Subsurface drip irrigation systems for specialty crop production in North Dakota.
1996
Steele D.D. | Greenland R.G. | Gregor B.L.
Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems offer advantages over other types of irrigation systems for specialty crop production, including water savings, improved trafficability, and a drier canopy. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of SDI, placed at 1.2-m (4-ft) lateral spacing and buried at 0.28-m (11-in.) depth, in a subhumid climate with severe winters. Effects on crop yield and crop quality of tape design (from five manufacturers) and position along 152-m (500-ft) lateral runs were investigated for three consecutive years on a sandy loam soil near Oakes, N. Dakota. In 1993, marketable and total sweet corn yields averaged 13.9 and 14.9 Mg ha-1 (6.20 ton ac-1 and 6.65 ton ac-1), respectively. In 1994, U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 2, and total yields for winter squash were 17.7, 6.8, and 31.9 Mg ha-1 (7.90, 3.03, and 14.23 ton ac-1), respectively. In 1995, the cabbage yield averaged 98 Mg ha-1 (43.7 ton ac-1). Yields were measured at three transects [approximately 17, 76, and 136 m (56 ft, 250 ft, and 446 ft) from the upstream ends of the drip laterals] to determine effects of tape design on water distribution and corresponding yield. Yields did not differ statistically between designs for any transect in any year. Measured emitter discharge rates decreased dramatically with distance downstream from the start of the tape. This was attributed to friction losses in the tape, deformation of the normally circular cross-section of the tape by winter conditions, soil compaction from tillage operations, and calcium deposits. Subsurface drip irrigation tape appears durable enough to withstand winters in the northern Great Plains for multiple-season use, provided proper installation and maintenance procedures are followed.
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