Drip fertigation quality monitoring using monopotassium phosphate on different slopes

Abstract

The use of monopotassium phosphate is an option for phosphate fertigation. Determining the application uniformity of a fertigation system is necessary for an adequate evaluation. The present work was conducted to monitor the quality of a drip irrigation system with monopotassium phosphate on different slopes. The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions, on a test bench, and 25 tests were performed for each inclination (level, upslope, and downslope). The uniformity was determined using the Christiansen’s uniformity coefficient (CUC) and monitored by the Shewhart and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts. The uniformity of the system was excellent for all slopes, and the uniformities in the level and downslope topographies were superior to that in upslope. The EWMA control chart was more sensitive, being out of statistical control for upslope and downslope, topographies, and displayed trends which are not shown in the Shewhart control chart.