Title

Evaluating a line source irrigation system for determining water requirements of herbaceous perennials

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Environmental Horticulture

Volume

24

Publisher

Horticultural Research Institute

Publication Date

2006

First Page

225

Last Page

229

Abstract

We investigated wind effects on the water distribution pattern of a line source irrigation system experimental design that creates a decreasing linear moisture gradient and the growth of twelve perennial wildflower species. Species were randomly assigned to rows perpendicular to a main line of spray irrigation heads, parallel to the decreasing irrigation rates, and irrigated at 110% of evapotranspirationat the heads. At low wind speed (0.44 m/s, 1.4 ft/s), application rates decreased linearly from 50 mm/hr (2 in/hr) for positions closest to the irrigation line to zero at 4 m (12 ft) from the irrigation line. Application rates at positions farthest from the irrigation line were affected by wind speeds as low as 1 m/s (3.3 ft/s). At high wind speeds (3.8 m/s, 12.5 ft/s), application rates at all positions averaged the same across all positions but with extremely high variability. We detected a water stress response in several species known to be drought sensitive. A line source irrigation design offers a potential way to efficiently assess the response of a large number of perennial species to varying irrigation rates by creating a linear moisture gradient, but only when applied under low wind speeds.

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