Cost Effective Smart Drip Irrigation Using Saline Water

This is a Gardening model where you can use saline water for home gardening with a fully automatic system using the locally available materials......

Supplies

Material Needed

o Evaporation Set – Mirror/Transparent Material

o Oil Can

o 5L water bottle

o Coconut Fibers

o Activated Carbon

o Saline Water/ Sea Water

o Saline tubes

o Drippers with regulators

o Stand

o Automatic system

o Sensor circuit system

Step 1: Layout of the System

Step 2: Function of the System in the Model

Sensor alarm System

It is a simple water level sensor system in Main tank. The sensor circuit will be inside the tank. When the water level decreases the sensor will sense and the output will be the alarm and it will ring. Now we are developing this system into a automatic SMS aleart system where as the farmer will get the message through the phone.

Automatic filling system

It is one of the Novel idea, the water will come from the Main tank through the water in and the steel tapper. When the water level start to raise the rubber ball also start to float when it came to a constant level the rubber ball will pull the steel ball through the threat and the steel ball will tap the Steel ball tapper and the water coming from the main tank will stop. When the water level again falls backwards the rubber ball will lower the level of Steel ball and the water will come inside. It will act like a valve system. Through this method the amount of water taken in the tank is been maintained in a constant level.

Step 3: Function of the System in the Model

The fibers filtration.

It is placed in the bottom of the black container. This is the major part of the system. This filter consists layers. They are; Red fibers, White Fibers, Activated Fibers and the Activated carbon. The fiber particles can absorb Na ions and the Activated carbon produced by burning coconut shells absorb other harmful materials in the Sea water. These are the Low cost material could be found in all parts of Sri Lanka.

The Evaporation part in the System.

The saline water filled in the container evaporates using sun light and condense in the mirror set and flows down to the purified water container through the tube connected. The container is been painted in the back colour where as it will absorb heat easily which help to increase the purification rate.

Step 4: Function of the System in the Model

The Dripper System

The saline tube dripper carries water to the root zone of the plant. There is a regulator in the saline tube dripper which controls the dripping level of water to the root zone. The water drips forever but during the rain it is not necessary. Therefore, through this regulator it is able to stop the water flow by adjusting it. We are developing a system with the soil thermometer where as the soil temperature decreases the dripping level increases and the soil temperature increases the dripping level decreases. This system will maintain a constant level of water to the plant.

Step 5: Results and Field Gardening Test

The model was about to purify 10L of water through out the day. Salinity of high saline water is 54 parts per thousand and the Salinity of purified water through this system is 9.21 parts per thousand through evaporation system and Fiber purification system.The Humidity of the plat root zone was measured with the help of tensio meter and it was maintained with average value of Avg. 51%. This system was tested in the controlled environment and in the large green vegetable farming areas which gave a very successful out come.