Agricultural Sprinkler Irrigation

Abstract

Agricultural sprinkler systems include wheel-lines, hand-lines, undertree sprinklers, and microsprinklers. The design process includes selecting an appropriate sprinkler and sprinkler spacing, calculating the number and dimensions of zones, designing the pipe network, and selecting the pump. Constraints such as orchard tree spacing and premanufactured aluminum pipe lengths often limit the spacing options. Sources of nonuniformity in agricultural sprinkler systems include variability of application rates within a sprinkler wetted area and hydraulic variation of lateral pressure. Although not normally part of the design process, this chapter shows how to describe the variability of wheel-line application depth based on pressure variation and sprinkler application pattern. The instructor may decide not to include these details. An economic/environmental model is presented that optimizes seasonal application depth with respect to yield, energy and water cost, and environmental contamination.