Vol. 12, Issue 8 (2023)

Author(s):
Shakti Prakash Kaushik, Dr. BL Sinha and Dr. Rajesh Agrawal

Abstract:
The use of traditional irrigation systems not only causes environmental damage but also puts pressure on limited water resources. Therefore, drip irrigation technology is becoming more popular, particularly for high-value cash crops, as it ensures efficient use of water and energy. It is important to ensure a proper design and operation of drip irrigation systems to avoid uneven watering of some plants, while leaving others without sufficient water. Effective water application into drip irrigation depends on various hydraulic parameters, such as the impact of pressure on the uniformity coefficient, application efficiency, distribution efficiency, and other factors affecting emitter flow variation and emission uniformity. The present study on evaluation of hydraulic performance of the drip irrigation system was conducted during the year of 2023 at the Centre of Excellence, IGKV, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. In the field, the discharge of a 2 lph inline emitter during drip irrigation was tested at three different operating pressures (0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 kg cm-2) to ascertain the hydraulic performance. The highest average values for the hydraulic performance indicators, such as emitter discharge (1.92 lph), emission uniformity (95.54 percent), and distribution efficiency (97.6 percent), were achieved when using a 2 lph inline dripper at an operating pressure of 1.2 kg cm-2. These values were within the acceptable range.