International Symposium on
Drylands Ecology and Human Security

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Improvement in Safe Use of Low Quality Water in Drip Irrigation Systems

 

Hossein Dehghanisanij1, Hossein Sadrghaen1, Tahei Yamamoto2

 

1 Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Karaj, Iran
e-mail: dehghanisanij@yahoo.com
 

2 Land Conservation Department, Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

 


Abstract

 

Insufficient water is the greatest limitation to crop production and choice of crops to be grown, especially in the dry areas of Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA). One of the ways of alleviating water scarcity is by increasing the efficiency of water use. While the potential for saving water through increased efficiency is substantial, it is not as large as might be thought. Most of the water in the hydrosphere is salty and its use could also reduce water scarcity for agriculture in the area. However, advanced irrigation systems such as drip irrigation, which could apply irrigation water to the agricultural field with highest efficiency, are sensitive to quality of water. Water application uniformity in drip irrigation systems may depend, at least partially, on water quality (brackish, saline, and effluents) as the marginal quality water may induced emitter clogging, thereby increasing irrigation requirement and decreasing the irrigation water use efficiency. Preventive maintenance practices such as water filtration, irrigation at night, field inspection, pipeline flushing, and chemical treatment as well as consideration in emitter selection (emitter discharge, water flow cross-section area, inbuilt filtration area, pressure compensation system, etc.) during the system design are the best solutions for reducing or eliminating emitter clogging. This paper summarizes authors experience over the last decades in evaluation of drip irrigation system and emitter specification for improving drip irrigation management and design under low quality water.