Evaluation of pre-packaged agricultural drip irrigation kits

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to conduct user testing and performance evaluation of two different agricultural pre-packaged drip irrigation kit (PDIK) systems: Chapin Bucket Kit and International Design Enterprises (IDE) drip kit. PDIK systems are a cost-effective type of appropriate technology for the developing world because they reduce agricultural water consumption and can increase crop yield over other methods of irrigation. Overall user testing indicates preference for the IDE drip kit because of ease of installation, low cost, and suitable size for the average household plot. On the other hand, the Chapin Bucket Kit performs better in laboratory evaluation in terms of emitter performance, materials strength, and filter clogging . Ultimately, it is up to users to decide what are the trade-offs that can be made when choosing a PDIK system. This study is conducted under the MIT Development Lab Technology Evaluation and Verification Program (D-lab TEV) and has been financially supported by the MIT Public Service Center and the MIT Department of Foreign Languages and Literature.