Effects of fertigation components on emitter clogging and soil infiltration rate

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of fertigation components on emission uniformity, emitter clogging and soil infiltration rate. The effects of two types of emitters with two discharges and six fertilization treatments were undertaken. For all fertilization treatments, the emission uniformity significantly decreased while emitters clogging ratio increased with increasing number of fertigations which were periodically applied throughout the 180-day season. The 4 Lh^-1 discharge emitters resulted in less clogging than the 2 Lh^-1 emitters. Clogging problems obtained with the pressure compensating (PC) emitters was less than those of normal emitters. The maximum clogging ratios 29.42% and 28.72% at the end of 180days season were recorded for the plots received ammonium sulfate and humic acid+ ammonium sulfate fertigation respectively, on using normal type emitters of 2 Lh^-1 discharge.

Finally, Humic acid treatment showed a clear reduction in infiltration rate from 14.60 mm min-1 to 6.80 mm min^-1.