Implement for extracting subsurface irrigation laterals

A three point hitch mounted implement was developed to extract and collect subsurface trickle irrigation laterals from the soil. Power to the implement was supplied from the tractor through the three-point hitch and two remote hydraulic circuits. In operation, the implement loosened the soil around the lateral, extracted the lateral from the soil and wound it onto a reel. The roll of tubing then was dropped at the end of the row. Draft power averaged 14.5 kW and hydraulic power averaged 0.6 kW when the one row implement was operated at 7.2 km/h. Field capacity of the one row implement was 0.19 ha/h when operated in a field having 100 m long rows on 100 cm centers.