EFFECT OF MAINTENANCE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SPRINKLER IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND IRRIGATION WATER CONSERVATION

Field experiments were conducted on six low pressure center pivot sprinkler irrigation systems randomly selected, to evaluate their water distribution uniformity and effeciency before and after irrigation system maintenance. A result comparison was made between the water distribution pattrns along the laterals and the performance indexes of six center pivot sprinkler systems operating under field conditions before and after maintenance. Results of the second evalution have domenstrated the effectiveness of maintenance on irrigation water saving and also, the performance indexes of all tested systems have improved. The reults revealed the importance of maintenance in order to increase the performance of center pivot sprinkler systems and to save water during irrigation.