Wind drift and evaporation losses of a mechanical lateral-move irrigation system: Oscillating plate versus fixed spray plate sprinklers

Emanuele Baifus Manke, Bernardo Gomes Nörenberg, Lessandro Coll Faria, José Maria Tarjuelo, Alberto Colombo, Maria Clotilde Carré Chagas Neta and José Maria Barbat Parfitt

Agricultural Water Management, 2019, vol. 225, issue C

Abstract: The mechanical lateral-move irrigation system has the capacity to achieve high irrigation efficiency when handled properly; however, during irrigation, wind drift and evaporation losses (WDEL) can occur that are caused by operational and meteorological factors. Thus, the objectives of this study were: to determine the WDEL of a mechanical lateral-move irrigation system fully equipped with oscillating plate sprinklers (I-Wob) under different meteorological conditions; to evaluate the predictive capacity of eight published WDEL models that were compared with field data of the full length mechanical lateral-move irrigation system; to develop a model for estimating the WDEL of a mechanical lateral-move irrigation system equipped with an oscillating plate; and to compare the WDEL and Christiansen Uniformity coefficient for fixed-spray plate (Superspray) and I-Wob under field conditions. The study was conducted using 65 in-field tests that were divided into two groups; the first group of 35 in-field tests used a full-length lateral-move irrigation system equipped with I-Wob sprinklers, and the second group consisted of 30 in-field tests that used only the span 2 (Superspray) and the span 4 I-Wob sprinklers. The WDEL for the full-length lateral-move systems ranged from 4.4 to 25.2%, with an average of 11.6%. A Pearson’s correlation test found that wind speed was significant at a 5% significance level. The proposed model performed better than the eight published models. A comparison of the I-Wob and Superspray sprinklers installed in the mechanical lateral-move irrigation systems indicated that I-WOB performed better and had higher Christiansen’s Uniformity coefficient values and lower wind drift and evaporation losses.

Keywords: Sprinkler irrigation; Wind speed; WDEL; Superspray; I-Wob (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:225:y:2019:i:c:s0378377419307966

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2019.105759

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