As the autumn drought season approaches, water shortages are widespread in southern orchards, posing a serious challenge. This coincides with a period of vigorous growth for fruit trees, requiring substantial water supply. Therefore, effective water conservation and drought prevention are urgently needed. Here, we introduce a simple, easy-to-operate, unclogging, and water-storage-capable drip irrigation system for orchards. It can utilize stored water for nearly a year and also collect natural rainfall, serving purposes such as drought resistance and drainage.
The specific method involves constructing raised beds on the north side of the orchard, with an arc height of 10 to 20 centimeters above the natural floor. The arc should match the curvature of the water storage device. Water storage devices made of transparent polyethylene agricultural film are installed on the raised beds. These devices feature a water inlet at the top and are connected to 4 to 8 connecting discs at the bottom. The holes in the connecting discs are inserted into one end of the diversion pipe. The diversion pipe is equipped with flow control devices and flow observation devices, including pulleys and brackets. The pulley adjusts the flow of water by compressing or releasing the diversion pipe through a guiding groove along the angle on the unbraced structure.
The flow observation device is made of material with an internal cavity communicating with the diversion pipe. The end of the diversion pipe is buried at two-thirds of the radius of the canopy, within 30 centimeters of the ground. After closing the flow control device, the water storage device is filled with filtered water from various sources. When filling the water, it is important to flatten any wrinkles on the water storage device promptly to prevent pressure-induced damage.
Once filled with water, adjust the flow of the diversion pipe to ensure smooth flow. The flow observation device is positioned vertically, and coarse sand or pipes with small through-holes are wrapped around it to prevent sediment from blocking the water outlet of the diversion pipe, ensuring unobstructed water flow. The number and length of diversion pipes are determined based on the type and size of fruit trees and soil types.
When determining the need for irrigation, utilize the pressure difference between the water level in the water storage device and the outlet of the diversion pipe. Adjust and fix the flow control device according to the drip count displayed on the flow observation device to determine the irrigation amount within a specific time period. The number of water storage devices installed per unit area can be determined based on the type and size of fruit trees, density, and natural rainfall. In arid regions, orchards can install more water storage devices to prepare water for use throughout the year during rainy seasons and low water demand periods.
Water storage devices are made of polyethylene agricultural film, mechanically sealed, with a connecting disc at the bottom of each inlet. The two end caps of the water storage device are correspondingly heat-sealed to the ends of the cylinder, and then a water filling test is conducted to complete the manufacturing process. The end caps of the water storage device can be made square. The diversion pipes, controllers, and flow observation devices can be directly replaced with medical intravenous infusion devices.
In conjunction with reflective film, rainwater runoff is collected. Each water storage tank has a capacity of approximately 0.5 cubic meters. Under the premise of determining the irrigation quota, the irrigation duration can be determined based on row spacing, the number of drip heads installed per plant, and the flow rate of the drip heads.
