Performance assessment of furrow irrigation in two different soil textures under high rainfall and field slope conditions

Abstract

Furrow irrigation systems have been widely evaluated around the world. However, there is no national data indicating how efficient furrow irrigation is under Uruguayan conditions. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the performance of a system of furrow irrigation in two different soils texture. Seventeen irrigation events were analyzed in sugar-cane cultivation in northern Uruguay during 2016-17 and 2017-18 irrigation seasons. The water advance and recess curves were determined; flow rate during irrigation and runoff were monitored. The maximum furrow length studied was 100 m and the average slope was 0.24%. Application efficiencies in both types of soils were observed above 75%. These field data were compared with data simulated by the WinSRFR model, where high correlations were observed in the results of water application efficiency, distribution uniformity and runoff. These first results encourage to continue working in the efficient use of water, not only thinking about a better use of the resource but also in less loss by run-off, and therefore, less possibility of contamination and lower cost of energy and labor.