Increasing Crop Productivity in an Eco‐Friendly Manner by Improving Sprinkler and Micro‐Irrigation Design and Management: A Review of 20 Years' Research at the IWHR, China

Abstract

AbstractThe use of sprinkler and micro‐irrigation has progressed continuously from being a novelty that was employed by researchers to being widely accepted, efficient methods of irrigation for many crops during the past 30–40 years in China. This paper reviews the studies that have been conducted on sprinkler and micro‐irrigation at the WatSave Lab in the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) over the past two decades. These studies address several areas of concern and provide partial answers to the questions raised during the application and extension of these relatively new irrigation technologies. With the aim of exploring the consumption of sprinkled water that is intercepted by the canopy, the amount of water interception and the losses were quantified, confirming that sprinkler irrigation is an efficient irrigation method. The standards of sprinkler and micro‐irrigation uniformity were studied with respect to many aspects of water and solute dynamics, environmental effects, and crop yield and quality under a wide range of environments from arid to subhumid climates for typical wheat, cotton, maize and vegetable crops. As a result, new target uniformity values have been recommended. Other studies on water, solute and bacterial transport from normal water and sewage effluent can also be useful in the design, operation, maintenance and management of irrigation systems. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.