Simple Method for Determining the Emitter Discharge Rate in the Reclamation of Takyric Solonetz with Drip Irrigation

Abstract

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effects of the emitter discharge rate (EDR) on the distribution of water and salt in a manipulated soil texture of a coarse soil surrounded by takyric solonetz. The objective was to develop a simple method to rapidly determine a suitable EDR for the reclamation of takyric solonetz using drip irrigation. Major influences on soil structure were observed at EDRs ≤0.5 L/h, and slight influences were observed at EDRs >0.5 L/h. This was consistent with the changing trend of irrigation amount as the EDR increased from 0.1 to 2 L/h, with the irrigation amount decreasing rapidly at first and then remaining constant during a one-time irrigation. A method is proposed to determine the EDR based on the changing trend. The method considers the EDR at the inflection point—i.e., the point at which the irrigation rate declines from quick to slow—to be the ceiling value, where a lower value is considered better. A suitable EDR below the ceiling value is then selected that satisfies the peak period of crop water consumption.