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Water-Saving and Energy-Efficient Irrigation Technologies and Equipment

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Agriculture and Aquaculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2026 | Viewed by 57

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
Interests: sprinkler irrigation; micro sprinkler irrigation; water-saving management; irrigation technical parameters; energy consumption optimization; theory and technology; low pressure atomization; comprehensive technical index; irrigation systems; automated control systems; sprinkler head; micro sprinkler; sprinkler design; remote monitoring; irrigation optimization; water distribution uniformity; sprinkler efficiency
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The adoption of water-saving and energy-efficient irrigation technologies and equipment in the agricultural sector is essential to enhance food quality and poverty improvement strategies. Scholars and engineers have addressed different challenges by introducing innovative techniques, frameworks, and instruments, which require less effort and time in the farming practices. Globally, water-saving and energy-efficient irrigation technologies and equipment can be attained with research and development into new irrigation technologies and equipment and related systems. Recent trends in modern agricultural performances and their applications in the 21st century demonstrate the relationship between water management techniques, food production, and energy use.

In this Special Issue, we welcome all types of articles, such as original research and reviews dealing with water-saving and energy-efficient irrigation technologies and equipment from different research fields. Possible topics include agricultural engineering; precision agriculture; sprinkler irrigation; micro-sprinkler irrigation; water-saving management; irrigation technical parameters; energy consumption optimization; theory and technology; low-pressure atomization; and comprehensive technical index.

Prof. Dr. Xingye Zhu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sprinkler irrigation
  • micro sprinkler irrigation
  • water-saving management
  • irrigation technical parameters
  • energy consumption optimization
  • theory and technology
  • low pressure atomization
  • comprehensive technical index
  • irrigation systems
  • automated control systems
  • sprinkler head
  • micro sprinkler
  • sprinkler design
  • remote monitoring
  • irrigation optimization
  • water distribution uniformity
  • sprinkler efficiency

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 1112 KB  
Article
Experimental Characterization of Water Droplet Dynamics in Sprinkler Irrigation Using High-Speed Photography
by Joseph Kwame Lewballah, Xingye Zhu, Peng Li and Alexander Fordjour
Water 2025, 17(24), 3460; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17243460 - 5 Dec 2025
Abstract
A clear understanding of water droplet formation and distribution dynamics is fundamental to improving the hydraulic performance and operational efficiency of sprinkler irrigation systems. This study presents an experimental investigation of droplet characteristics using high-speed photography under controlled laboratory conditions. The objective was [...] Read more.
A clear understanding of water droplet formation and distribution dynamics is fundamental to improving the hydraulic performance and operational efficiency of sprinkler irrigation systems. This study presents an experimental investigation of droplet characteristics using high-speed photography under controlled laboratory conditions. The objective was to analyze droplet diameter, ellipticity, frequency, and velocity at working pressures of 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3 MPa. Median droplet diameters measured at 6–8 m from the nozzle were 2.79 mm, 3.41 mm, and 3.68 mm at 0.2 MPa, with a reduction of up to 17.7% as pressure increased to 0.3 MPa. Smaller droplets were predominantly concentrated near the nozzle and decreased with radial distance, influencing water application uniformity. Morphological parameters such as uniformity (1.3), ellipticity (2.13), and circularity (0.81) were quantified. Cumulative frequency curves revealed 12% droplet fragmentation at 7–8 m under higher pressures, illustrating the dynamic nature of droplet breakup. A strong linear correlation between droplet diameter and calibrated reference diameter confirmed the reliability of the measurement technique. These findings demonstrate that high-speed photography is a robust method for droplet characterization and provides accurate, repeatable data essential for optimizing sprinkler designs to reduce water loss due to evaporation and wind drift. The study contributes to precision irrigation research by offering a detailed understanding of droplet behavior under varying operating pressures. Full article
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