Effect of Pulse Drip Irrigation Duration on Water Distribution Uniformity

Developing an appropriate irrigation schedule is essential in order to save water while at the same time maintaining high crop yields. The standard procedures of the field evaluation of distribution uniformity do not take into account the effects of the filling and emptying phases of the irrigation system. We hypothesized that, in sloping sandy soils, when short drip irrigation pulses are applied it is important to take into account the total water applied from the beginning of irrigation until the emptying of the irrigation system. To compute distribution uniformity, we sought to characterize the filling, stable pressure, and emptying phases of a standard strawberry irrigation system. We found that the shorter the time of the irrigation pulse, the worse the distribution uniformity and the potential application efficiency or zero deficit are. This effect occurs because as the volume of water applied during filling and emptying phases increases, the values of the irrigation performance indicators decrease. Including filling and emptying phases as causes of non-uniformity has practical implications for the management of drip irrigation systems in sloping sandy soils.