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Subject: Land and Water Management Engineering × Author: Sheeja A Andezhathu × End date: 1989 × Start date: 1982 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Relative efficiency evaluation of drip and conventional methods of irrigation ashgourd and cucumber
    (Department of Land and Water Resources and Conservation Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1989) Sheeja A Andezhathu; George T P
    Water, being a limited resource, its efficient use is very vital for the survival of the ever increasing population. As the availability of water being limited for irrigation purpose, the efficiency of utilization of water has to be increased by adopting modern methods of irrigation. Drip irrigation is a promising technique for providing precise quantity of water without wastage. Though this method was started decades back, it has not become popular in our country. The relative efficiency evaluation of a low cost drip irrigation system fabricated with locally available materials and the conventional basin method of irrigation was done in this experiment taking ashgourd and cucumber as indicating crops. In drip as well as the basin method the irrigation schedule was based on IW/CPE ratios of 1, 0.7 and 0.4. In drip method, plots were irrigated every day and the depth of irrigation water given was based on the pan evaporation value of the previous day. In the basin method, the depth of irrigation water given was 30 mm. Oil drums of 200 liters capacity were used as the storage tanks for the drip irrigation system. 25 mm and 12 mm diameter black polyethylene pipes were used for main and lateral lines respectively. Main and laterals were connected by using commercially available ‘Tee’s. Microtubes of 2 mm diameter were used as drippers or emitters. The heart of the system was the distributor which was developed in K.A.U. Mirotube taken from the lateral was connected to the distributor and four microtubes connected to the distributor acted as emitters. The distributor could deliver irrigation water at a slow rate of 1 to 5 litres per hour from each microtube. Biometric observations on the plants were taken during the experiment. For ashgourd 30% less water was needed in drip method to get the same yield as in basin method. In cucumber the amount of water needed to get same yield in both crops was same. But conveyance loss was practically nil in the case of drip method. In this experimental field there was a conveyance loss of 27.7% in one hectare of land. This water could be saved using drip method and it could be utilised for bringing more area under irrigation. Special skill was not required for the fabrication, installation, maintenance and operation of KAU drip irrigation system. The cost of installation and operation of KAU drip irrigation system in one hectare was worked out for the crop ashgourd and it was compared with the basin method of irrigation. Comparison showed that there was a saving of Rs. 1105/- in drip method of irrigation.