making useful things happen on-site irrigation evaluation dan bloomer page bloomer associates
TRANSCRIPT
making useful things happen
On-Site Irrigation Evaluation
Dan BloomerPage Bloomer Associates
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
On-Site Irrigation Evaluation• SFF Project 02-051
– Code of Practice
– IRRIG8 support software
– National Certificate in Irrigation Evaluation
– Training programmes
– Certified practitioners
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
Keys to improving performance
• Measure what is actually happening
• Determine causes of low performance
• Propose solutions
• At an affordable cost
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
Code of Practice for Irrigation Evaluation• Schedules and protocols
– Distribution Uniformity and Application Efficiency
– Seasonal Irrigation Efficiency
– Other KPI assessments
• IRRIG8 Support software – Standardises data processing
– Completes repetitive calculations
– Avoids errors and reduces costs
– Generates standardised reports
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
What are we trying to achieve?
• Improved irrigation efficiency– Crop per litre– Crop per dollar
• Better system performance– Water use efficiency– Energy efficiency
• Better irrigation management– Correct scheduling– Minimum environmental impact
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Key Performance Indicators KPI’sShared with CoP Irrigation Design
• Water use• Efficiency
– Distribution Uniformity– Application Efficiency
• Effectiveness– Potential Soil Moisture Deficit
• Compliance
• Environment• Application Efficiency• Deep percolation
• Energy• kWhr/ha/mm
• Labour• Capital
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Application Efficiency
• How much water applied was stored in the soil and
available to plants?
• Potential AE for a single event– Estimate from DU, applied depth and soil AWC
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Application Efficiency
Water Stored in Root Zone (mm)
Total Water Applied (mm)
• Compares water used for growth with total water used
• Requires knowledge of: – soil moisture holding – crop water use– water inputs – rain and irrigation
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Potential Application Efficiencies
0 20 40 60 80 100percent efficiency
Solid SetRotating Boom
Fixed BoomTravelling Gun
Centre PivotLinear Move
*Multiple spraylineSide Roll
DripMicrospray
Bubbler Low HeadBasin Paddy
BasinBorder Strip
Furrow ModernFurrow
Adapted from A.J. Clemmens
Assuming enough irrigation is applied to adequately water 7/8ths of the field
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Distribution Uniformity • Sets capacity for Efficient and Effective Irrigation
• How evenly is the water applied to the plants?– A single event measurement
– Consider smallest area that needs adequate watering;
each vine, tree, wheat/grass plant
• Measures – Christiansen Uniformity CU
– Distribution Uniformity DU
– Emission Uniformity EU
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Irrigation is Not Uniform
IneffectiveInefficient
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Distribution Uniformity
• Irrigation is not uniform• Irrigate to adequately water most of the crop
– Some will be too wet, some too dry– Try to minimise the difference
• Low quarter uniformity, DUlq
– Compare mean of low quarter to overall mean– Schedule irrigation depth based on DUlq
– Implies 7/8ths will get enough or more
• Raise DUlq from 0.70 to 0.90– Water half as much again for same volume of water– Or save one third of water and power
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Low quarter Distribution Uniformity
Micro irrigation flows (unsorted)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
sprinklers
ml
wat
er c
aug
ht
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DUlq = 0.90
Micro irrigation flows
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Sprinkler number
ml
wat
er c
aug
ht
Total flow = 9600ml
Low quarter mean = 540 ml
Overall mean = 600ml
DUlq = 540/600 = 0.90
To water 7/8 with > 3,000ml
Apply 3,000ml/0.9 = 3,335ml
Total needed = 53,360ml
Wastage = 5,360ml
(enough for 1.8 more plants)
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
Micro irrigation flows (sorted)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
sprinklers
ml
wat
er c
aug
ht
DUlq = 0.50
Total flow = 9600ml
Low quarter mean = 300ml
Overall mean = 600ml
DUlq = 300/600 = 0.50
To water 7/8 with > 3,000ml
Apply 3,000ml/0.50 = 6,000ml
Total for16 plant s = 96,000ml
Wastage = 48,000ml
(enough for 16 more plants)
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Field Uniformities by System Type
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
PivotPivotPivotPivotPivotPivotPivotPivotPivotPivotPivotPivot
LinearLinearLinearLinear
TBoomTBoomTBoomTRotatTRotatTRotatTRotatTRotatTGunTGunTGunTGunTGunTGunTGunKlineKlineKlineKline
OrchSKlineMicroMicroMicroMicroMicroMicroMicroMicroMicro
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Linear move
Application Uniformity (DUlq) = 0.88To adequately water 7/8ths apply 13% extra
Project no. 04018
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Centre Pivot
Application Uniformity (DUlq) = 0.72 To adequately water 7/8ths apply 39% extra
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Centre Pivot Distribution PatternApplication Depth by Distance from Tower
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
0 10 20 30 40 50
M from Tower
MM
Ap
plie
d
DUlq = 0.72
DUlq = 0.96
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Surface ponding often apparent toward end of machines.Instantaneous application rate exceeds soil infiltration rate,
- redistribution will lower actual uniformity further
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From Nelson Irrigation: Pivot Pocket Guide
200
175
150
125
100
75
25
0
Wat
er A
pp
lica
tio
n R
ate
mm
/hr
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Traveller with Fixed Boom
Project no. 04014
Application Uniformity (DUlq) 0.82
No overlap With overlap
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Traveller with Fixed Boom
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Traveller with Rotating Boom
Project no. 05005
Application Uniformity (DUlq) 0.84
No overlap With overlap
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Traveller with Rotating Boom
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Applied Depths Including Stationary Running
90-100
80-90
70-80
60-70
50-60
40-50
30-40
20-30
10-20
0-10
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Excessive application led to ponding, runoff and the excess was drained away.
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Multiple lateral sprayline
Project no. 05003
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K-Line
Optimising Irrigation System Performance and
Management
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Multiple lateral sprayline
Application Uniformity (DUlq) 0.4
Project no. 05003
Depths after 1 hour test, normal run time 24 hours
To adequately water 7/8ths apply 250 % extra
Not overlapped Overlapped
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K-Line Wind Effects
Project no. 05003
Depths after 1 hour test, normal run time 24 hours Depths after 2 hour test, normal run time 11 hours
No WindNot
overlapped
Wind from leftNot overlapped
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K-Line Wind Effects
Project no. 05003
Depths after 1 hour test, normal run time 24 hours Depths after 2 hour test, normal run time 11 hours
No WindOverlapped
Wind from leftOverlapped
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K-Line Spacing Effects
Optimising Irrigation System Performance and
Management
Lane Spacing is Very Important
Lane Spacing Grid DU Field DU 12m 0.42 0.36 14m 0.44 0.38 16m 0.35 0.30 18m 0.21 0.18
All use same pressure variation factor
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Drip/Micro Irrigation Issues
System does not water entire soil volume– Typically no overlapping
– Nozzle plugging
– Low pressures
– Elevation changes
– Pressure reg differences
– Poorly controlled pressures
– Unequal drainage
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Drip-Micro Uniformity Assessment
• Key measurements
– Flows from selected emitters
– Pressures across system
– System layout/emitter spacings
– Uneven drainage
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Drip-Micro IrrigationTypical system layout
Pump
Filter
Pressure test point
Flow test zone
Take off valve
Pipe network
Pump
Filter
Pressure test point
Flow test zone
Take off valve
Pipe network
Pump
Filter
Pressure test point
Flow test zone
Take off valve
Pipe network
Pressure test point
Flow test zone
Take off valve
Pipe network
Take off valve
Pipe network
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Measuring sprinkler flows
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Drip-Micro IrrigationPressure measurement
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Inspect the inside of some sprinklers
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What are the main inefficiencies?Loss component Range Typical
Leaking pipes 0-10% 0-1%
Evaporation in the air 0-10% <3%
Wind blowing water off target (drift) 0-20% <5%
Interception (canopy losses) 0-10% <5%
Surface runoff (spray irrigation) 0-10% <2%
Uneven application or excessive application depths and rates
5-80% 5-30%
Lincoln Environmental Data
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
Seasonal Irrigation Efficiency
• Assess scheduling decisions– Account for:
• Distribution Uniformity• Climate• Crop type and stage• Soil type
– Key Performance Indicators• Seasonal application efficiency• Potential soil moisture deficit• Deep percolation resulting from irrigation• Estimate value of wasted energy and lost yields
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
Seasonal Irrigation Efficiency
• What is your management like?
– Few have the farm data needed• No water use data• No power use data• No irrigation application data• No rain or ET data
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
Irrigation Evaluation
• Assessment of system performance– Real measurements– At critical points– On a given day– That represents normal operation
• Evaluation of management– Reported system operation– Climatic variables– A given crop– A given soil type
• Recommendations
Page Bloomer Associates – www.pagebloomer.co.nz
On Site Irrigation Evaluation
Dan BloomerPage Bloomer Associates
20 Selwyn Rd
NAPIER
Phone 06 835 6800
Mobile 021 35 6801email [email protected]
More on our website
www.pagebloomer.co.nz