1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Subsurface Drip Irrigation Applications in Humid Areas
Daniel L. Thomas, Lead Editor
Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
thomasdl@bae.lsu.edu
Michael D. Dukes, Co-Editor
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
University of Florida
P.O. Box 110570
Gainesville, FL 32611
mddukes@ufl.edu
Introduction
17
18
Subsurface drip irrigation is the application of drip irrigation technology below
19
the ground surface. Drip or trickle irrigation is defined as an irrigation practice where
20
water is dispensed one drop at a time at the desired location. This technology has been
21
available for many years and recently (within the last 15 years) has been promoted for
22
application in humid areas. Some of the characteristics associated with implementation
23
and management of drip irrigation systems or subsurface drip irrigation systems are
24
similar whether the system is being used in a humid or arid condition. However, there
25
are some considerations that are somewhat unique where precipitation is a major factor.
26
27
The following documents outline the primary steps and situations that should be
28
considered for the Site Selection, Design, Installation and Management of subsurface drip
29
irrigation systems in humid areas. Each document provides useful information for
30
extension agents, consultants, and other individuals who are interested in subsurface drip
31
irrigation systems. These resource materials are not designed to replace the extensive
32
literature already available for drip irrigation and subsurface drip irrigation. However,
33
understanding those characteristics that are impacted by humid area conditions are
34
necessary to achieve the greatest benefit from the technology.
35
1
1
One additional product that was developed through this effort was a resource CD
2
for subsurface drip irrigation. This reference source was developed with input from
3
available web-accessible documents and other books and papers on subsurface drip
4
irrigation. A copy of this CD can be obtained by contacting the lead author.
5
6
Acknowledgements
7
8
This effort was directly supported by each of the agencies and universities
9
indicated by the individual authors. Their direct support was essential to completing the
10
documents. Additional support (travel, etc.) was provided by the USDA, Cooperative
11
State Research, Extension, and Education Service through a special project on irrigation
12
water use through the University of Georgia. This grant contained special provisions for
13
hosting a workshop to initiate development of the documents. This workshop was held in
14
Florence, South Carolina.
15
16
Additional support was provided by the American Society of Civil Engineers,
17
Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) through a funded task committee
18
on “Subsurface Drip Irrigation Applications in Humid Areas”. This task committee was
19
within the Irrigation and Drainage Council of EWRI and was associated with the On-
20
Farm Irrigation Committee. The participants on that task committee are reflected within
21
the authors of this document.
22
23
The greatest acknowledgement is expressed to the authors of the individual
24
components of this work. Without their time and expertise, this work would not have
25
been completed.
26
27
Although subsurface drip irrigation is relatively new for the humid region,
28
research and application papers are available on a variety of topics. These resource
29
materials add to the body of knowledge and provide results on many specific areas of
30
interest.
31
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
Publications and Papers on Subsurface Drip Irrigation
Dukes, M.D., and J.M. Scholberg. 2004. High frequency subsurface drip irrigation on sandy
soils. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. Accepted for publication.
Nogueira, L.C., M.D. Dukes, D.Z. Haman, J.M. Scholberg, and C. Cornejo. 2003. Data
acquisition system and irrigation controller based on CR-10 datalogger and TDR sensor. Soil and
Crop Science Society of Florida Proceedings, 62(2003):38-46.
Camp, C.R., P.J. Bauer, and W.J. Busscher. 1999. Evaluation of no-tillage crop production with
subsurface drip irrigation on soils with compacted layers. Transactions ASAE, 42(4):911-917.
Grabow, G.L., R.L. Huffman, R.O. Evans, K. Edmisten, and D. Jordan. 2002. Subsurface drip
irrigation research on commodity crops in North Carolina. ASAE Meeting Paper No. 022290.
St. Joseph, MI.
Lamm, F.R. and T.P. Trooien. 2002. Subsurface drip irrigation for corn production: a review of
10 years of research in Kansas. Irrigation Science, 22(3-4):195-200. HUMID?
Meron, M., R. Hallel, G. Shay, R. Feuer, and R.E. Yoder. 1996. Soil sensor actuated automatic
drip irrigation of cotton. In. Evapotranspiration and Irrigation Scheduling Proceedings of the
International Conference, San Antonio TX, Camp, C.R. and Sadler, E.J. eds., 886-891. HUMID?
Shock, C.C., E.B.G. Feibert, L.D. Saunders, and E.P. Eldredge. 2002. Automation of subsurface
drip irrigation for crop research. In, Proceedings of the World Congress of Computers in
Agriculture and Natural Resources, F.S. Zazueta and J. Xin eds. 13-15 March 2002, Iguacu Falls,
Brazil., 809-816.
Smajstrla, A.G. and S.J. Locascio. 2000. Subsurface drip irrigation for water table control and
potato production. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 16(3):225-229.
Sorensen, R.B., F.S. Wright, and C.L. Butts. 2001a. Subsurface drip irrigation system designed
for research in row crop rotations. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 17(2):171-176.
Sorensen, R.B., F.S. Wright, and C.L. Butts. 2001b. Pod yield and kernel size distribution of
peanut produced using subsurface drip irrigation. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 17(2):165169.
General Information and Economic Characteristics
40
41
Crop Management and Responses under SDI
42
43
44
Lamm, F. R., A. J. Schlegel, and G. A. Clark. 2004. Development of a Best Management Practice
for Nitrogen Fertigation of Corn Using SDI. Appl. Engr in Agric. 20(2):211-220.
3
1
Design and Installation Issues
2
3
Management of SDI Systems
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
Camp, C. A. and F. R. Lamm. 2003. Irrigation systems, subsurface drip. Encyclopedia of Water
Science. pp. 560-564.
Lamm, F. R. and T. P. Trooien. 2003. Subsurface drip irrigation for corn production: a review
of 10 years of research in Kansas. Irrig. Sci. 22(3-4):195-200.
Lamm, F. R. T. P. Trooien, H. L. Manges, and H. D. Sunderman. 2001. Nitrogen fertilization for
subsurface drip-irrigated corn. Trans ASAE 44(3):533-542
Trooien, T.P., F. R. Lamm, L. R. Stone, M. Alam, D. H. Rogers, G. A. Clark, A. J. Schlegel.
2000. Subsurface drip irrigation using livestock wastewater: Dripline flow rates. App. Engr. in
Agr. 16(5):505-508.
O'Brien, D. M., D. H. Rogers, F. R. Lamm, and G. A. Clark. 1998. An economic comparison of
subsurface drip and center pivot sprinkler irrigation systems. App. Engr. in Agr. 14(4):391-398.
Lamm, F. R., L. R. Stone, H. L. Manges, and D. M. O'Brien. 1997. Optimum lateral spacing for
subsurface drip-irrigated corn. Trans. ASAE 40(4):1021-1027.
Darusman, A. H. Khan, L. R. Stone, and F. R. Lamm. 1997. Water flux below the root zone vs.
drip-line spacing in drip irrigated corn. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 61(6):1755-1760.
Darusman, A. H. Khan, L. R. Stone, W. E. Spurgeon, and F. R. Lamm. 1997. Water flux below
the root zone vs. irrigation amount in drip-irrigated corn. Agron. J. 89(3):375-379.
Lamm, F. R., G. A. Clark, M. Yitayew, R. A. Shoneman, R. M. Mead, and A. D. Schneider.
1997. Installation issues for SDI systems. Presented at the 1997 intl. ASAE meeting. Paper no.
972074 from ASAE, St. Joseph, MI. 6 pp.
Clark, G. A., P. L. Barnes, F. R. Lamm, and S. McVey. 1997. Chemigation uniformity in
microirrigation materials. Presented at the 1997 intl. ASAE meeting. ASAE Paper no. 972176,
St. Joseph, MI. 10 pp.
Lamm, F. R., H. L. Manges, D. H. Rogers, W. E. Spurgeon, and M. H. Farmer. 1990. Design
and installation of a drip irrigation system for research purposes. Presented at the 1990 intl.
winter ASAE meeting. Paper no. 902530 from ASAE, St. Joseph, MI. 21 pp.
Dhuyvetter, K. C., F. R. Lamm, and D. H. Rogers. 1995. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) for
field corn -- An economic analysis. In proceedings of the Fifth International Microirrigation
Congress, Orlando, FL, April 2-6, 1995. pp. 395-401. Available from ASAE, St. Joseph, MI.
Lamm, F. R. 1996. Narrow corn row spacing for cost effective, water efficient subsurface drip
irrigation, 1994-1995. KS. Water Resources Research Institute, Manhattan, KS. Kansas Water
Resources Research Institute Contribution no. 323. 19 pp.
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
Lamm, F. R. 1995. Narrow corn row spacing for cost effective, water efficient subsurface drip
irrigation. Kansas Water Resources Research Institute, Manhattan, KS. Kansas Water Resources
Research Institute Contribution no. 316. 20 pp.
Williams, J. R., R. V. Llewelyn, M. S. Reed, F. R. Lamm, and D. R. Delano. 1996. Economic
analysis of alternative irrigation systems for continuous corn and grain sorghum in western
Kansas. Report of Progress 766, July 1996. KAES, Manhattan, KS. 46 pp.
Lamm, F. R., D. H. Rogers, M. Alam and G. A. Clark. 2003. Design considerations for
subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems. KSU Cooperative Ext. Irrigation Mgmt. Series, MF2578. 8 pp.
Lamm, F. R., D. H. Rogers, M. Alam and G. A. Clark. 2003. Management considerations for
operating a subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system. KSU Cooperative Ext. Irrigation Mgmt.
Series, MF-2590. 8 pp.
Rogers, D. H., Lamm, F. R., M. Alam, and G. M. Powell. 2003. Shock chlorination for
treatment for irrigation wells. KSU Cooperative Ext. Irrigation Mgmt. Series, MF-2589. 4 pp.
Rogers, D. H., Lamm, F. R., and M. Alam. 2003. Subsurface drip irrigation systems (SDI) water
quality assessment guidelines. KSU Cooperative Ext. Irrigation Mgmt. Series, MF-2575. 8 pp.
Rogers, D. H., Lamm, F. R., and M. Alam. 2003. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) components:
Minimum requirements. KSU Cooperative Ext. Irrigation Mgmt. Series, MF-2576. 4 pp.
Alam, M., T. P. Trooien, F. R. Lamm, and D. H. Rogers. 2002. Filtration and maintenance
considerations for subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems. KSU Cooperative Ext. Irrigation
Mgmt. Series, MF-2361. Revised. 4 pp.
O'Brien, D., D. H. Rogers, F. Lamm, and G. Clark. 1997. Economic comparison of SDI and
center pivots for various field sizes. KSU Cooperative Ext. Irrigation Management Series, MF2242. 6 pp.
Dhuyvetter, K. C., F. R. Lamm, and D. H. Rogers. 1994. Subsurface drip irrigation for field
corn: An economic analysis. KSU Cooperative Ext. Irrigation Management Series, L-909. 6 pp.
Trooien, T. P., F. R. Lamm, L. R. Stone, and M. Alam. 1999. Irrigating corn with subsurface drip
irrigation and lagoon wastewater. Irrigation Journal 49(5):6-7.
Lamm, F. R., A. J. Schlegel, and G. A. Clark. 1998. Optimum nitrogen fertigation for corn using
SDI. Feature article in International Water and Irrigation Review, 18(2):13-14, 16-18.
Ernst, Tanya, 1998. SDI reduces water losses from evaporation, runoff. Feature article in KSU
Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Fall 1998. Page 4.
Peterson Jr., C., 1998. Subsurface drip irrigation saves water. Feature article about SW Kansas
farmers using SDI with side box entitled The good and the bad of subsurface drip irrigation,
covering comments by F. Lamm. Successful Farming, March 1998.
Lamm, F. R., W. E. Spurgeon, H. L. Manges, and D. H. Rogers. 1993. Using drip irrigation for a
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
nontraditional crop. Feature article with 1 color photo. Arab Water World, March/June 1993.
Vol 17:2-3. pp 5-6.
Lamm, F. R., W. E. Spurgeon, H. L. Manges, and D. H. Rogers. 1992. Drip irrigation for corn-a promising prospect. Feature article with 3 photos, edited by Holly Gibson. Irrigation Journal,
Mar. 1992. pp 12, 14-16.
Hallowell, L. 1992. Drip irrigation in corn? A KSU study indicates it may be feasible. Feature
article with 2 color photos in NC+ Down to Earth Ideas. Vol 26(2):6-7.
6