Chemical treatment to unclogg dripper irrigation systems due to biological problems

Abstract

Many producers use drippers for trickle irrigation systems for flower production in the field and in protected environments. A frequent problem in this type of irrigation system is the clogging of drippers, which is directly related to water quality and filtering system efficiency. The objective of this study was to conduct an experimental investigation to evaluate the efficiency of using nitric acid and sodium hypochlorite to unclogg drippers due to the use of water with high algae content. The evaluation was conducted in six, 4216 m 2 greenhouses, each with two sectors comprised of ten spaces or lines, totaling 12 sectors of a dripper irrigation system in a rose producing property of Holambra, State of SP, Brazil. Chemical and physical analyses and the bacteriological count in water were carried out in the three water sources that supply the irrigation system to check the factors causing the clogging. Evaluations were carried out on water distribution uniformity in all sectors before and after chemical treatment in order to evaluate efficiency. The treatment improved water distribution uniformity and a lead to a reduction in the coefficient of variation (CV) for dripper flow in all sectors. There was a good correlation between CV and the water distribution uniformity index. Therefore, this is an excellent method to be used to unclogg drippers due to biological problems. Key words: trickle irrigation, uniformity evaluation, chlorinate, water quality DESENTUPIMENTO DE UM SISTEMA DE IRRIGAÇÃO POR GOTEJAMENTO DEVIDO A PROBLEMA DE ORIGEM BIOLÓGICARESUMO: Muitos produtores usam gotejadores para irrigação localizada em produção de flores no campo e em ambientes protegidos. Um problema freqüente neste tipo de irrigação é o entupimento dos gotejadores, que está diretamente relacionado à qualidade da água e à deficiência de filtração do sistema. Este trabalho teve como objetivo fazer uma investigação experimental para avaliar a eficiência da utilização de ácido nítrico e de hipoclorito de sódio na desobstrução de gotejadores entupidos, devido à utilização de águas com elevado teor de matéria de origem biológica. A avaliação foi realizada em seis estufas de 4216 m 2 , sendo que cada estufa tem dois setores, composto de dez vãos ou linhas em cada setor, totalizando 12 setores de um sistema de irrigação por gotejamento, em propriedade produtora de rosas (Rosa sp.), sob estufa plástica, no município de Holambra, SP. Análises química, física e de contagem bacteriológica da água foram realizadas nas três fontes hídricas que abasteciam o sistema de irrigação, para verificar quais os fatores que estavam causando risco de entupimento. Foram feitas avaliações da uniformidade de distribuição de água em todos os setores antes e depois do tratamento químico com o intuito de avaliar a sua eficiência. Ocorreu melhora na uniformidade de distribuição de água e diminuição no coeficiente de variação de vazão (CV) dos gotejadores em todos os setores. Houve boa correlação entre o CV e o índice de uniformidade adotado nesta pesquis...

Biological treatment of drippers clogged by the use of treated domestic wastewater

“…Under different experimental conditions, Ribeiro et al (2008) evaluated the efficiency of using nitric acid (65%) at pH 5.0 and sodium hypochlorite (12%) to unclog drippers clogged by the use of waters with high content of material of biological origin and observed improvement in water distribution uniformity and reduction in the coefficient of variation of the drippers in all sectors.…”

Effects of Trickle Irrigation System from Southern Iran District Chabahar Free Zone

“…Increasingly, many other effects considered that come into play in determining the ultimate effectiveness of an irrigation system such as emitter clogging and physical suspended solids and chemical problem like Power hydrogen (pH) factors of water, hydrogen sulfide, dissolved solids, organic matter, temperature, bacterial growth and slime development can be influenced [6]. Emitter clogging greatly reduces the water distribution uniformity in irrigated fields [2], which negatively influences crop growth and yield. Evaluated local trickle irrigation units and calculated average emission uniformity, average absolute emission uniformity, and system emission uniformity.…”

“…Emitter clogging has often been recognized as inconvenient and one of the most important concerns for trickle irrigation systems, resulting in lowered system performance and water stress to the non-irrigated plants. Partial and total clogging of emitters is closely related to the quality of the irrigation water, and occurs as a result of multiple factors, including physical, biological and chemical agents [2]. Trickle irrigation is the precise, slow application of water as discrete drops, continuous drops, small streams, or miniature sprays through mechanical devices called emitters located close to the plants.…”

Development of a filtration system with high-frequency flow reversal

“…Emitter clogging may compromise the application uniformity of micro-irrigation systems due to the uneven reduction in the flow rate of the emitters; in addition, a reduction in the applied water depth may occur (Batista et al, 2010;Ribeiro et al, 2008). Increase in emitter clogging of approximately 1 to 5% may result in great loss of application uniformity (Nakayama & Books, 1981).…”