High Efficiency Irrigation Systems Research Articles

Advancing irrigation management: integrating technology and sustainability to address global food security.

Irrigation management is essential for addressing global food security challenges under changing climate. This review discusses the integration of advanced irrigation technologies and their roles in enhancing water use efficiency and managing energy demands within agricultural systems. High-efficiency irrigation systems, such as drip and sprinkler systems, have significant potential to reduce water use and increase crop yields. However, their adoption varies worldwide, and the efficiency of existing irrigation practices often remains inadequate, resulting in substantial water losses due to outdated management practices. Emerging technologies and innovative irrigation strategies, including precision agriculture and advanced crop models, provide promising pathways for improving irrigation efficiency. Nonetheless, the widespread integration of these technologies is hindered by high costs, the need for technical expertise, and challenges in adapting existing agricultural systems to new methodologies. Irrigation systems can have substantial energy requirements, particularly those dependent on groundwater. The exploration of the water-environment-energy-food (WEEF) nexus illustrates the importance of a balanced approach to resource management, which is crucial for achieving sustainable agricultural outcomes. Future research should include lowering barriers to technology adoption, enhancing data utilization for precision irrigation, promoting integrated management strategies within the WEEF framework, and strengthening policy support for sustainable practices. This review proposes a multidisciplinary approach to irrigation management that includes technological innovation, strategic policy development, and global cooperation to secure sustainable agricultural practices and ensure global food supply resilience in the face of climate change.

World Bank-Assisted Community-Based Development Project for High-Value Crop Production: Failures and Successes

The government of Punjab has recently implemented a World-Bank-assisted community-based development project for the enhancement of farm productivity in water deficit areas of the Punjab province for 11 years. This paper describes a case study from the Faisalabad division, wherein drip irrigation in conjunction with tunnel technology has improved crop and water productivity of fruits, vegetables and cash crops, optimizing farm incomes. Not only crop yields were optimized, but also there were savings on water (30-45%) and other inputs, reduced incidence of pests and diseases (15-20%), early spring production by 35 days and higher quality of produce, which substantially increased farm incomes (19-41%) along with some environmental benefits. A conservative estimate showed a reduction in unemployment by 5% in project areas. Despite these impressive achievements, a post-project survey showed that 93% of beneficiary farmers abandoned drip irrigation systems, soon after project closure. It emphasized that in the Thal area, only a 4% system rolled back, suggesting the better suitability of the high-efficiency irrigation system for water conservation and productivity enhancement in sandy areas. Post-project farmer-participatory rural appraisal (PRA) shows that drip irrigation was rolled back due to multiple constraints. For example, unsuitable/inefficient design, clogging of drippers/drip lines, non-availability of spare parts, poor response of troubleshooters and top-down approach of the project, prompting better planning and implementation, in the future, for similar projects.

Short-term photovoltaic energy generation for solar powered high efficiency irrigation systems using LSTM with Spatio-temporal attention mechanism

Solar irrigation systems should become more practical and efficient as technology advances. Automation and AI-based technologies can optimize solar energy use for irrigation while reducing environmental impacts and costs. These innovations have the potential to make agriculture more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Solar irrigation system implementation can be hampered by a lack of technical expertise in installation, operation, and maintenance. It must be technically and economically feasible to be practical and continuous. Due to weather and solar irradiation, photovoltaic power generation is difficult for high-efficiency irrigation systems. As a result, more precise photovoltaic output calculations could improve solar power systems. Customers should benefit from increased power plant versatility and high-quality electricity. As a result, an artificial intelligence-powered automated irrigation power-generation system may improve the existing efficiency. To predict high-efficiency irrigation system power outputs, this study proposed a spatial and temporal attention block-based long-short-term memory (LSTM) model. Using MSE, RMSE, and MAE, the results have been compared to pre-existing ML and a simple LSTM network. Moreover, it has been found that our model outperformed cutting-edge methods. MAPE was improved by 6–7% by increasing Look Back (LB) and Look Forward (LF). Future goals include adapting the technology for wind power production and improving the proposed model to harness customer behavior to improve forecasting accuracy.

Comparison of bio-efficacy of some plant extracts and new chemistry insecticides against Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and Water Productivity of Cotton Varieties under High Efficiency Irrigation System

Cotton is an important cash crop in Pakistan. But insect pests attack and emerging water scarcity glitches are alarming the crop yield on sustainable basis. Hence, the present research trial was executed to probe out the toxic effects of plant extracts and some insecticides against cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. Different concentrations of the plant extracts and insecticides were applied. Results showed that highest mean incidence (10.6 adults/plant) of whitefly population was observed in case of BS-15 variety, was under double Lateral+30 cm P×P distance while in case of NIAB-878, the value was 13.1 adults/plant. Results to toxicity bioassays showed that maximum population reduction (79.10%) was recorded in case of pyriproxyfen while comparative less reduction (51.17%) was observed in case of dine to furon after exposure period of 72 (h.). . The values were after 48 and 24 h. In case of plant extracts, highest mortality (51.46%) was noted in case of A. indica whereas comparatively low mortality (46.32%) was recorded in case of M. oleifera extract at 30% concentration of plant extracts after exposure period of 72 (h.). 20 and 10% concentrations of the tested plant extracts showed relatively lower mortality values. Data of morphological growth showed that plant height got increased by increasing planting distance from 30 to 40 cm in case of the both varieties. Number of leaves and boll size did not increase with increasing planting distance in case of BS-15 variety whileincreased in case of NIAB-878 variety and the values were 105.1 (number of leaves), 44.4 (number of bolls) and 10.2 cm2 (boll size). Crop water productivity of variety BS-15 was higher (0.51 kg m-3) as compared to NIAB-878 (0.49 kg m-3). It is concluded that the variety BS-15 performed better under single lateral system while variety NIAB-878 performed better under double lateral system. Plant to plant distance of 30 cm was found better than 40 cm distance. Keywords: Cotton varieties, morphogical characteristics, drip irrigation, Planting geometry.

Solar Irrigation Potential, Key Issues and Challenges in Pakistan

Pakistan faces water scarcity and high operational costs for traditional irrigation systems, hindering agricultural productivity. Solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) can potentially provide a sustainable and affordable solution, but face technical, financial and policy barriers to adoption. A comprehensive study is needed to examine feasibility and identify barriers. Therefore, a comprehensive review study is conducted to identify the potential for solar irrigation, key issues and challenges related to its implementation in Pakistan. The analysis is based on published studies, technical reports and a survey of solar-powered drip irrigation systems. The use of SPIS in Pakistan is becoming a cost-effective and sustainable option for irrigation, particularly in remote and off-grid areas. However, these systems also have their challenges, such as high initial costs, maintenance and repairs, limited access to spare parts, lack of government policies and regulations, lack of technical expertise, lack of financing options and social acceptance. The most pressing issue is the risk of groundwater exploitation by using SPIS. Based on the analysis of the energy and water situation in Pakistan, it is important to sustainably use both solar energy and groundwater resources, through the implementation of effective management strategies and policies. With the right policies and investment in research and development of SPIS and groundwater, farmers can benefit by increasing crop yields, conserving water resources, reducing the cost of energy, increasing productivity and improving the standard of living and access to electricity in remote and off-grid areas. It is recommended that the adoption of solar energy be promoted to run high efficiency irrigation systems (HEIS) with urgent capacity improvement among farmers, advisors and system installers to sustainably manage water resources in SPIS. This would not only help to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and associated environmental impacts, but also increase farmers’ income and reduce their operational costs. Moreover, the use of SPIS can improve crop yields, leading to food security and poverty reduction. Thus, the government and policymakers should consider implementing policies and incentives to encourage the large-scale adoption of solar energy in the agricultural sector.

WATER SCARCITY IN BALOCHISTAN AND ITS IMPACT ON ITS AGRICULTURE

The research was conducted to identify water scarcity in Balochistan - a semi arid landmass ; and analyse options that could be utilised to make available water for agriculture and livestock in the province. The paper is in descriptive form based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of primary and secondary sources and information received from government departments and internet; and interviews conducted with persons related to the issue. A case study of a Pakistan Water and Power Authority (WAPDA) project of construction of small/ medium dam, illustrates the economic benefits of such dams for increasing crop intensity and cropped land. Increasing water storage capacity, recharging ground water, better water management by shifting to high efficiency irrigation systems, enhancing capacity of canals to utilise full share of Indus River, shifting to high value crops and standardising livestock would boost agriculture to ensure food security for the present and future needs of growing population. Continuous review of National Water Policy (NWP) while implementing salient features of the policy to realise its objectives.

Modelling wellbeing of farmers by using nexus of climate change risk perception, adaptation strategies, and their drivers on irrigation water in Pakistan.

This study aimed to determine the farmers' perceived impact of climate change on irrigation water and the adaptation measure adopted to mitigate its adverse effects. A binary logistic regression model was used to identified factors affecting the selection of adaptation measures. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to compute the benefits of adaptation strategies. The study was conducted in two major cropping systems, i.e., the Cotton Wheat Cropping System (CWCS) and Rice Wheat Cropping System (RWCS) of Punjab, Pakistan, using primary data of 1080 farmers collected through a multistage sampling technique. Due to climate change there was deterioration in surface water and groundwater quality in CWCS than in RWCS. The farmer uses different adaptation strategies like water harvesting, crop diversification, increasing use of irrigation, laser land leveling to save water, making ridges, building a water harvesting scheme, changing irrigation time, high-efficiency irrigation system and water-saving technologies. Adaptation strategies used by farmer were affected by different socioeconomic, demographic and agronomic factors. Results of the binary logistic regression showed that age, farming experience, education, household size, farm size, tenancy status of owner, access to farm credit, information on weather forecasting, soil quality, tube well ownership, remittances, off-farm income, agricultural extension services provided for irrigation water, and information on climatic and natural hazards played a significant role in the selection of adaptation strategies for irrigation water. Results of PLS-SEM showed that adaptation strategies mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on irrigation water. Farmers' awareness regarding the impact of climatic variability on irrigation water should be enhanced. Availability of credit to farmers should be improved on easy terms to facilitate the adoption of interventions for better irrigation water management. It is high time for policymakers to design effective, affordable, and workable policies to mitigate climate change vulnerabilities against irrigation water to improve the wellbeing of the farmers.

Assessment of Water Productivity Enhancement and Sustainability Potential of Different Resource Conservation Technologies: A Review in the Context of Pakistan

Agriculture is the major economic sector in Asian countries and the majority of their population depends on it. In addition to the largest irrigation system in the Indus basin, Pakistan is suffering from water shortages that are affecting the overall crop production of the country. Different resource conservation technologies (RCTs) such as precision land leveling (PLL), raised bed planting (RBP), and different high-efficiency irrigation systems (HEISs) can be opted for better water productivity. In this study, the potential of these RCTs has been explored to enhance production and save irrigation water through their sustainable adoption. Based on studies by different researchers, water savings up to 47% and yield increases up to 35% have been reported under PLL, while water savings up to 50% and about 10–33% yield increases were observed under RBP. Similarly, under different HEISs, water savings up to 80% and yield increases up to 53% have been reported compared with crops sown under conventional farming. Based on the findings of the researchers regarding RCTs, these have been proved as progressive sowing techniques for better productivity under the limited available water scenario. The detailed review in this paper concludes that RCTs resulting in the improvement of gravity irrigation methods, viz., PLL and RBP, have a great potential of adoption and water productivity improvement at the regional scale in developing countries such as Pakistan, while high-cost HEISs can also be promoted at limited scale among progressive farmers for high-value agriculture.

Assessment of Socio-Economic Improvement amongst Vegetable Grower by Adoption of High Efficiency Irrigation Systems in District Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan

Assessment of Socio-Economic Improvement amongst Vegetable Grower by Adoption of High Efficiency Irrigation Systems in District Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan

The Socio-Economic Impact of Using Photovoltaic (PV) Energy for High-Efficiency Irrigation Systems: A Case Study

This paper presents the results of a field study undertaken all over the Punjab, Pakistan, to evaluate the socio-economic and climatic impact of photovoltaic-operated high-efficiency irrigation systems (HEIS), i.e., drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. Nearly half of the rural population relies on agriculture for a living, and the recent energy crisis has had a negative impact on rural communities. Farmers’ reliance on fossil fuels for the operation of irrigation systems has increased exponentially, resulting in the high costs of agricultural production. Primary data regarding on-farm agriculture and irrigation practices used in this study were collected through an intensive on-farm survey, while secondary data were taken from published reports and statistics. The results of the current investigation show that the installation of PV systems has resulted in the increased adoption of high-efficiency irrigation systems, a reduction in the high operational costs incurred on account of old diesel-powered pumping systems (with an annual saving of 6.6 million liters of diesel), a 100% increase in farmer’s income, a reduction of 17,622 tons of CO2 emissions per annum, and 41% savings in water. The unit cost of PV-powered HEIS was found to be 0.1219 USD/kWh, which was 4% and 66% less than subsidized electricity cost and diesel cost, respectively.

Performance evaluation of indigenous floppy sprinkler irrigation system for various crops water management

Freshwater resources are a natural blessing and vital to life. Water is required in many aspects of life due to its importance in the economy. A Floppy sprinkler system (FSS) is an innovative and unique method for pressurizing irrigation. This method has multiple applications other than traditional methods, which can overcome farmer's issues to adopt the high-efficiency irrigation system. The performance evaluation of two types of floppy sprinklers (imported and indigenous) was the primary objective of this research. Three parameters, application efficiency of the low quarter (AELQ), distribution uniformity (DU), and uniformity coefficient (CU), were evaluated under different levels of riser height and operating pressures. A portable testing bench was designed to determine these parameters and the overall performance of FSS in the agriculture field. The system operated at a different pressure range from 1.5 to 4 bar and riser heights 10ft, 12ft, and 15f for both sprinklers. The results revealed that the system achieved maximum CU, DU, and AELQ at the operating pressure of 2.5 bar and riser height of 10 ft for both types of floppy sprinklers. The corresponding values of CU, DU, and AELQ were 84.5%, 70.7%, and 87.0 % for imported and 82.2%, 67.7%, and 82.5% for indigenous FSS. An overlap simulation model was used to achieve a high percentage of system performance. The results declared that the overlapping between sprinklers should be more than 65% to avoid water losses and minimize the overall system cost.

Socioeconomic Impact Assessment of Water Resources Conservation and Management to Protect Groundwater in Punjab, Pakistan

Water is the most important resource; it is utilized largely in agricultural production and is fundamental to ensuring global food security. This study aims to assess sustainable water management interventions and their impact on the farm economy. To increase water productivity, the most important adaptations that have been proposed are high-efficiency irrigation systems, drought-resistant varieties, the substitution of water-intensive crops with less water-demanding crops, the mulching of soil, zero tillage, and all on-farm operations that can save water, especially ground water. The recent analysis utilized farm survey data from 469 representative farmers along with secondary statistics. The data were collected via a multi-stage sampling technique to ensure the availability of representative farm populations based on a comprehensive site selection criterion. The TOA-MD model estimates the adoption rate of a proposed adaptation based on net farm returns. The impact of high-efficiency irrigation systems and the substitution of high delta crops for low delta crops had a positive impact on net farm returns and per capita income, and a negative impact on farm poverty in the study area. It is recommended that policymakers consult farmer representatives about agricultural and water-related issues so that all the policies can be implemented properly.

Irrigation Supply and Demand, Land Use/Cover Change and Future Projections of Climate, in Indus Basin Irrigation System, Pakistan

Sustainable management of canal water through optimum water allocation is the need of the modern world due to the rapid rise in water demand and climatic variations. The present research was conducted at the Chaj Doab, Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) of Pakistan, using the WEAP (Water Evaluation and Planning) model. Six different scenarios were developed, and the results showed that the current available surface water is not sufficient to meet crop water demands. The Lower Jhelum Canal (LJC) command area is more sensitive to water scarcity than the Upper Jhelum Canal (UJC). The future (up to 2070) climate change scenarios for RCP 4.5 and 8.5 showed a decrease in catchment reliability up to 26.80 and 26.28% for UJC as well as 27.56 and 27.31% for LJC catchment, respectively. We concluded that scenario 3 (irrigation efficiency improvement through implementation of a high efficiency irrigation system, canal lining, reduction and replacement of high delta crops with low delta crops) was sufficient to reduce the canal water deficit in order to optimize canal water allocation. Improvement in the irrigation system and cropping area should be optimized for efficient canal water management.

Assessing the potential for renewable energy powered desalination for the global irrigation sector

By 2050, it is estimated that the annual cereal production would need to increase by about 140% and total global food production increase by 70%. Meanwhile, total water withdrawals for irrigation are projected to increase by 11%. In contrast, poor management of existing water resources, pollution and climate change has resulted in limited freshwater resources. The aim of this paper is to assess how improved irrigation efficiency and renewable energy based desalination maybe used to secure future water supplies for the growth of rice, wheat and maize.The efficiencies of the existing irrigation sites were obtained and improved based on a logistic curve. The growth was projected such that by 2050, all existing irrigation sites would have an efficiency of 90%. The new irrigation efficiencies were used to obtain the reduced irrigation demand for the years 2030 and 2050. The desalination demand was estimated and an energy system model used to optimise the corresponding renewable energy based power system.It was found that improving the average irrigation efficiency to 60% by 2030, led to a 64% reduction in total desalination demand. Similarly, an improvement towards 90% irrigation efficiency, by 2050, translates to an 80% reduction in global desalination demand. In 2030, the total water cost is mostly within 0.7 €/m3–2 €/m3 including water transportation costs. Literature reports that farmers may be willing to pay up to 0.63 €/m3 for their irrigation water. The global range in 2050 is estimated to be 0.45 €/m3–1.7 €/m3 reflecting the lower system costs in 2050.The above results indicate that as conventional water prices increase, renewable energy based seawater reverse osmosis desalination, offers a cost effective water supply for the irrigation sector. Adoption of high efficiency irrigation systems alleviate water stress and can eliminate need for additional water supply.

Identifying the hill torrents and Groundwater Resources for a remote area of District Jamshoro using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System

Water resources are the major segments of the sustainable development in any region of the world.The current study identifies the hill torrents and groundwater resourcesin the Kohistan region of district Jamshoro, Sindh province of Pakistan. The study area is a hilly, mountainous range with arid to semi-arid climatic conditions, the high altitude do not allow the source of perennial/canal system, and depending on source of precipitation. Remote sensing data of Alos DEM of 30-meter resolution were obtained throughUSGS earth explorer official website. Shape filewas developed through the Google Earth Pro and ArcGIStechnique. HEC-GeoHMS was used to obtain hill torrents through processing tools and the stream definition was automated fixed to delineate the watershed area covering >= 75 km2.IdentifiedThe Groundwater resource into two categories of dug well and deep well. The study showed various ranges in the length of hill torrents 0.12 to 43.30 km, the depth of dug well aquifer 08.23-33.50 and deep well 91.50 to 164 meters in the region. Due to some research limitations the number 52 hill torrents, 33 dug wells and 11 deep wells were identified. Hill torrents carry runoff for the least period of rainy days, the torrential beds percolate the runoff and recharge shallow aquifers in the region, while deep aquifers recharges through adjoining watersheds. Water resourcepotential in the study area could be established by efficient heavy machinery to strengthening the torrential beds, and farms periphery bund structures, channelize watercourses, developed different ranges of ponds and reservoirs to capture floodwater, which enhance the recharge capacity of groundwater and introduce a high efficiency irrigation system in the study area. The spatial variation of water resources through modeling assessment has a major importance in the planning and development. Remote Sensing and GIS techniques enable the analysis with accurate results by consuming short time.

Identification of Influencing Factors for Optimal Adoptability of High Efficiency Irrigation System (HEIS) in Punjab, Pakistan

Identification of Influencing Factors for Optimal Adoptability of High Efficiency Irrigation System (HEIS) in Punjab, Pakistan

An Economic Analysis of High Efficiency Irrigation Systems in Punjab, Pakistan

An Economic Analysis of High Efficiency Irrigation Systems in Punjab, Pakistan

Farmers perceptions on impact of water scarcity in Pishin Lora Basin of Balochistan

The present study was undertaken to analyze the impact of water scarcity on farmers’ incomes and employment in Pishin Lora Basin. The study is based on primary data which was collected from 300 farmers through a well-structured questionnaire. The main findings of the study are that the persistent water shortage has led to a noteworthy decline in the cultivated farm area, the drying of fruit trees in large numbers, and losses of livestock over the last ten years have caused enormous losses in farmers’ incomes and increases unemployment in the area. On the basis of the findings of the study various measures are recommended to overcome water scarcity in the short and long run such as the construction of new dams to store the runoff water; educating the farmers about the use of high efficiency irrigation systems to increase farm level water use efficiency; improve power supplies to the agriculture tube wells; and remove power outages. Keywords: Farmers perceptions; Impact of water scarcity; Low income; High efficiency irrigation system; Power supply http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2017.60027

Socio-economic Impact of Water Scarcity on the Economy of Pishin Lora Basin in Balochistan

Water is essential for life. Water is crucial for sustainable development, including the preservation of natural environment, alleviation of poverty and hunger. Many countries are facing the challenges of rapidly growing demand, driven by increasing population and economic growth. The present study has been undertaken to analyze the current situation of water resources and its socio-economic impact on farmers’ agricultural production in Pishin Lora Basin (PLB) of Balochistan. The study is based on primary data which have been collected from farmers through questionnaire. The collection of data, a sample of 300 farmers has been selected through stratified random sampling method. The main findings of the study are that the current situation of surface and ground water is very scarce; it has been found out that the available supply of water is short against the required annual demand. Water shortage led to the decline in land cultivation, drying of trees, loss in farmers’ income, unemployment, losses of livestock etc. On the basis of the result of study it has been recommended that the construction of new dams, educating the farmers about the use of high efficiency irrigation system, solution of electricity problem and giving knowledge to the farmers about the modern technique of production are some measures for reducing the burden on available water resources and increase farmers production

Study on the causes of Water Scarcity in Pishin Lora Basin of Balochistan

Focusing on the importance of water a research study was conducted on the causes of water scarcity in Pishin Lora Basin (PLB) region of Balochistan. Pishin Lora Basin lies in the uplands of Balochistan covering districts of Pishin, Quetta, Killa Abdullah, Mastung and part of Kalat, between latitudes 28o 43’and 31o 00’N longitudes 66o 12’ and 67o 43’E. It is one of the major basins known for its sever water scarcity. The study is based on primary data which has been collected from farmers through well-structured questionnaire. The number of farmers in PLB are 5000, out of which 1700 belong to Pishin, 1300 to Quetta, 1000 to Killa Abdullah, 600 to Mastung, and 400 to Kalat. For the collection of data a sample of 300 farmers has been selected through stratified sampling method. The current situation of water is very critical in PLB. However, the general reasons for water scarcity are power related problem, long duration of drought, rising population growth and over exploitation of water etc. Similarly, it has also been noted that installation of new tubewells, running hours of tubewells and water table depletion are also found to be the key factors that led to the shortage of water in the study area. On the basis of the result of this study, it has been recommended that the government should develop effective strategies to put restriction on installation of more tubewells, the introduction of high efficiency irrigation system at firm level and solution of electricity problem were some of the effective measures suggested for reducing the burden on available water resources and increase water of farmers’ production.