Wind velocity and its direction, in relation to the sprinkler travel axis, are pointed out as key factors in determining water application uniformity of traveler irrigation machines. However, due to difficulties in running field tests with rain guns under controlled wind conditions, most towpath spacing recommendations consider only wind velocity without mentioning its direction. In this study, the application of semi-empirical parameters from RICHARDS & WEATERHEAD model's, adjusted based on field tests with the rain gun PLONA RL-250, provided with the help of computer simulation, the data necessary for a quantitative analysis about the effects of wind velocity and direction on water application uniformity of traveler irrigation systems. Simulations indicated that as wind direction moves from perpendicular to parallel to the sprinkler travel axis, the deleterious effects of wind velocity are enhanced. Therefore, these results demonstrated that both wind direction and wind speed must be considered on towpath spacing recommendations.
simulation; gun type sprinkler; semi empirical model
