Impact of Center Pivot Sprinkler Speed and Water Regimes on Potato Crop Productivity

Abstract

When to irrigate and how much water should be apply and at which operation speed? All this question marks covered by our study, in case of potato irrigated under center pivot irrigation. To investigate the effect of interaction between operating speeds 80 (S1), 70 (S2) and 60% (S3) and water regimes 596 (W1), 447 (W2) and 298 (W3) mm per season, on the hydraulic performance of center pivot irrigation, water use efficiency, yield and yield characteristics of potato crop during winter season, in the River Nile State, Sudan. Results demonstrated that high operating speeds showed negative effect on distribution uniformity, coefficient uniformity and positive effect on application efficiencies. W2 recorded high significant values of application efficiency % with less values of coefficient uniformity and distribution uniformity (%). Interaction of the operating speeds and amounts of water showed positive effect, whereas S3 showed higher values of coefficient uniformity and distribution uniformity (%) efficiencies with W2 and W1, respectively. However, lowest water use efficiency values were recorded under S1W1, while highest productivity achieved by S3W2. Hence, with careful management, using center pivot irrigation under the study would give high irrigation efficiency and high water use efficiency, with fewer amounts water applied, thus saving water for other agricultural activities.