Printed pipe offers solution for surface irrigators

For surface irrigators in the South and other parts of the country, lay flat pipe is the popular method of flood irrigation. Although its use is simple, ensuring even and efficient distribution of water is a complex challenge.

Single-use lay flat pipe is unrolled across the field, and holes are punched along the pipe to allow water to flow into the furrows between the rows. A length of pipe can be as much as 1,300 feet long, so managing water flow throughout that length is important. 

Rather than just making all of the pipe holes the same size, surface irrigators have the option of using a computerized hole selection method that adjusts the size of the holes punched to control the amount of water flow. The software provides a pipe hole punch plan for a field that balances pressure, pipe size, elevation and flow rate to deliver uniform furrow flow. The field shape, terrain and row length all play into the appropriate hole size for each row.

Properly implementing computerized hole selection reduces water use by 25%-50%. Even though using these selection plans offers the highest potential to improve efficiency and profitability, current adoption in the mid-South region is only around 40%. Difficulty in implementing a plan with multiple hole changes could be an obstacle preventing adoption.

Properly implementing computerized hole selection reduces water use by 25%-50%.

New system offers ease & efficiency

One of the challenges of using a computerized plan comes after the pipe installation. Although the plan indicates what size of hole to punch in each location, it is easy to lose track of where the hole sizes change along the pipe. To solve this problem, a system has been developed using GPS, Bluetooth technology and a printer to aid in the implementation of the computerized hole selection plan to the pipe. 

With this new system, the user uploads the computerized hole selection plan to a mobile device before laying out the pipe in a field. As the pipe is unrolled, the system communicates with the printer indicating the specific hole size in each location along the length of it. By utilizing the Wide Area Augmentation System and real-time kinematic GPS technology, the system knows the location with respect to the plan and prints the correct hole size along the pipe as it is installed in the field. The user then punches the hole with the correct size during pipe fill. 

With this system, it is possible to put out 10 miles of pipe in one day. The result is less work, improved accuracy and increased irrigation efficiency. This system was developed at the University of Arkansas and patented in October 2019. It is currently under further development with a plan to make it available to farmers in the near future.  

Chris Henry, PhD, PE, is an associate professor and water management engineer at the University of Arkansas.