The Cross Section, Volume 20, Number 2, February 1974 Page: 3
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February, 1974 THE CROSS SECTION Page 3
Researchers Testing Water-Saving Irr
igation Practice
A concept for prolonging an exist-
ing water supply, drip irrigation, is
being considered by many researchers
as a practice adaptable to many areas
of the Texas High Plains.
Already employed at sites in other
parts of the United States, drip irriga-
tion is a means of applying a small
and continuous amount of irrigation
water to plants in specific concentrated
areas of application.
By applying water drops to a spe-
cific area of the plant where the water
enters the soil surface readily, drip
irrigation eliminates soil erosion that
can occur under other types of irri-
gation.
Conservation Measure Tested
Drip irrigation, considered to be a
unique and effective method of saving
water while maintaining a high level
of productivity, is primarily used in
greenhouses, gardens and orchards.
However, its application is being re-
searched for extensive use on other
crops, such as cotton.
Water is released through applica-
tors called emitters. Drip irrigation
drops the water onto the ground
through one or more emitters, attached
to a hose or above-the-ground pipe,
located adjacent to each plant. There-
fore, this type irrigation is capable of
supplying small quantities of water at
any desired interval of irrigation.
Emitters are selected by the irriga-
tor according to the amount of water
application desired and the pressure
needed. The quantity of water applied
by each emitter is expressed in gallons
per hour (gph) - usually one-half to
three gph.
Emitter Pressure Varies
Low-pressure emitters will apply
more water at a given pressure than
high-pressure emitters. Low-pressure
emitters are more sensitive to differ-40 to 50 percent of the allocated area
per plant is wetted, as compared to
nearly 100 percent with sprinkler irri-
gation.
Water Replacement Important
In drip irrigation, the irrigator tries
to replenish the water on an almost
daily basis, the concept being to re-
place the water the plant has already
used, rather than storing water for
future use. Water should be applied
only as quickly as the soil absorbs it.
According to Leon New, Irrigation
Specialist with the Texas Agricultural
Extension Service, Lubbock, a more
uniformly high soil moisture content
can be maintained with drip irrigation.
He also said plants that are not subject
to extreme soil wetting and drying are
normally healthier and can be more
productive.
Otto Wilke, Agricultural Engineer,
Texas Agricultural Experiment Sta-
tion, another researcher testing the ad-
vantages of drip irrigation, says two
newly-advanced techniques may allow
drip irrigation to more readily adapt
itself to field crops.
Plastic Pipeline Used
The first is the use of plastic trail
lines, instead of sprinklers, attached
to a pivot sprinkler system. He said
a few of the advantages of using these
100-foot-long plastic lines are that
lower operating pressures are needed,
less water is lost to evaporation and
there is little or no surface runoff.
The second technique involves the
development of a rig to move the irri-
gation pipe in a field of cotton. By
using a simple attachment behind a
tractor, the emitter hose can be moved
laterally from one row to another in
a few minutes-it can even be moved
with water flowing through the hose
and without stopping the well pump.ences in land elevation, with high-pres-
sure emitters less likely to become
clogged because of their water-flow
design.
Seasonal water applications can be
controlled by varying operating time
and pressure.
Under each emitter a wetted area
is formed which varies in shape and
extent, depending upon the soil char-
acteristics. In drip irrigation, aboutforeign materials from the system.
Clogging of the emitters was one of
the first problems encountered by sys-
tem designers, but researchers claim
this problem is being eliminated with
the availability of better materials and
improved orifice designs.Considering the small amount of
water required by the drip irrigation
method, some High Plains farmers
may soon find it necessary to consider
this technique as an integral part of
their water conservation program in
the future.- - -
-, -
-' -
A new technique being adapted by researchers of drip irrigation is the use of
plastic trail lines, instead of sprinklers, attached to a pivot sprinkler system.ifs)
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Dr. Otto Wilke, Agricultural Engineer with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Sta-
tion, Lubbock, examines one of the 100-foot trail line pipes used in drip irrigation.
Researchers say less water is lost to evaporation and there is little surface runoff
with these surface pipelines.AI
ai
STATE... continued from page 1
lakes and other water conservation
measures are being considered by the
water districts to prolong the ground-
water supply.
Rayner added that the efforts of the
three groundwater conservation dis-
tricts augment the efforts of Water,
Inc., to bring a supplemental source
of water to West Texas, Eastern New
Mexico and Western Oklahoma.
The High Plains Water District
Manager concluded by noting, "Water,
Inc., needs more time to see their plans
become a reality and water districts,
such as these three on the Texas High
Plains, can buy that time for them."
Felix Ryals, Panhandle Ground
Water Conservation District, White
Deer, mentioned other functions of
groundwater districts. Some of these
-continued on page 4. .. STATECan Irrigate 40 Rows
In this manner one hose or pipeline
can be used to apply a single irrigation
to 40 rows of cotton. A typical in-
stallation would be for a 40-acre field
of cotton, with 40 gallons per minute
pumped from one or more small
capacity wells.
Another type of drip irrigation de-
sign is employed on a Lubbock Coun-
ty farm. It calls for a mainline in-
stalled beneath 70 acres of cotton with
garden hose hydrants spaced on the
mainline every 132 feet. Each hydrant
is connected to a one-quarter-mile
length of emitter hose and waters 40
rows-an area of four acres per hose.
According to the farmowner, Dale
Brown, on a 40-inch spacing, and by
watering every other row, more than
four inches of pre-plant irrigation can
be applied on 40 acres within three
months with the pipe mover. "With
only 10 emitter hose laterals to move
twice weekly across the 40-acre field,
very little hand labor is required," says
the landowner.
Can Move Hose Quickly
He continued, "After planting, the
hose could be moved daily in about an
hour, applying 1.2 inches of water
within a 20-day period."Researchers also cited the need for
a filter or strainer to flush any dirt orm/ 4 a
r jh a
* !>t ddA method for transporting a drip irrigation emitter hose in a field of cotton is a
second technique being advanced. A simple attachment behind a tractor enables
the hose to be moved quickly from one row to another without stopping the well
pump.February, 1 974
T HE C ROSS SE C TION
Page 3
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High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (Tex.). The Cross Section, Volume 20, Number 2, February 1974, periodical, February 1974; Lubbock, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1532987/m1/3/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.