Method and apparatus for irrigation of fields by means of flexible hoses

Abstract

Low-pressure irrigation of fields is carried out simultaneously through a plurality of flexible hoses of equal length, one end of which is connected to a water supply, while the other end is open. The hoses are stretched out in parallel alignment across the field to be irrigated, preferably one hose each between two rows of plants, and all hoses are simultaneously gathered so that their open ends travel over the ground at slow uniform speed while water pours out of the open ends and irrigates the soil. When the open ends of the hoses have reached a point near the water supply, water is turned off and the hoses are transported to another field portion and stretched out in similar fashion. An apparatus for carrying out this irrigation method comprises a slowly rotated shaft which carries grooved pulleys distanced according to the hose distances, one pulley per hose. The hoses are pressed into the pulley grooves by a counterpulley resulting in the hoses being slowly pulled toward the apparatus and being coiled up in containers positioned underneath each of the pulleys. The shaft is rotated by a hydraulic actuator at a speed proportional to the water quantity passing from the supply to the hoses, thus the water quantity issuing from each open hose end remains constant per unit of length traveled. Since there is no obstruction within the hoses and the hose length between supply and outlet remains constant, there is no variation in the flow resistance and the water quantity depends on the supply pressure alone.