INFLUENCE OF SPRINKLER HEIGHT ON THE UNIFORMITY OF WATER DISTRIBUTIONOF A CENTRAL PIVOT SYSTEM

An irrigation system should provide water management with maximum effi ciency. For this, the performance of the system in operation must be e valuated. One of the parameters utilized in the evaluation is the unif ormity of water distribution, which is represented by the coefficients of uniformity of Christiansen (CUC). The CUC values obtained in field trials are affected by diverse factors. This study had as its objecti ve to analyze the influence of the number of radial lines and of the h eight of the emitters in relation to the impounding surface of these e mitters on the value of the coefficient of uniformity of water distrib ution in an irrigation system of the central pivot type. Three emitter heights (1.10 m, 1.65 m and 3.20 m), and four variations in the numbe r of radial collector lines were utilized (one, two, three and four). The analysis of the results showed a statistical difference by Tuckey' s test at 5% of probability in relation to the CUC values obtained in the three emitter heights. The importance of the use of two radial col lector lines was shown in evaluation of a central pivot system in the field.