Effects of Dual-Line Drip Irrigation System on Crop Yield and Soil Water Movement.

Effects of dual-drip irrigation on crop yield and soil-water movement.

Elnesr, M.N.; Alazba, A.A.; and Simunek, J.

The soil wetting-pattern affects how the plant roots take up water and vital nutrients from the soil. The optimal wetting pattern should cover most of the plant roots volume. In this work, we evaluated the effects of the dual-lateral subsurface drip irrigation system on crop yield, water use efficiency and soil-water movement under tomatoes and potatoes. Four successive seasons of field experiments were analyzed using the HYDRUS software package. Water movement in the soil was monitored using continuously logging capacitance probes. The results show that the dual-lateral technology has a significant effect on the yield of the two crops (an increase of up to 50%) and the water use efficiency (up to 53%). Measured soil water contents indicate that the dual-lateral system produced vertically overlapping water patterns around the emitters' location. HYDRUS simulations show that the operation sequence of the two laterals affects the movement of solutes, allowing either to keep them within the root zone or to flush them out. In general, the dual-lateral technology was found to be a promising new technology that should be thoroughly researched in the near future. Additionally, due to its outstanding results, its use should be encouraged in order to increase quantity and quality of produced vegetable.