Development of Software for Designing Drip Irrigation System for Hilly Terraced Land of India

Abstract

A user-friendly computer software package was developed for the design of drip irrigation systems in hilly terraced agricultural lands using Visual Basic (Version 6.0). The software enables systematic design of single-lateral and paired-lateral networks, along with submain units, for multiple terraced field geometries including rectangular and trapezoidal terraces under both level and sloping conditions. Key hydraulic and agronomic parameters generated by the software include emitter quantity and spacing, percentage wetted area, plant population, crop water requirement, net and gross irrigation depths, emission uniformity, leaching requirement, application time, emitter pressure head, system discharge, and overall system capacity. The tool further assists in selecting suitable emitter types, distinguishing between pressure-compensating and non-pressure-compensating devices. Performance of the software was evaluated using real-time field data and found to be satisfactory. Design charts for terraced slopes of 10, 30, and 40 percent were prepared to support the system design process, covering relationships between terrace number and discharge, discharge and manifold diameter with head loss, and head loss and inlet pressure requirements. The software also facilitates estimation of materials and cost for terraced plot sizes ranging from 0.2 to 5 ha, based on prevailing market rates of drip system components. The developed tool thus serves as an efficient decision-support system for planning, designing, and economic evaluation of drip irrigation systems in hilly agro-ecosystems, providing comprehensive outputs with minimal user input and supporting optimization for both small and large holdings.