Promoting precision surface irrigation through hydrodynamic modelling and microtopographic survey

Abstract

Precision irrigation aims to deliver water and nutrients to crops at exactly the right time, in the right place and in the right amount. While surface irrigation is often perceived as less precise, accurate water distribution, wise use of resources and high efficiency can still be achieved with careful land preparation, astute irrigation management and rigorous performance monitoring. In this study, we advocate the innovative concept of Precision Surface Irrigation, centered around three key design and operational principles that are: well-organized field geometry (and microtopography), precise control of hydraulic-hydrological variables and, finally, regular performance evaluation. These pillars are then integrated into a simulation environment capable of capturing the intricacies of surface irrigation dynamics. Conducted in northern Italy's Padana plain, the study contrasts one-dimensional (WinSRFR) and two-dimensional (IrriSurf2D) irrigation dynamic modeling. Data collection includes boundary geometries, inflow rates, intervention durations, and microtopography, facilitating spatial performance assessment from both the models. The results show that the versatility of the two-dimensional modelling approach was able to reproduce well the observed water depths and the phases of water advance and depletion both in time and space within the studied border irrigation strips, even in complex situations where the strips were hydraulically connected. The RMSE between observed and simulated maximum water depth and waterfront advance time was less than 2.1 cm and 1.9 min, respectively. The two-dimensional approach was also able to detect the cross variability of irrigation dynamics, and to provide a spatial assessment of irrigation performance at high resolution. In conclusion, while the one-dimensional hydrodynamic approach to describing the hydraulic behavior of surface irrigation and field-scale irrigation performance remains valid, the two-dimensional approach provides, in our case study and reasonably elsewhere, a valid simulation environment for spatially characterizing irrigation dynamics in the context of Precision Surface Irrigation.