Susceptibility of clogging of drippers when domestic home residual water is applied

Abstract

Changes in the hydraulic performance of distinct models of drippers with treated domestic water are analyzed, coupled to empirical models for the variable operation time and effluent quality. An experiment, elaborated at the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), comprised four irrigation units with three types of drippers (Plastro Hydrodrip Super, Netafim Tiran and Netafim PCJ-CNJ), with three replications (three lateral lines per dripper type). The coefficient rates of discharge variation and the reduction of relative discharge were determined every 80 h of operation with treated domestic residual water, coupled to physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of the effluent till the completion of 400 h. Data underwent simple regression and multiple linear analyses. Dripper G1 had the greatest changes in hydraulic performance and was more liable to clogging than drippers Netafim Tiran and Netafim PCJ-CNJ. Nil and square root regression models best explained the relationship between variables CVQ and RQR and operation time of the irrigation units. Further, pH, SS, SD, Fe, Mg2+ and CT predominated in empirical models for hydraulic performance for the three dripper types.