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A Viability Assessment of Subsurface Drip Irrigation in the Desert Southwest

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  6th Decennial National Irrigation Symposium, 6-8, December 2021, San Diego, California  2020-040.(doi:10.13031/irrig.2020-040)
Authors:   Ali Montazar
Keywords:   Alfalfa, California low desert region, SDI, spinach, sugar beets.

Abstract. This study aims to assess the viability of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) using several conducted projects in the low desert region of California. The experiments were carried out in University of California Desert Research and Extension Center (UC DREC) and 16 commercial fields in alfalfa, sugar beets, and baby spinach. The results demonstrated greater yields, actual crop water consumption, and water productivity of SDI as compared with gravity and sprinkler irrigation practices at alfalfa and sugar beet crops with an average increase of 21% (sugar beet) - 25% (alfalfa), 5% (sugar beet) - 7% (alfalfa), and 12% (sugar beet) - 21% (alfalfa), respectively. The severity of plant disease, particularly root rot in sugar beet, and downy mildew in spinach, was significantly lower in SDI than furrow and sprinkler irrigation (an average of 3-5 times). While SDI may achieve higher yields, conserve water, improve the efficiency of water and nutrient use, and manage food safety risks and plant disease for these crops, further work is required to better understand the impact of management practices and strategies on the viability of SDI application, and maintain its profitability in various agricultural production systems as water, labor costs, and environmental concerns increase.

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