OPTIMIZING WATER UTILIZATION FROM A WINDPUMP-DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR HIGH-VALUE CROP PRODUCTION
Nguyen Thanh Nghi1, Helen F. Gavino2 and Manuel Jose C. Regalado3
1Center for Agricultural Energy and Machinery, Nong Lam University - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Philippines
3Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippines
ABSTRACT: Although the windmill has been used for water pumping for many centuries, its development andapplication is limiteddue to high investment cost. Using windmill instead of diesel engine to drive a water pump reduces dependence on fossil fuel and mitigates greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, this study was conducted to optimize water use from a windpump coupled to a drip irrigation system.Performance of the windpump-drip irrigation system was also evaluated based on technical and economic feasibility. Water fromthe windmill combined with suction pump and piston pump was applied to vegetable crops in a 0.18-ha area through a drip irrigation system. Results showed that average daily discharge of the windpump was 9.2 m3/day (24 hours) at 1.6 m/s daily wind speed.It varied from 0.7 at 1.6 m/s to 22.1 m3/day at 2.7 m/s. Overall efficiency of the windmill-suction pump system varied from 23.1 to 6.1% corresponding to wind speed of 1.7 to 4.3 m/s, respectively. With total available water supply from the windpump and rainfall of 17.1 m3/day, optimum service area of the system would be 0.81 ha, 0.95 ha, 0.65 ha, and 0.32 ha for tomato, eggplant, onion,and rice crops, respectively. Economic analysis showed that with three tomato crops per year in 0.81 ha, annualnet income would be PhP38,960.Financial rate of return was 19% with a payback period of 9 years.Thus, the investment for the wind pump-drip irrigation system would be feasible only for high-value crops
Keywords: drip irrigation, high-value crops, optimized water utilization, windpump
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