Making useful things happen On-Site Irrigation Evaluation Dan Bloomer Page Bloomer Associates.

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making useful things hap On-Site Irrigation Evaluation Dan Bloomer Page Bloomer Associates

Transcript of Making useful things happen On-Site Irrigation Evaluation Dan Bloomer Page Bloomer Associates.

Page 1: Making useful things happen On-Site Irrigation Evaluation Dan Bloomer Page Bloomer Associates.

making useful things happen

On-Site Irrigation Evaluation

Dan BloomerPage Bloomer Associates

Page 2: Making useful things happen On-Site Irrigation Evaluation Dan Bloomer Page 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

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Keys to improving performance

• Measure what is actually happening

• Determine causes of low performance

• Propose solutions

• At an affordable cost

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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Page 50: Making useful things happen On-Site Irrigation Evaluation Dan Bloomer Page Bloomer Associates.

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Page 51: Making useful things happen On-Site Irrigation Evaluation Dan Bloomer Page Bloomer Associates.

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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

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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