Effects of Mixing High-Sediment Water and Saline Water on Material Distribution Clogging in Emitters of a Drip System

Drip irrigation using marginal water sources is vital for addressing agricultural water scarcity, but impurities like sediments and salts often cause emitter clogging. To address this issue, blending high-sediment water with saline water has been proposed as a strategy to dilute both sediment and salt concentrations (e.g., through volumetric mixing), potentially lowering the clogging risks and minimizing its impact on crops. This study investigates the formation and distribution of clogging material within emitters under three water resources quality conditions: Yellow River water (high in sediment), mildly saline water, and a 1∶1 mixture of both. In this paper, industrial computed tomography was innovatively used to quantitatively assess the total amount and distribution of clogging in the emitters while minimizing damage to them. Results show that the total volume of clogging material was similar across the three water sources, with mixed water resulting in the highest accumulation (0.72 mm3), followed by Yellow River water (0.62 mm3) and saline water (0.56 mm3). The clogging material was primarily concentrated at the tail end of the emitter, with mixed water showing a more uniform distribution compared to Yellow River and saline water. Importantly, mixing the waters led to a reduction in clogging material concentration at the tail section, indicating that blending water sources may help manage clogging risks. Blended water reduced root-face clogging by 23.9%–46.4% compared to single water sources and mitigated the accumulation bias and improved spatial uniformity by 27%–37%. The findings highlight the critical role of water quality on emitter performance and provide valuable insights for improving irrigation system management, particularly under mixed-water conditions.