PLOT SPRINKLERS FOR IRRIGATION RESEARCH

Portable plot sprinklers were developed that allowed individual plots to be irrigated independently of other plots. Each plot sprinkler consisted of three rotary-pendulum, square-pattern sprinkler heads mounted on a PVC pipe frame. Plot sprinkler water output was 0.9 m3 h-1, on an area 4.6 m wide by 13.7 m long, with C(u) = 80%, when operated at 86 kPa. Plot sprinklers were used to apply irrigation treatments in a randomized block design to evaluate potato (Solanum tuberosum L. 'Russet Burbank') tuber quality response to six levels of transitory drought stress during early tuber bulking. Yield of U.S. Number One tubers decreased and yield of U.S. Number Two tubers increased with increasing severity of transitory drought stress. Plot sprinklers allow irrigation of plots in an experiment at different frequencies or durations.