B3.2.

3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation

Uniform application by artificial rain
Good application efficiencies (0.7 0.8)
dependent on wind, temperature, humidity

Fairly terrain independent (but design must take terrain into account) Can have a low labour content But

High(ish) investment cost

High maintenance cost due to pumping Can be complex to run
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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Criteria

(from Cornish)

Must permit cost recovery within one to two years (and double investment in a short time)
Must be suitable for use on small and irregular shaped plots

Must require only simple maintenance and tools

Have a low risk of component failure Be simple to operate Be durable and reliable able to withstand rough and frequent handling without serious damage
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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: System layout

B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation

B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Drag hose system

B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Sprinkler

B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Spray pattern

B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Spray pattern

B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Spray pattern: Variation in pressure

B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Variation in pressure

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Solid set system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Hand move laterals

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Hop along system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Drag hose system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Drag hose system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Centre pivot system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Centre pivot system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Centre pivot system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Centre pivot system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Linear move system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Linear move system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Linear move system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Mobile raingun

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Mobile raingun

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Appropriateness

Type Hand move Divisibility 3 Maintenance 2 Risk 2 Operator skill 2 Durability 3

Drag Hose Low-tech

Perforated pipe Side roll Side move Static gun Boom Traveling gun Centre Pivot Liner move Solid set Piped distribution

3 3
3 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 3 3

4 4
2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 3 3

2 3
1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 3

3 3
3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3

3 3
2 2 1 3 2 2 2 2 3 4 25

B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques Sprinkler irrigation: Appropriateness

Type Piped distribution Low tech Drag hose Solid set Hand move laterals Perforated pipe Score 16 16 15 14 12 11 Crops All All All Orchards All Soft fruit and veg

Static gun
Side roll Traveling gun Boom Centre pivot

10
7 7 6 5

Cereals, Row crops

Short cereals, row crops Cereals, Row crops Cereals, Row crops Cereals, Row crops

Linear move
Side move

5
4

Cereals, Row crops

Cereals, Row crops 26

B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation

Excellent efficiency (>0.9)
little and often - plants have ideal water all the time As little as 30% of the root zone is wetted

Not sensitive to slope Good for mineralised water Good for injected fertiliser But Very expensive Needs well filtered water Can be complex to operate ands maintain
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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Improvements

Crop Bananas Grapes Sweet lime Pomegranate Papaya Tomato Watermelon Okra Cabbage Chillies Sweet Potato Beetroot Radish Sugar cane Yield Increase (%) 52 23 50 98 75 50 88 16 2 44 39 7 2 33 Water saving (%) 45 48 61 45 68 39 36 40 60 62 60 79 77 56

Cotton

26

53
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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Layout

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Drip irrigation

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Root zone

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Infiltration

Sandy soil

Clay soil
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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Emitters

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Thick walled drip hose

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Thin walled drip hose

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Bubblers

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Microsprinklers

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Microsprinklers

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Appropriateness

Type Divisibility Maintenance Risk Operator skill Durability

Drip emitters

Drip hose (thick)

Drip hose (thin)

Micro sprayers

Pressurised bubbler

Gravity fed bubbler

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Appropriateness

Type Piped distribution Low tech Sprinkler Pressurised bubbler Drag hose Sprinkler Solid set Sprinkler Hand move laterals Sprinkler Micro sprayers Gravity fed bubbler Perforated pipe Sprinkler Static gun Sprinkler Drip emitters Drip hose (thick) Drip hose (thin) Side roll Sprinkler Score 16 16 16 15 14 12 12 12 11 10 9 9 9 7 Crops All All Orchard All Orchards All Orchard, Soft fruit and Orchard Soft fruit and vegetables Cereals, Row crops Wide row fruit and vegetables Wide row fruit and vegetables Wide row fruit and vegetables Short cereals, row crops 3,000 675 3,500 675 3,500 3,500 800 950 3,500 5,000 3,000 1,500 Cost (USD 1990) 800

Traveling gun Sprinkler

Cereals, Row crops

1,500
40

Note: Skilled workers wages in Sri Lanka $4/day, Uganda, $2.5/day

B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Appropriateness: Methods based on imported components Manufactured drip emitters and microsprayer assemblies are carefully supervised and maintained.
Ancillary equipment such as screen and media filters, metering valves, pressure regulators and fertilizer injectors are used in various combinations.
Note: These options will be justified only for cash crops in a stable market economy.
From Small-scale irrigation for arid zones; Principles and options: http://www.fao.org/docrep/w3094e/w3094e00.htm 41

B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Appropriateness: Methods based on imported materials but local fabrication
Moulded plastic pipes or extruded plastic tubing are perforated manually and laid over the ground to simulate drip irrigation. Vertical sections of plastic pipes (or even discarded plastic containers such as bottles) are embedded in the ground. Thin-walled plastic vessels are filled with sand or gravel to provide mechanical resistance to crushing.
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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Appropriateness: Methods based on imported materials but local fabrication
Slit plastic sleeves cover the perforated sections of the tubes to prevent root penetration into the outlet holes. Sand filters prevent suspended particles or algae from clogging the outlets. Auxiliary containers are used to dissolve and inject fertilizer into the irrigation water.

Vertical standpipes are used to deliver water from an underground pipe to small basins.
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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Appropriateness: Methods based entirely on local materials and workmanship Low-fired porous ceramic pots are placed on the surface or embedded in the soil within the root zone. When filled with water and dissolved fertilizers, the permeable clay receptacles ooze water and nutrients into the soil.
Sectioned ceramic pipes constitute line sources that feed elongated beds.
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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Micro irrigation: Appropriateness: Clay pot method

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Modern irrigation technologies: Appropriateness

(from Cornish)

The technology must offer the farmer sufficient financial return or a reduction in labour demand, to justify the investment Farmers need to grow high value crops for an assured market in order to cover costs
Increasing national or regional water shortage is an important factor motivating governments to promote the use of modern irrigation technologies

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B3.2.4 Irrigation techniques Modern irrigation technologies: Appropriateness Governments must enact policies promoting the technologies for the smallholder, making it attractive to manufacturers and dealers to develop and promote them
Suitable systems must be relatively cheap and straightforward to operate and maintain

Farmers require effective technical support in the initial years failure = ruin
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