Resumen

LAURA APAZA¹, Gabriela  y  LOPEZ BLANCO¹, Carlos. Evaluation of the uniformity of a pressurized drip irrigation system for crops in the high regions in the Andes of Bolivia. RIIARn [online]. 2016, vol.3, n.1, pp. 7-17. ISSN 2409-1618.

Abstract The drip irrigation technology is of interest due to the high efficiency in the application of irrigation. The entire system requires proper management to ensure returns on investments, and even more in areas with no irrigation tradition as is the case of the Bolivian Altiplano. It is therefore appropriate to assess the installation of this system to check the design criteria. The objective was to evaluate the uniformity of application of a pressurized drip irrigation system at the Experimental Station of Choquenaira in La Paz. The evaluation of the uniformity of the irrigation system was based on the methodology of Merriam and Keller (1978) and determining of the flow monitoring, was conducted using the UMSS Water Center method, in an area of 1,400 m². The evaluated variables were: hydraulic behaviour of the emitter, irrigation performance analysis, indicators of uniformity of flow and pressure. The pressure-flow relationship determined that the water flow was turbulent, meaning that no obstruction problems will be observed on emiters. The lowest uniformity coefficient was of 69,61% with a coefficient of variation of 13,68%. The basic infiltration rate of silty clay loamsoil was of 6,54 mm h^-1. The diameterof the wetted zone was 14 cmwide and 18 cm long, with depth of the wet bulb 10 cm h^-1, with a discharge of the flow transmitter of 1,4l h^-1. These results indicate that the implementation of this system allows to obtain many benefits in agricultural production, which added to the use of groundwater, would increase the production and yield allowing the improvement of the production system.

Palabras llave : Pressurized irrigation drip; efficiency and uniformity of application; flow; turbulent.