Comparative of Surface, Subsurface and "Kapillary" Drip Irrigation

Water provision in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the key factor in the development agricultural processes. A review of literature showed that the surface and sub-surface irrigation system has the potential to achieve high water use efficiency, as well as reduce drainage and runoff and the associated environmental risks. However, disadvantages of Drip Irrigation System (DIS) and Sub surface Irrigation System (SIS) include ¿tunnelling¿, poor soil surface wetting. The research reported in this work, evaluated ways to overcome these problems, including product Kapillary Irrigation Sub-surface System (KISSS) that has a narrow band of impermeable material below the drip tape, and geotextile above which led soil water moved upward with capillary action greater than DIS and SIS. Therefore, the main objectives of this research were to study the feasibility of saving water through the use of kapillary irrigation compared to the conventional subsurface irrigation system, and to compare both subsurface irrigation systems with surface drip irrigation system. The study have also evaluated the effect of the amount of applied water on the efficiency of tested irrigation systems by studying soil.