Effect of Magnetization of Irrigation Water on the Properties of Soil Wetting Pattern in Surface Drip Irrigation

In this research, the effect of magnetization of irrigation water on the properties of soil wetting zone in surface drip irrigation was studied. The study was carried out as a complete randomized design with 3 replications on a clay loam soil in a greenhouse at the University of Zanjan in 2012. A microflopper dripper with 4 lit/hr discharge was used in the test. The experiments were done in a metal box with dimensions of 80 × 80 × 80 cm with a glass wall at one side. To create a magnetic field, two fixed magnetized poles with 0.1 tesla intensity were installed on a 16 mm polyethylene pipe. The Wetted soil dimentions including wetted width on the soil surface, maximum wetted width in the soil and its depth and the maximum length of wetted zone in the soil were measured at 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 120 minutes after starting the experiment. The measured values were statically analyzed by SAS software. The magnetic water treatment increased the wetted width on the soil surface and maximum width of the wetted zone. The maximum difference between the produced wetted widths by the magnetic water and nonmagnetic water treatments was 7.9 cm on the soil surface and was 6.32 cm in the soil for the maximum length of wetted zone that occured at 120 minutes after starting the experiment. The mentioned differences were statistically significant (). More expansion of the wetted zone width in the soil by magnetic water treatment relative to nonmagnetic water treatment caused a decrease in the maximum depth of wetted zone in the soil of the former treatment. As a result, the maximum depths of wetted zone in the soil at the end of the test (time of 120 minutes) were 22.52 and 22.25 cm for nonmagnetic water and magnetic water treatments, respectively. These values had not statistically significant difference (p<5%). According to the results of this study, the distance between drippers can be increased by applying magnetic water in drip irrigation system.