Review on irrigated area profile modeling and variable-rate precision sprinkle irrigation technique

The term "Profile modeling and variable rate sprinkling" is firstly used by the authors to describe the precision irrigation technique that can conduct variable rate application according to the continuous change of the irrigated area profile. This technique has great potential to improve the irrigation quality and efficiency and reduce the investment costs on sprinkle irrigation. This paper classifies all these techniques avalable around the world into different systems according to their operation principles, and introduces their main properties and adaptivities. The general construction and principle of the spraying range and flow rate adjustor for the profile modeling and variable rate sprinkler are given. Finally, the paper suggests that three aspects for the future research work on the profile modeling and variable rate sprinkling technique should be stressed. They are: 1) theoretical and experimental analysis of the influence of the size of the key components on the performance of the profile modeling and variable rate sprinkler, which provides basic information for the design of sprinkler of this kind; 2) to develop new products of pop-up profile modeling and variable rate sprinkler that are mainly used for irrigation in the garden and landscape place; and 3) to research the high uniformity profile modeling and variable rate sprinkler spacing irrigation technique, in order to reduce the sprinkler and pipeline density in the sprinkle irrigation system.