Sustainable Water Management for Small Farmers with Center-Pivot Irrigation: A Hydraulic and Structural Design Perspective

Muhammad Rashid, Saif Haider, Muhammad Umer Masood, Chaitanya B. Pande (), Abebe Debele Tolche (), Fahad Alshehri, Romulus Costache and Ismail Elkhrachy
Additional contact information
Muhammad Rashid: Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan
Saif Haider: Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan
Muhammad Umer Masood: Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan
Chaitanya B. Pande: Institute of Energy Infrastructure, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang 43000, Malaysia
Abebe Debele Tolche: School of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Haramaya Institute of Technology Haramaya University, Dire Dawa P.O. Box 138, Ethiopia
Fahad Alshehri: Abdullah Alrushaid Chair for Earth Science Remote Sensing Research, Geology and Geophysics Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Romulus Costache: Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, 90-92 Sos. Panduri, 5th District, 050663 Bucharest, Romania
Ismail Elkhrachy: Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Najran University, King Abdulaziz Road, Najran 66454, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-29

Abstract: In Pakistan, surface water supply for irrigation is decreasing, while water demand is increasing for agriculture production. Also, due to the fast rate of population growth, land holding capacity is decreasing. So, there is a need to develop appropriate technologies and design approaches for small-scale farmers to improve modern irrigation practices. In this study, a hydraulic and structural layout of CPIS was designed for small-scale farmers with some modifications. The hydraulic parameters and structural design of the CPIS were designed using IrriExpress and SAP2000 software, respectively. An economic analysis of the modified CPIS was carried out. The results revealed that in one complete revolution of the whole system, its span slope varied from 2.98 to 0.1%, and the wheel slope varied from 2.35 to −2.4%. The timing setting was 60% for one revolution, and the irrigation depth was 10 mm. When the time setting was reduced from 100% to 10%, the irrigation hours per cycle and irrigation depth both increased. Variendeel type-II trusses were designed for structural purposes using SAP2000 software. This design led to a 17% reduction in weight by lowering it from 1.916 to 1.5905 tons and a 44% reduction in joint count, decreasing it from 32 to 18. Our economic analysis revealed that the structural part of the system is more expensive than the hydraulic, electric and power parts for small-scale design. So, it was suggested that CPIS is suitable for land holdings from 100 to 250 acres, because when the area increases to more than 250 acres, there is no significant change in the cost. A towable system is more economical for small-scale farmers due to its lower cost per acre. This study will be helpful for the optimization of CPISs to improve water use efficiency and crop yield.

Keywords: HEIS; CPIS; SAP2000; IrriExpress; structural; hydraulic; cost estimation; small-scale farmers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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