System Performance Evaluation for Tea Plants Replacing Sprinkler with Drip Irrigation using Water Uniformities in Dooars, India

Abstract

Tea gardens are facing water scarcity; moreover, their irrigation utilises overhead sprinklers, which lack uniformities and controlled irrigation methods. Evaluating the performance of drip irrigation is an important research area for better water resources management. To address these issues different drip irrigation methods have been experimented with having different combinations of drippers. Two plots are online drip systems while the other two are inline systems operated at the same pressure on water application uniformity while other conditions remain similar. Earlier studies witnessed experimentation of drip irrigation with only the same emitter flow. While in this research, the uniformity coefficient, emission uniformity and performance index are calculated. It is found that due to various dripper discharges and systems the water application significantly changes. Extreme values of discharge variation of the emitters were observed during field operations under the same pressure and length of laterals. From the evaluation of the uniformities and investment cost, the performance of an inline system with a 4 lph dripper at 60 cm with 1-m lateral spacing is found to be the best model for tea irrigation under the specified conditions. Later stage and further research efforts should be aimed at the findings of the efficiencies and yield response of tea under the four drip systems.