Irrigation Water Conveyance and Application Methods
Subtopic: Surface, sprinkler and micro irrigation methods
Question Statement:
Which of the following statements concerning micro-irrigation (drip irrigation) systems are correct?
Options:
(A) Operating pressure at the emitter nozzles typically ranges between $100\text{ kPa}$ and $200\text{ kPa}$ ($1\text{ to }2\text{ bar}$).
(B) Pressure-compensating (PC) emitters maintain an approximately constant discharge despite lateral elevation changes and pipe friction losses.
(C) Emitter orifice clogging from physical particulates, chemical salt precipitation, and biological growth is the primary operational hazard.
(D) Water application efficiency in drip irrigation is lower than that in surface border irrigation due to excessive wet-bulb surface evaporation.
Answer Key:
A, B, C
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
• Drip systems operate at low pressure heads, typically 100–200 kPa (A is correct).
• PC emitters use flexible elastomeric diaphragms to maintain uniform discharge across varying pressures (B is correct).
• Emitter clogging is universally recognized as the primary operational vulnerability of micro-irrigation (C is correct).
• Drip application efficiency is exceptionally high (90–95%), far superior to surface irrigation (D is incorrect).