Development and Performance Evaluation of Mobile Irrigator for Dry Land Agriculture

Abstract

This research work was conducted at Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Kumulur located in Tamil Nadu, India. The mobile irrigator was developed for effective utilization of the available water in dry land agriculture instead of following the supplementary irrigation. In case of supplementary irrigation the application efficiency and distribution uniformity is less. It reduces both the yield of crop and the water use efficiency. Hence the aim of the present investigation was to develop a mobile irrigator which could be light in weight and can be moved manually while irrigating. Performance evaluation (application efficiency and distribution uniformity) of the irrigator was tested in a dry land field of maize. The results revealed an acceptable value of application efficiency (74%) and distribution co-efficient (75%). The travel speed and operating pressure were optimized about 2.1 cm·s-1 and 245 kPa. The crops for which the system can be used for irrigation are maize, groundnut, pulses, etc. For the efficient performance of the irrigator, the height of the crop should be less than or up to 1.5 m.

Ovo istraživanje je sprovedeno na Fakultetu za poljoprivrednu tehniku i Istraživačkom institutu Kumulur u Tamil Nadu, Indija. Mobilni uređaj za navodnjavanje je razvijen za efikasnu upotrebu dostupne vode u suvom ratarenju umesto dodatnog navodnjavanja. U slučaju dodatnog navodnjavanja smanjuje se efikasnost upotrebe i ujednačenost distribucije. To smanjuje i prinos i efikasnost korišćenja vode. Kako je cilj ovog istraživanja bio da razvije mobilni uređaj za navodnjavanje koj će biti lak i pogodan za ručno pomeranje tokom navodnjavanja. Ocena performansi (efikasnost navodnjavanja i ujednačenost distribucije) uređaja su testirani na suvom polju kukuruza. Rezultati su pokazali prihvatljivu efikasnost navodnjavanja od 74% i koeficijent distribucije od 75%. Brzina kretanja i radni pritisak bili su optimizirani na oko 2.1 cm•s-1 i 245 kPa. Sistem može biti upotrebljen za navodnjavanje kukuruza, kikirikija, mahunarki i sl. Za postizanje efikasnog navodnjavanja visina useva treba da bude do 1.5 m.