Formulation of an Emitter Clogging Control Strategy for Drip Irrigation with Reclaimed Water

AbstractControlling emitter clogging by reducing clogging substances is commonly used nowadays, but it is merely applied in clogged emitters, so establishing a convenient and pre‐treated emitter clogging control strategy is essential. In this paper, four types of non‐pressure‐compensating emitters were selected for a drip irrigation experiment using reclaimed water. Furthermore, suspended particles' components in reclaimed water treated with four technologies were tested, and then their components' relations with emitter clogging substances were studied. The results showed that clogging substances inside emitters and suspended particles both showed the complicated biofilm structure. The mineral components, relative phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) concentrations and dominant microbial communities of clogging substances inside emitters were consistent with those of suspended particles in the same reclaimed water. Mineral components were quartz, alkali‐feldspar and illite (total exceeding 88.0%). The relative PLFA concentrations were 0.7–0.8‰, while the main PLFAs were 12:0, i15:0, 16:0 and 18:0. Moreover, bacteroides, bacillus and cellvibrio were the dominant bacteria. However, solid particles in four types of reclaimed water represented more differences. The mineral components, relative PLFA concentrations and dominance indexes varied by 9.7–29.9, 57.9–253.0 and 2.6–49.0%, respectively. Therefore, an emitter‐clogging control strategy could be established according to suspended particles' components in the same reclaimed water. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.