Design

&

Scheduling
of

High Efficiency Irrigation Systems

(Drip & Sprinkler)

Designing Procedure
ET0 Maximum Evapotranspiration mm/ day
Table

From

Blenny Criddle Equation ETo = p (0.46 T mean + 8)

P = Mean daily percentage of annual daytime hours for

different latitudes from Table

Evapotranspiration or Crop Water

Requirement
ET or

ET =

CWR = Kc * ETo

Evapotranspiration in mm/day

Kc = Crop Coefficient (Table)

ETo =

Reference Evapotranspiration in mm/day

(Table)

Peak daily consumptive use per day

PDCU mm/day =

CWR * Canopy factor at maturity

Irrigation System Efficiency

Canopy Factor =

Canopy Area
(p*p) (R*R)

Total No. of Plants

Area under system m2

(p*p) (R*R)

(p*p) = Plant to plant spacing m

(R*R) Row to Row spacing

Number of Emitters require for each plant

This depends on the area of wetting (nearly 40% of total
area) and radius of wetted area of single emitter.
The Number of emitters = A/R
Where

A = total area to be wetted.

r = radius of wetted area of single emitter

Hydrozones

Area Divide in Equal Hydrozones

Equal Operating Time

Q = AV where V = 1.5 m/s A = Area of pipe

Importance
Reduce Cost by
1. Smaller Pump
2.

Small Diameter Pipes

Block
Hydrozones under one Pump

Total no. of Emitters

T.E = No. of plants * no. of emitter per plant
Total flow rate of 1 zone

Application rate =

Flow of 1 zone
1 zone Area

Operating Time hrs

T.E of 1 zone * Emitter flow

rate (lph)
mm/hr/day

= Peak Daily Consumptive Use

Application rate

Should be less than 12 hr per day of all zones

Max. depth of irrigation water that can be applied

Max. Depth

Drz

mm

Drz * MAD * WHC

100

= Depth of Root zone m

MAD =

Management Allowed Deficit %

WHC = Water Holding Capacity mm/m

Max. irrigation interval

Max. Irrigation Interval

=

days

Max. Depth of Application of water mm

Peak Daily Consumptive Use
mm/day

Total Drip line Length

Total drip line m = Area * No. of Drip lines per Row
Row Spacing
For all zones
No. of Plants

Plants of 1 zone * no. of zones

Drip line

Drip line of 1 zone * no. of zones

No. of Emitters =

Emitters of 1 zone * no. of zones

Loop Around the Plant

Irrigation up to whole Canopy

Wetting Pattern

Storage Reservoir
Total Flow = Flow of 1 zone*Total no. of zones m3/ day
Irrigation Cycle Daily

Warabandi

Days

Storage Capacity = Total flow * Warabandi m3

Safe Depth

= 1.5 m

Area of Reservoir =

Capacity
Depth

Select Length and find out Width of Reservoir

Head Loss Calculation

Hazen William Equation
Head Loss m/100m

K ( Q/C)1.85 * (D)

- 4.87

Hazen William Constant = 1.21 * 1012

Pipe Friction constant

Total Flow lps

Internal Diameter in mm

Total Head Loss m =

Head Loss (m/100m) * Total Length

100

Repeat Procedure for all Lateral , Sub main line and Main Line.

Limitations
Lateral Head loss Should be =< 2m
Main line and Sub main Line m /100m =<2m
Velocity Calculation
Main line and Sub-main velocity (m/s) =Q/A

Where Q= Discharge in LPS

A=Area of main and Sub main line sub-main in m2
Main line and Sub Main line Velocities=<1.5m/sec

Head loss gradient (Watter & Keller)

Head Loss m/100m
K

7.89 *10 7

K * (Q)1.75
(D)4.75
(Constant)
=

Q =

Flow in lps

D =

Internal Diameter mm

Emitter Operating Pressure is 10 m

Fitting Losses
Fitting Losses are taken as 20 % of Pipe Network losses
Lateral Fitting Losses = 20% of Lateral Head Loss

Submain line Fitting Losses = 20% of Submain line Head Loss

Main line Fitting Losses = 20% of Main line Head Loss

Suction and Delivery line Fitting Losses = 20% of Suction and

Delivery line Head Loss

Other Losses
Head loss in
Filtration System

8m

Fertigation System

2m

Flow Meter

1m

Field Fitting Losses

2m

Miscellaneous Losses =

2m

Pumping Lift

At the Spot

Total Dynamic Head

(Pipe Network Losses

(Fitting Loses

Head loss in filter

Lateral Sub main and Main line )

20% of Pipe Networks)

Field fitting losses

Head loss in fertigatin system

Pump lift

Head loss in flow meter + Emitter operating Pressure (1bar) + Misc Head Losses

Total Dynamic Head

Sum of All Head losses

Pump hp Requirement
Pump hp = Q (lps)

Head (m)

75 * Ep * Em

Ep = Pump Efficiency
Em = Motor Efficiency

Irrigation Scheduling of Drip Irrigation System

Operating Time

Peak Daily Consumptive Use per day

Application Rate

For any month reading of ETo from table and Kc of Crop

Peak use = ETo * Kc & Application rate of Emitter mm /hr/day

Time to Open one zone Valve hrs

in that month

= Peak Daily Use

mm/day
Application Rate mm/hr/day

Application rate of each Emitter

(E) = q/nt
Where

q = daily water requirement (mm)

n = number of emitters

t = time of operation (hour per day)

Difference between Drip & Sprinkler Irrigation Design

There are no Lateral in Sprinkler System

There Canopy factor is 1 because this system

is used in Field or Broadcasted Crops
There is no Plant to plant spacing and no Row to Row
spacing
There are Hydrants on which Sprinkler is Mounted

Design Difference
Peak Daily Use = ETo * Kc
Eirrg * (1-Lr )
Where Lr is Leaching Requirements
Lr =

ECw
5ECe - ECw

ECw = Quality of Irrigation Water dS/m

ECe = Estimated water quality of root zone
Sprinkler operating pressure is 4 bar = 40m
In Rain gun Sprinkler system no Filter is used

Spacing of Hydrants
spacing along lateral = 100% Overlap of Wetted Radius

Hence along lateral they are spaced at Wetted Radial Distance

Across the Lateral = 65% overlap of wetted Radius

Hence Sub main to Sub main line Distance is 65% of
Wetted Diameter

Any Question