Subsurface irrigation using drainage pipe.

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I am developing a subsurface irrigation system using dualwall hdpe drainage pipe installed with GPS machine controlled system. I would like to know if anyone else has tried this method using low pressure pump or hydraulic equalization to achieve soil saturation at the surface to ensure germination of grain seeds?

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6 Answers

  1. Subsurface irrigation EMI scan and soil sampling. 

  2. Dear Johnnie,

    Bringing the top soil to enough moisture to allow easy germination of seeds is the draw back of this method. Same is for the furrow irrigation. Usually, to increase the top soil moisture for seeds germination you have to wait for a rain or to apply sprinkler irrigation. Of course you can use your irrigation system working for enough long time until the top soil will become wet via capillarity. If the climate is very dry this may not happen anytime. 

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    1. Hi Stefan, have you done any trials using 110mm perforated corrugated pipe and at what depth? I have seen top soil moisture with this method in my trials.

  3. If I understand you , your goal is to improve seed germination and increase the moisture content of the soil in question. I am sure many mechanical devices would suffice.  Perhaps another point of view to achieve the same goals. To give your seeds a fighting chance make sure the soil has a nutritional balance and also a microbial balance, Nutrient balance as always is sea salt based.  The microbial balance is 2/3 RNA and 1/3 DNA. RNA = Archaea microbes. The DNA is equal amounts of bacteria and fungi.  All are important. But only the RNA microbes have the genetic code to reduce compounds into their elemental state. This process allows for the moisture to stay in the soil much longer. Will allow reduced irrigation from 25 to 50%.  Same for your natural fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers destroy all agriculture.   

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    1. Hi Guy, yes the focus here is on subsurface irrigation in semi arid regions with "watertable" soils

  5. Couple decades ago I worked with (Gene) Field Drainage (internet info: (863) 781-1276; 515 Airport Rd, Wauchula, Florida 33873 ).  We installed ABS/plastic drain tile 4"-12" with or without sock cover using 3-D gps primarily in orange groves, however we also installed a shallower version of same configuration whereby at the system drainage outfall a series of weir plates could be inserted to essentially raise/define the ground water elevation.  So instead of simply, efficiently draining an area we could alternatively flood a field (i.e. sod farm irrigation).   Being 20 years ago not sure of advances he's made, but was pretty easy back then...

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    1. I have seen this being popular in the US, I was part of a trial system in the Vaalharts irrigation scheme in RSA where we installed a similar system in Pecans, problems we encountered was deep water tables so the passive nature of such a system tends to be the biggest drawback in those soils and semi arid climate conditions.

  6. Dear Johnny, Why do you use the expensive dual wall pipes, for low pressure  applications? Did you think about the peridoes that you do not irrigate, when the systems may work as a drain? Problems with clogging filters etc.? At what depth do you install? relevant for  soil saturation in the rootzone. In  the distant past sub irrigation experiments with drainage systems were not convincing .  

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    1. We do a electro magnetic scan first to determine "Hotspots" in the target area from there sample location via RTK are determined and both disturbed and undisturbed samples are taken to the lab in Bloemfontein for analysis both Physical and chemical. Soils are identified and recommendation are made from there regarding ideal depth and spacing. 

      We have seen upwards of 600mm vertical upward capillary movement of water from a passive system so the idea is with low pressure the entire pipe will act as a emitter that will continually push the water upwards and sideways as saturation expands. 

      "In  the distant past sub irrigation experiments with drainage systems were not convincing" can you provide more detailed information on this please?

      Thanks