Using Responsive Drip Irrigation to Enhance Water Productivity Compared to Conventional Subsurface Drip Irrigation System
Keywords:
Responsive drip irrigation, Subsurface drip irrigation, Water productivity, Irrigation efficiency, Sustainable agricultureAbstract
This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of water productivity for eggplant crops using the Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI) system compared to the traditional Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) system. Field experiments were conducted during 2022 at Al-Ra’id Research Station in Abu Ghraib, Baghdad, Iraq. The experimental layout was designed as a split-plot with three replications for both RDI and SDI systems. The results showed that the irrigation efficiency of the RDI system was approximately 55% higher than that of the SDI system, due to reduced surface evaporation and water losses. This resulted in a significantly higher water productivity (WP) in the RDI system (1.7 kg/m³) compared to the SDI system (1.1 kg/m³). These results indicate that the RDI system can be a sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional subsurface drip irrigation systems for vegetable production in arid regions such as Iraq.
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