Drip irrigation

Irrigation can optionally take place as drip irrigation (see switch Dripper). The irrigation water is in this case not added to the soil but is instead used to fill up the a water tank, i_tank, at the rate, i_tankfill. Thus, i_tankfill is equal to the irrigation rate, i_rate, calculated as explained above. As soon as there is water in the tank, irrigation starts and irrigates the soil at the rate, i_driprate, until the tank is empty again. This irrigation water is not added to the soil surface but goes directly into the soil layers and is distributed according to the coefficient, i_dist. Thus, the rate of which water is added to each soil layer using drip irrigation, i_drip(z), is calculated as:

                                                  (2.71)