Evaluation and testing of machine installed subsurface drip laterals

Abstract

The placement depths subsurface drip laterals installed by developed machine are uniform as compared to manual installation, yet it may vary. To assess on the uniformity of installation, the placement depth with respect to the soil surface has been accessed and analysed for recently developed tractor operated subsurface drip lateral laying machine. A field experiment was laid at the ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, India. Two types of drip laterals, pipe and drip tape, both of 16 mm diameter, were installed while each of them were placed at two depths of 15 and 20 cm by using the sub-surface drip lateral laying machine. Each lateral and placement depths were thus considered as treatments which were replicated three times. Each lateral was considered as one treatment. A week after laying of experiment, the soil around the lateral pipe has carefully been dug without disturbing the lateral pipe and the depth from the surface was recorded by vertically placing a measuring scale. The observations so obtained were analysed using Christiansen’s Coefficient of Uniformity (CCU) and other similar parameters like Wilcox-Swailes Coefficient of Uniformity (WSCU), Statistical Coefficient of Uniformity (SCU) and Low Quarter Distribution Uniformity (SDUlq). In the study conducted, a widely used Christiansen's coefficient of uniformity has been computed to be 0.95 and 0.87 for the drip pipes placed at 15 and 20 cm depth respectively. The same coefficients have been worked out at 0.93 and 0.92 respectively for 15 and 20 cm depths for a drip tape.