐ to 50‐year‐old pregnant women. In general, the nutritional water productivity of root quality parameters increased with a decrease in water application. In conclusion, a positive water‐food‐nutrition nexus was established under the Naspot‐13 variety, suggesting a capacity for alleviating vitamin A, iron, and zinc deficiency health‐related problems, particularly in children and pregnant women in regions with limited water resources. Therefore, adoption of DI strategies for underutilized crops using smart pressurized irrigation systems could be significant in undertaking water management reforms.

The effects of land consolidation projects on pressurized irrigation system design and the cost: A case study from Türkiye

Land consolidation projects (LCP) has been applied in various countries to decrease land fragmentation, to give field road and to create more appropriate regular parcel shapes besides many benefits to farmers. Moreover, LCP help to decrease the cost of irrigation system establishment. Türkiye aims to modernize open irrigation systems into pressurized systems with LCPs to save water due to climate change and global warming. However, previously published studies on the effect of LCP on designing pressurized irrigation network are not adequate. In this study, Eymir Village LCP in Türkiye was chosen as the material to investigate how can LCP affect the cost of the establishment of a pressurized irrigation system. In this context, two similation of irrigation systems are designed with help of geographic information systems (GIS) and are analyzed by COPAM (Combined Optimization and Performance Analysis Model) to optimize the hydraulic performance. Results show that land consolidation proved to be an effective tool to solve spatial problems related to improving the irrigation systems, technical problems related to the performance of the networks, and the equity of services (guaranteeing 98% satisfaction of users). And, it has the most important effect on the economic feasibility of pressurized irrigation network establishment whose cost can be decreased by 13.6% by LCP.

AquaCrop Model Validation for Simulating Biomass and Water Productivity Under Climate Change for Potatoes

Effective crop development modelling is essential for crop management, water resource planning, assessing climate change's influence on agricultural production, and yield prediction. Validation and simulation of the measured data indicated that AquaCrop software is an effective and reliable program for designing pressurized irrigation systems to increase water application efficiency, system performance and the future prediction. The AquaCrop model was evaluated through a solid-set sprinkler and surface drip irrigation systems at 100%, 80%, and 60% of evapotranspiration (ETo) for the potato crop. The AquaCrop model has shown better performance to simulate potato growth and predicting crop variables under various water systems. The surface drip-irrigation system's at 80% of ETo (48.00, 8.05 ton ha-1) Yield had a substantial impact on the yield of potato and water productivity (WP), matching the yield of potatoes that was irrigated with solid-set sprinklers at 100% of ETo (37.39, 7.19 ton ha-1), with 20% water savings. Attributes of potatoes (canopy cover, biomass, potato crop factor (Kc), and water productivity) were affected by increasing water deficit. The simulated of AquaCrop model was a little higher than observed at 80% of ETo treatment, but still has a similar deviation, and it was slightly lower than seen for 60% of ETo treatment at the mid-season. The AquaCrop model predicted the yield of potatoes and biomass correctly when irrigation is adequate. The results indicated that there may be some changes in AquaCrop model simulation operations over future years based on the climate and irrigation method.

Performance Analysis of Pressurized Irrigation Systems with COPAM Software: A Case of Burdur-Çavdır-Küçükalan

Bu çalışmada, Burdur Çavdır Küçükalan basınçlı sulama sisteminin performans analizini yapmak için COPAM (Sınıflandırılmış Karakteristik Eğriler Modeli) bilgisayar yazılımı kullanılmıştır. Bu yazılım yardımıyla debi – su kaynağı kotu, bağıl basınç açısından yetersiz hidrantların tespiti, hidrant güvenilirliği, farklı kaynak yüksekliklerinde hidrantların yeterliliği, mevcut koşullarda boru çaplarının yeninden belirlenmesi, hesaplanan boru çaplarına göre sulama sisteminin eski ve yeni maliyetinin karşılaştırılması gibi analizler yapılmıştır. Çalışma sonunda, sulama sisteminin mevcut koşullarda %90’lık bir verim ile çalışabileceği belirlenmiştir. Çalışmada ayrıca, sistemde bulunan 42 adet hidrantın 2’sinde hem bağıl basınç açısından yetersizlik olduğu hem de güvenilirlik değerlerinin -0- olduğu saptanmıştır. Mevcut koşullarda boru çapları açısından yapılan değerlendirmede ise 26 boru hattında (6 815.50 m) daha küçük çaplı borular kullanılması gerekirken 2 hatta (491.40 m) ise daha büyük çaplı boruların kullanılması gerektiği saptanmıştır. COPAM yazılımıyla hesaplanan boru çaplarının kullanılması durumunda, bağıl basınç eksikliği olan hidrant sayısı 1’e düşmüştür. Yapılan maliyet analizinde ise COPAM yazılımı ile belirlenen boru çaplarının kullanılması durumunda proje maliyetinden 57 262.49 $ tasarruf edilebileceği saptanmıştır. Sonuç olarak, basınçlı sulama sistemlerinin performans analizinde COPAM programının kullanılabileceği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. COPAM veya benzeri programların kullanılması durumunda, projelerin yatırım maliyetlerini düşürerek verimliliklerini yükseltmek mümkün olabilecektir. Bu nedenle COPAM veya benzeri programların basınçlı sulama sistemlerinin değerlendirilmesi amacıyla ilgili kurumlar tarafından kullanılması gerektiği düşünülmektedir.

Application for evaluation of the uniformity of systems of pressurized irrigation

The evaluation and monitoring of the performance of irrigation systems are crucial in maintaining water efficiency and conservation of water and energy resources. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop and validate an application for the coefficient of uniformity coordinators of pressurized irrigation systems. So, the UniIrrig® application was developed, using the integrated development environment Android Studio10 version 4.0.1, in JAVA language, with applicability in devices with the Android operating system. For quantitative verification, the same input values in the UniIrrig® application were also inserted in Microsoft® Excel 2010, in all uniformity conductors used in the application. For the qualitative analysis, together with the experience of the user, 68 students of the Agronomy course at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) participated in tests in order to evaluate the perception of usability, design, usefulness, and general satisfaction of the tool. To validate the application in the field, a uniformity test was carried out on a center pivot in the municipality of Cascavel, Ceará state, with the aid of collectors (Kit Fabrimar) to deliver the applied depth and the consequent result of the distribution uniformity coefficient (DUC), of Hart (HDC) and weighted mean depth analysis. These values were compared to the results obtained in Microsoft® Excel 2010. The dynamic analysis of the data evolved in “r”= 1, thus providing perfect adaptation between the results obtained by the application and by Microsoft® Excel, finding an error equal to zero. In the qualitative assessment, 84.1% consider the application a good tool for coefficient determination. It is concluded that the UniIrrig® application, designed for the Android operating system, can be used to quantify the assessed irrigation uniformity coefficients.

Dimensional analysis-based head loss calculation for the micro-pressure filtering and washing tank

Abstract Filtering is an important measure for the prevention of emitter clogging in micro-irrigation systems. Head loss and energy consumption are two problems in pressurized irrigation systems. Therefore, a combined filtration device – micro-pressure filtering and washing tank – was designed. In this study, the micro-pressure filtering and washing tank was taken as the research object, and a physical model test of inlet flow and sediment concentration was carried out. The head loss prediction model of the micro-pressure filtering and washing tank under clean water and muddy water conditions was established by dimensional and multiple regression analyses, and the determination coefficients (R2) were 0.987 and 0.953, respectively. In addition, the test data were used to validate the head loss prediction model for muddy water. The average relative error of the predicted values was 3.36%, suggesting that the proposed models are ideal for head loss prediction. The research results can provide technical support for the structure optimization and filtration mechanism of the micro-pressure filtering and washing tank, and enrich the theory of micro-pressure filtration.

Assessing the impacts of large‐scale substitution of pressurized irrigation on basin hydrology through a water accounting framework

AbstractAs the main challenge to water resource management, the impacts of irrigation method improvement need to be addressed in regional hydrological processes. This study investigates the hydrological impacts of developing pressurized irrigation systems at the basin scale using the WEAP–WA (water evaluation and planning system–water accounting) coupling approach. Regarding the development of pressurized irrigation systems since 2006, two separate periods can be mentioned for surface irrigation (1998–2006) and for pressurized irrigation development (2006–2013) in the intermediate basin of Ahar‐Chai in Iran. All major water resource elements of the region were found and constructed in WEAP as predefined object‐oriented elements. The simplified soil moisture method was adopted to model the rainfall‐runoff process in irrigated areas. This model was calibrated and validated using PEST (parameter estimation tool) with acceptable statistical criteria. To understand water balance components, the water accounting framework (WAF) was employed, and the results indicated that modernizing the irrigation system increased water depletion and usage. The results indicate an increase of 26% in actual evapotranspiration in pressurized irrigation compared with surface irrigation (50% of the irrigated area). Actual evapotranspiration and nonbeneficial evapotranspiration per unit area also followed the same trend. However, pressurized systems have higher crop productivity and denser crop patterns. In contrast, the basin runoff during pressurized irrigation was 42% less than that during surface irrigation, which is due to fewer return flows caused by pressurized irrigation. Therefore, the basin surface runoff can be influenced by the type of irrigation. The results obtained by this study suggest an adverse effect of altering the surface irrigation methods in pressurized systems.

Benchmarking of Irrigation Performance in Karataş and Karaçal Irrigation Associations

This study was carried out to evaluate the system performances of Karataş and Karaçal irrigation associations located in Burdur province. Karataş irrigation association was put into operation in 1982 and Karaçal irrigation association in 2015 with irrigation areas are 5476 and 4975 ha, respectively. The same public personnel were appointed to both irrigation associations as the Head of the Association in 2018, and as of 2019, both irrigation Associations were gathered under the management of Karataş irrigation association. In this study, the performances of Karataş irrigation, which has an old and predominantly open canal system, and Karaçal irrigation systems, which are relatively new and have a pressurized irrigation system, between the years 2015-2019 have been evaluated. In the performance evaluation, a set of indicators under two main headings as water use efficiency, and financial efficiency recommended by the International Technology and Research Program in Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID) was used. According to the results of the research, when the water use efficiency is examined, especially Annual relative irrigation supply (0.53-0.73 for Karataş; 0.47-0.96 for Karaçal) and irrigation ratio (20-72% for Karataş; 36% for Karaçal) 55) values were not at the desired levels. In terms of Financial Efficiency, cost recovery ratio (119-401% for Karataş; 144-311 for Karaçal) and revenue collection performance (78-442% for Karataş; 10-130 for Karaçal) were found to be high. Although this is a new irrigation, Karaçal irrigation shows that relatively high maintenance costs are incurred. Total operating maintenance and management (MOM) cost per unit area is US$ 9.60-14.98/ha for Karataş and as 1.32-22.92 US$/ha for Karaçal. These values showed that, in general, both irrigations have sufficient financial strength.

Assessment of Pressurized Irrigation Systems in Hürkuş Public Park at Pursaklar Province of Ankara, Türkiye

Assessment of Pressurized Irrigation Systems in Hürkuş Public Park at Pursaklar Province of Ankara, Türkiye

The food-energy-water-carbon nexus of the rice-wheat production system in the western Indo-Gangetic Plain of India: An impact of irrigation system, conservational tillage and residue management

The conventional rice-wheat system in the western Indo-Gangetic plain of India is energy and water intensive with high carbon footprint. The transition towards resource-efficient eco-friendly production technologies with lower footprint is required for inclusive ecological sustenance. A five-year (2016–17 to 2020–21) field experiment was conducted in RWS with hypothesis that pressurized irrigation systems [drip (DRIP) and mini-sprinkler (MSIS)] in conservation tillage [reduced (RT)/zero (ZT)] and crop residue management [incorporation (RI)/mulch (RM)] might result in higher resource use efficiency with lesser carbon footprint compared to conventional system. Experiment consisted five treatments namely (1) puddled transplanted rice followed by conventionally tilled wheat (PTR/CTW), (2) DRIP irrigated reduced till direct seeded rice (RTDSR) followed by zero-till wheat with 100 % rice residue mulching (ZTW + RM) (DRIP-RTDSR/ZTW + RM), (3) surface irrigated RTDSR followed by ZTW + RM (SIS-RTDSR/ZTW + RM), (4) MSIS irrigated RTDSR followed by ZTW + RM (MSIS-RTDSR/ZTW + RM), and (5) MSIS irrigated RTDSR with 1/3rd wheat residue incorporation followed by ZTW + RM (MSIS-RTDSR + RI/ZTW + RM). The pressurized irrigation system in RWS established under conservational tillage and residue management (DRIP-RTDSR/ZTW + RM and MSIS-DSR + RI/ZTW + RM) produced at par system productivity compared to PTR/CTW. Substantial nitrogen (79–114 ka ha−1) and irrigation water (536–680 mm) savings under pressurized irrigation systems resulted in 41–64 % higher partial factor productivity of nitrogen with 48–61 % lower water footprint. These systems had lower energy consumption attaining 15–21 % higher net energy, 44–61 % higher energy use efficiency, and 31–38 % lower specific energy. Efficient utilization of farm inputs caused lower greenhouse gas emission (39–44 %) and enhanced carbon sequestration (35–62 %) resulting 63–76 % lower carbon footprint over PTR/CTW. The information generated here might useful in developing policies for resource and climate–smart food production system aiming livelihood security and ecological sustainability in the region. Further, trials are needed for wider adaptability under different climate, soil and agronomic practices to develop site-specific climate smart practices.

Evaluation of some Water, Energy and Financial Indicators: A Case Study of Esenli Water User Association in Yozgat, Türkiye

Energy efficiency is one of the most important areas that humanity is working on in the world. As in all areas of life, energy used in irrigation has become an important research subject for researchers. In studies performed with performance indicators in Turkey, the use of energy indicators is limited. The scarcity of energy resources makes the efficiency of energy used in irrigation networks extremely important. This study evaluated the performance of a pressurised irrigation network in Yozgat province of Turkey, using the indicators. The data obtained were compared with other countries in the Mediterranean region. The results showed that the specific energy value was about three times lower than other countries. However, when the energy consumed per unit irrigated area was examined, it was found that the irrigation network has high consumption of energy. The use of pressurised irrigation systems will be made mandatory in the coming years, as water resources are reducing because of climate change and drought occurring in the world. Thus, the need of energy for irrigation will increase correspondingly. The use of energy indicators in the planning and implementation of irrigation systems will make significant contributions to the performance of irrigation networks in the future.

Irrigation scheduling of pressurized irrigation networks for minimizing energy consumption

AbstractAlthough pressurized irrigation systems can increase water use efficiency, the energy requirements of these irrigation systems are much higher than those of gravity‐fed systems in water transport and distribution. To reduce irrigation energy consumption, this research introduces two factors influencing energy consumption: branch pipe assigned queue and branch pipe assigned times. The traditional single water distribution and sequential queue are optimized as multiple water distributions and stochastic queues. Combined with traditional motor frequency optimization, eight scheduling scenarios are established based on these three optimization factors and compared with the original scenario. Next, this study optimizes the discharge of all hydrants for each scenario using a genetic algorithm with the same framework and operational process. Predictions and experiments in a case study in eastern China indicated that only optimizing the branch pipe assigned queue or times cannot significantly reduce energy consumption, while an energy‐savings rate of 8% can be achieved by simultaneously optimizing the branch pipe assigned queue and times. In addition, the energy savings rate of only optimizing the motor operating frequency is 11%. However, an energy‐saving rate of 19% can be obtained by combining branch pipe‐assigned times optimization with motor frequency optimization.

Application of a frequency inverter in irrigated perimeters: A case study for irrigation automation

AbstractThe wide variation in water demand and pressure means that most irrigated perimeter pumping systems are oversized. The objective of this study was to control a pressurized irrigation system using a frequency inverter, aiming at automation and energy savings in irrigated perimeters. First, a prototype was assembled using drawer valves to simulate head losses in the system. Second, a frequency inverter was used to control the speed of the rotation of the motor pump, improving its performance. Finally, a microcontroller was used to manage the number of plots under irrigation in the perimeter. The frequency inverter reduced the consumed power by 40, 30 and 19% and the electric power consumption per hour by 46, 38 and 23% for one, two and three plots under irrigation, respectively. The use of the inverter frequency led to a reduction in operating points for all irrigation plot scenarios evaluated. The use of the frequency inverter is justified when the full power of the pump is not always required and adjustment of the rotation speed is necessary. In addition, the proposed automation system proved to be efficient in managing the rotation control of the frequency inverter.

How are vineyards management strategies and climate-related conditions affecting economic performance? A case study of Chilean wine grape growers

In wine grape production, growers decide between alternative management strategies of the vineyard that have direct consequences on competitiveness. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact on economic performance of four management strategies: training system, reserve quality production, irrigation method, and mechanization of labors. The data used in the study comes from face-to-face interviews to 336 wine grape growers of Central Chile, which was complemented with climatic variables retrieved from Geographic Information Systems. A log-log regression model of total value product (TVP) for the main variety grown in the vineyard was estimated, using production factors, vineyards’ attributes, management strategies and climate-related conditions as explanatory variables. An interesting contribution of this study is the identification of TVP functions for land, fertilizers, fungicides, other agrochemicals, labor, and age of vines. Our results show that the training system has the most impact on TVP, where tendone-trained vineyards demonstrated 63% higher TVP than those vertically trained when holding all other variables constant. Reserve quality production also has a positive effect on TVP, increasing it by 25% compared to vineyards producing varietal quality grapes. In contrast, the use of pressurized irrigation systems and mechanization in harvesting do not present a significant effect on TVP. The findings of this paper represent an advance in the understanding of the economic performance factors associated with wine grape growing and could serve to guide on-farm decisions and sectoral policies in pursuing the competitive development of wine grape growers.