Assessing micro-irrigation clogging risk through water quality classification systems

Water quality classification systems aim to assess the overall risk of clogging in micro-irrigation systems. However, their ability to predict potential clogging based on water quality characteristics remains untested, particularly in controlled environment agriculture. This project aimed to evaluat...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water practice and technology 2024-08, Vol.19 (8), p.3237-3250
Main Authors: Cabrera-Garcia, Juan Carlos, Toro-Herrera, Mayra A., Raudales, Rosa E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Biological effects
Biological properties
Classification
Classification systems
Design
Economics
Emitters
Farm buildings
Fertilizers
Greenhouses
Iron
Irrigation
Irrigation systems
Irrigation water
Manganese
Membrane filters
Microorganisms
Oxidation
Parameter robustness
Parameters
Phenotypes
Polysaccharides
Qualitative analysis
Ratings
Saccharides
Water quality
Water quality control
Water treatment
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Water quality classification systems aim to assess the overall risk of clogging in micro-irrigation systems. However, their ability to predict potential clogging based on water quality characteristics remains untested, particularly in controlled environment agriculture. This project aimed to evaluate if the existing classification systems could be used to identify the cause of clogging in micro-irrigation systems in greenhouses. Water from eight commercial greenhouses with reported clogging was analyzed for physical, chemical, and biological properties to rate the risk of clogging according to the classification systems. In general, iron and manganese from the fertilizers and high microbial load resulted in high ratings. However, the ratings lacked insight into the specific causes of clogging, disregarding interactions among chemical and microbial factors and qualitative characteristics of specific microbial phenotypes (e.g., production of polysaccharides or iron oxidation) that lead to clogging. Furthermore, the systems overemphasize nutrient levels typically used in greenhouse fertigation as the cause of clogging – which is not commonly observed in practice. Enhancing these systems requires parameters reflecting these interactions and microbial traits influencing clogging. Further research needs to develop these parameters in new systems with robust and precise thresholds in which emitter performance, profitability, and sustainability are affected.
ISSN:1751-231X
1751-231X
DOI:10.2166/wpt.2024.199