Résumé
Drip irrigation systems are known for their high water-use efficiency due to the combination of using milli-labyrinth channels to optimise flow distribution and reusing reclaimed wastewater. However, clogging andbiofouling remain significant challenges that affect system performance and lifespan. This review provides acomprehensive overview of biofouling in drip irrigation systems, with a focus on how hydrodynamic conditionsand nutrient availability in reclaimed wastewater influence the attachment, growth, detachment, and decayof biofilm. The ability of advanced optical techniques, including particle tracking velocimetry, industrialcomputed tomography, and optical coherence tomography to visualise, measure, and analyse biofoulingprocesses in drip irrigation systems is discussed, along with their strengths and limitations. Additionally, theability of current biofilm modelling approaches, including both continuum and discrete methods, to simulatenutrient transport, microbial activity, and biofilm–fluid interactions are discussed. By combining insights fromexperimental data and computational models, this review also identifies key research gaps and presents a newframework for applying biofilm modelling to drip irrigation systems. Future research directions are suggestedto improve our understanding of drip irrigation biofouling and to predict it, to optimise emitter design, andincrease the overall reliability and sustainability of drip irrigation systems