Integrating modified sheet-pipe technology in rice field subsurface water management

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, IPB University, Bogor, Jawa Barat 16680, Indonesia
² Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, IPB University, Bogor, Jawa Barat 16680, Indonesia
³ Water Resources Sub-Department of East Jakarta City Administration, Jalan Dr. Sumarno, Pulo Gebang, Cakung, Jakarta Timur, 13930, Indonesia
⁴ Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, 036-8561, Japan
⁵ Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8611, Japan
⁶ Kyouwa Corporation, 2370 Tsubaki, Hagi, Yamaguchi, 758-0061, Japan

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

The development of subsurface irrigation and drainage technology offers a sustainable solution for agricultural water management and enhances efficiency and environmental resilience. This study focuses on the implementation of a sheet pipe for a subsurface water management system designed to optimise water usage while mitigating excess runoff and soil saturation. The system features perforated pipes enveloped by calcite-reinforced sand, making it particularly suitable for narrow or hard-to-access farmlands. Comparative flow capacity tests revealed that the sheet-pipe (SPC) and perforated PVC pipe (PP-C) systems with calcite-reinforced sand achieved a discharge accumulation of 12,000 g within 90 s and 100 s, respectively, which were faster water flow rates than geotextile-covered alternatives. Further experiments integrated the sheet-pipe system with the cultivation of eight rice varieties developed by breeders at IPB University. The results demonstrated that the average water productivity based on evapotranspiration was 1.4 kg.m⁻³ and total water input was 0.1 kg.m⁻³. The findings underscore the potential of the sheet-pipe system to enhance irrigation practices, offering scalable and efficient water management solutions for various agricultural contexts.