RU2214088C1 - Apparatus for local subsurface irrigation of plants - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agricultural engineering. SUBSTANCE: apparatus has moistener adapted to be positioned in soil in the vicinity of plant to be irrigated. Moistener is made in the form of cup having perforated portion disposed in its lower part and embraced with hydrophilic material. Independent water supplying source positioned in moistener is made in the form of vessel with narrow throat and stopper provided with slit. Length h of slit vertical projection and its width a satisfy following ratios: h>17-5a with 2>a>1, h>9-a with 6>a>2, and h>3 with a>6. Stopper serves for regulating liquid level in moistener. Apparatus is used for seasonal subsurface irrigation of single annual plants grown in open ground as well as in protected ground. EFFECT: simplified construction and increased efficiency in subsurface irrigation of single plants. 2 cl, 3 dwg, 1 tbl

Description

 The invention relates to agriculture and can be used for seasonal intra-soil irrigation of single annual plants grown both in open and in closed ground.

 A device for local subsoil irrigation is known (see USSR author's certificate 1565414, class A 01 G 25/06, 1987), containing a humidifier placed under the root system of the plant in the form of a gravel backfill with an upper protective screen and a vertically installed feed tube, the inlet of which installed above the soil surface, and the outlet is located directly in the gravel bed.

 Irrigation water is supplied through the tube directly to the gravel filling, from where the capillary moistening of the root zone of the irrigated plant is carried out.

 The reasons that impede the achievement of the technical result indicated below when using the known device are that it is relatively difficult to manufacture and install a stationary device designed to irrigate only perennial plants with a deep root system.

 A device is known for local subsoil irrigation of plants (see USSR author's certificate 1801314, class A 01 G 25/06, 1991), containing a vertically mounted feed pipe with inlet and outlet openings, a cylindrical chamber with an inlet, a skirt and a flange, and gravel backfill placed on the protective screen. The camera is mounted on a gravel bed that functions as a soil moisturizer. An outlet of the feed tube is connected to the inlet of the chamber, the inlet of which is located above the soil surface. A chamber and gravel filling with a protective screen are installed in the zone of the root system of the irrigated plant.

 Irrigation water from the surface of the soil through the tube fills the chamber, which serves as an autonomous source of water supply, from where, through a humidifier, gravel filling enters the soil and diverges through its capillaries into the zone of the root system of the irrigated plant.

 The reasons that impede the achievement of the technical result indicated below when using the known device for local subsoil irrigation include the fact that it is a complex stationary plant that is difficult to manufacture, install and operate, which irrigates only in a certain area - irrigate only perennial plants with deep underlying root system and cannot be used for irrigation in an arbitrarily selected area.

 The prior art also knows a device for local subsoil irrigation of plants, which is part of a stationary device for implementing the "Method of irrigation of fruit crops according to the author's certificate of the USSR 1583042, class A 01 G 25/00, 25/06, 1990, which, according to the totality of the signs close to the claimed and taken as a prototype.

 The known device contains an autonomous source of water supply - mounted on a tree trunk and an accumulating container for part of the irrigation water, and a humidifier - connected to the container through a pipe located in the root zone of the plant perforated tube, protected by a hydrophilic root-permeable cover. When irrigating plants with sprinklers, part of the irrigation water, mainly flowing from the trunk and branches of the tree into the tank, accumulates in it and is piped into the perforated tube, from where it penetrates the root-inhabited layer of the irrigated plant under pressure, which provokes, among other things, unproductive loss of gravity dumping.

 For reasons that impede the achievement of the technical result indicated below when using the known device for local subsoil irrigation, the known device is a stationary structure that is difficult to manufacture and install, which provides additional irrigation of only a perennial plant in a certain area.

 The problem to which the claimed invention is directed is to create effective means that are simple to manufacture and operate with an economical water supply for local subsoil irrigation for one season of single annual plants when grown in open and closed ground.

The technical result obtained by carrying out the invention is to enable:
- the expenditure of a reserve of water of an autonomous source only as it naturally absorbs capillary soil in the root zone of the irrigated plant;
- a relative increase in the area of contact of the humidifier with the soil;
- ease of manufacture and operation of the device;
- use for the manufacture of simple accessible elements, including domestic purposes;
- reusable in subsequent seasons;
The specified technical result in the implementation of the invention is achieved by the fact that in the inventive device for local subsoil irrigation of plants containing a humidifier and an autonomous source of water supply, in contrast to the known device, the humidifier is made in the form of a glass with a perforated section covered by hydrophilic material, and an autonomous source water supply is made in the form of a vessel installed in the humidifier with a narrow neck and a plug provided with a slot, the dimensions of which satisfy the following relationships:
h> 17-5a, for 2>a>1;
h> 9-a, for 6>a> 2 and
h> 3, for a>6;
where h is the length of the vertical projection of the slit in mm;
and - slot width in mm.

 The specified technical result during the implementation of the invention is also achieved by the fact that in the inventive device, the plug is made in the form of an extension of the throat of the vessel, while their total length with the throat is made comparable with the depth of the humidifier, and the diameter of its upper non-perforated part is accordingly comparable with their largest diameter.

 Figure 1 shows the inventive device for subsoil irrigation of plants, figure 2 - the inventive device with a plug - extension of the throat of the vessel, figure 3 is a graph of the depth of the gap from its width.

 The inventive device (Fig. 1) contains a humidifier in the form of a glass 1 with a perforated lower part 2 and a cylindrical upper part 3. The lower perforated part 2 of the glass 1 is covered by hydrophilic material 4, mounted on it with a sleeve 5. The source of autonomous water supply - the vessel 6 has a narrow neck 7 and the plug 8, the open part 9 installed on the throat 7 of the vessel 6. The opposite end 10 of the plug 8 is provided with a narrow longitudinal hole - slot 11.

 For greater compactness of the device — to reduce the occupied area on the soil surface and to increase the convenience of its operation — to enable the use of vessels of various volumes, it is advisable to make the plug 8 (FIG. 2) elongated so that the length of the throat 7 of the vessel 6 together with the plug 8 is comparable with the depth of the glass 1, and its upper part 3 was commensurate with their largest diameter.

 The humidifier glass 1 is installed vertically near the irrigated plant 12, preferably after planting and subsidence of the soil, so that its lower perforated part 2 with hydrophilic material 4 is near the root zone of the irrigated plant 12, and the upper open part 3 is above the soil surface. The vessel 6 is filled with water, a plug 8 is attached to its throat 7 and, turning the vessel upside down, insert the plug 8 into the glass 1 and set the source of autonomous water supply - the vessel 6 into the humidifier - glass 1.

 Air through the slot 11 enters the vessel 6 and replaces the water contained in it, which fills the lower part 2 of the cup 1 through the slot 11, from where the hydrophilic material 4 is impregnated through the perforations, which, in turn, moistens the root zone of the plant 12 in contact with it.

 When the root zone of the plant 12 is saturated with moisture, the water ceases to be absorbed into it, the water level in the lower part 2 of the glass 1 rises relative to its bottom, blocks the air supply through the slot 11 and the water consumption from an autonomous water supply source - the vessel 6 stops.

 With the resumption of absorption, the outflow of water from the source of water supply resumes until its stock is completely consumed.

 The operation of the claimed device is to replace the empty vessel 6 with a similar filled one.

 The plug 8 with the slit 11 performs the function of a liquid level regulator, while the dimensions of the slit 11 — its width a and the length of its vertical projection h determine the set liquid level at which the water flow stops.

To determine the size of the slit 11, at which the flow of liquid from the vessel 6 stops - the dependence of the length of its vertical projection of depth h on the width a, measurements were made with an error of ± 1 mm, the results of which are shown in the table and graph (figure 2) /
On the graph (figure 3), the dependence of the vertical projection length h of the slit 11 on its width a shows that the values of h for a in the range from 1 to 2 mm lie on line A, described by the equation
h = 17-5a,
the values of h for a in the range from 2 to 6 mm lie on line B described by the equation
h = 9-a
and the values of h for a ranging from 6 mm or more are invariably equal to 3 mm.

 To ensure the operability of the claimed device with a given width a of slit 11, the length of its vertical projection h should be made larger by an amount chosen from specific technological considerations or depending on the specified level of liquid in the humidifier at the bottom of the glass 1.

Thus, the dimensions of the slit 11 must satisfy the following relationships:
h> 17-5a, for 2>a> 1,
h> 9-a, for 6>a> 2, and
h> 3, for a>6;
where h is the length of the vertical projection of the slit, mm;
and - slot width, mm.

 As an autonomous source of water supply, used plastic bottles from soft drinks can be used. Humidifiers can be made from the same bottles with the throat cut off, perforated and fixed on it with used cotton cloth or knitwear. Elongated plugs can be made from pieces of tubing mounted in standard corks from plastic bottles.

 Thus, it can be seen that the above information confirms the possibility of implementing the claimed invention - a device for local subsoil irrigation of plants, achieve the specified technical result and solve the problem.

Claims (2)

1. A device for local subsoil irrigation of plants, containing a humidifier and an autonomous source of water supply, characterized in that the humidifier is made in the form of a glass with a perforated portion covered by hydrophilic material in its lower part, and an autonomous source of water supply is made in the form of a vessel installed in the humidifier with a narrow throat and a plug provided with a slot, the dimensions of which satisfy the following relationships:
h> 17-5a, for 2>a> 1,
h> 9-a, for 6>a> 2,
h> 3, for a> 6,
where h is the length of the vertical projection of the slit, mm;
and - slot width, mm.  2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plug is made in the form of an extension of the throat of the vessel, while their total length with the throat is made comparable with the depth of the humidifier, and the diameter of its upper non-perforated part is accordingly comparable with their largest diameter.

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