Abstract
Automated irrigation systems (AISs) are critical for the sustainability of irrigated farming systems, considering the present water crisis in Saudi Arabia. This study investigated whether electronic controllers in irrigation systems effectively save water. The study also assessed the effect of these controllers on crop yield using drip and sprinkler irrigation systems in severely arid climate conditions. Evapotranspiration (ET) controllers were installed in experimental fields of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) crops for 2 successive seasons. The results revealed that the water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) were typically higher in the AIS than in the conventional irrigation control system (CIS). Under the AIS treatment, the WUE and IWUE values were 1.64 and 1.37 k.gm-3 for wheat, and 7.50 and 6.50 kg.m-3 for tomato crops; under the CIS treatment the values were 1.47 and 1.21 kg.m-3 for wheat and 5.72 and 4.70 kg.m-3 for tomatoes, respectively. Therefore, the AIS provided significant advantages in both water savings and crop yields by utilising up to 26% less water than the CIS, and simultaneously generating higher total yields. The automated irrigation system technique may be a valuable tool for conserving water and scheduling irrigation for wheat and tomato crops, and may be extendable to other similar agricultural crops.
Highlights
There is a great need to modernize agricultural practices for better water productivity and resource conservation
The evapotranspiration rate (ETo) rates for the tomato control experiment were measured by the automatic weather station, which was similar to the wheat control treatment using the modified Penman Method, FAO version
The analysis showed that the ETc value of the CIS treatment was higher than that of Automated irrigation systems (AISs) treatment for the entire season, possibly because of the more accurate irrigation scheduling of the AIS, or owing to the near real-time adjustment of the irrigation associated with the AIS, or the fact that the relevant wheat and tomato Kc values (Allen et al, 1998) used for the CIS were derived in a different environment from the study site, which leads to higher availability of water in the root zone
Summary
There is a great need to modernize agricultural practices for better water productivity and resource conservation. Efficient water management is a major concern in precision irrigation practices. The use of automated irrigation systems can provide water on a real-time basis at the root zone, based on the availability of soil water at the crop root zone, which leads to saving of water (Ojha et al, 2015). The majority of crops are grown with irrigation systems, drip and sprinkler irrigation are increasing in popularity because of superior water application efficiency and more precise irrigation management. Automated irrigation systems allow for high-frequency irrigation, maintaining the soil water potential (SWP) relatively constant, compared to conventional irrigation systems. Many methods have been described and sensors developed to manage irrigation systems effectively (Yildirim, 2010)
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