Modern Irrigation Research Articles

Relationship between Indigenous Knowledge Development in Agriculture and the Sustainability of Water Resources

The relationship between agricultural knowledge and water management is very important. Indigenous knowledge in agriculture can improve the water crisis situation and alleviate water stress from dry and semi-arid areas. Therefore, the combination of these two impacts can improve the agricultural sector and reduce the effects of drought. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting indigenous knowledge and the sustainable management of water resources for optimal water use in agriculture in the Sistan region of Iran. Alongside field research and interviews with 40 indigenous experts and experts from the Jihad-e-Agriculture sector of the Sistan region, the required information was collected by means of a questionnaire. Using the fuzzy hierarchy process (FAHP), the factors affecting indigenous knowledge and the sustainable management of water resources for optimal water use in the Sistan region were ranked. The final rankings of the factors influencing indigenous knowledge for optimal agricultural use of water resources indicate that the educational-extensional factor, with a final weight of 0.37, is the first priority, while social factors, government support, economics, farmers’ knowledge, and information, with weights of 0.24, 0.21, 0.13, and 0.03, respectively, are the next priorities. It is recommended that the indigenous knowledge of local authorities be augmented, and that farmers be encouraged to use modern irrigation techniques to optimize the agricultural irrigation of water.

Traditional value and its function in managing modern irrigation system in West Sumatra Indonesia

Traditional value and its function in managing modern irrigation system in West Sumatra Indonesia

Small-Scale Farmers' Vulnerability to Biophysical and Socio-Economic Risks in Semi-Arid Lowlands of Mwanga District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania.

Agricultural production systems in semi-arid areas are vulnerable to a myriad of risks. Using a systems approach of risk framework and a mixed-methods research design, this paper sought to explore selected biophysical and socio-economic risks that contributed to vulnerability of agricultural production systems in the semi-arid lowlands of Mwanga District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Despite the lack of statistically significant relationships between amounts of rainfall and crop production in the district, 30 focus group participants perceived that spatial and temporal changes of rainfall distribution as coupled with increased crop pest/disease outbreaks and soil loss contributed to vulnerability of agricultural production systems in terms of frequent crop failure and famine particularly amongst farmers who practised rain-fed farming in the semi-arid lowlands. Furthermore, participants perceived that crop production and yields were negatively influenced by poor marketing and institutional structures and that crop production and yields were negatively influenced by farmers' poor access to appropriate technologies including seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals, agricultural machinery and infrastructure including modern irrigation schemes and all-weather roads. By way of conclusion, reduced vulnerability of agricultural production systems calls for integrated enhancement of farmers' capacity in addressing the biophysical, agro-industrial and institutional risks.

Evaluation of the policy options to adopt a water-energy-food nexus pattern by farmers: Application of optimization and agent-based models

In recent years, water-scarce regions (WSRs) have faced many challenges in order to achieve sustainable economic development. Sustainable economic development in the agricultural sector of WSRs is possible by paying attention to the water-energy-food nexus (WEFN) concept. WEFN determined using consumption, physical productivity, and economic productivity criteria of water and energy resources. According to the goals of physical and economic productivity of water and energy resources, it will be very difficult to implement WEF nexus patterns in WSRs with severe water resource crisis. The present study is aimed in WSRs to extract the resource allocation pattern based on the goals of the WEFN system using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) tools and evaluate the cooperative behavior of farmers with this pattern under government’s policy options using an agent-based model (ABM). The results for Doroodzan dam irrigation network as a WSR revealed that the pattern based on WEFN will lead to a 200 and 18 percent increase in physical and economic water productivity and a 156 and 67 percent increase in physical and economic energy productivity compared to the base pattern, but the implementation of this pattern requires 33% more water consumption. Therefore, it is very necessary to water resource management policies such as using modern irrigation technologies under government policy options in order to implement the pattern based on WEFN in WSRs. In this regard, the inflexibility of the government’s policies will prevent the widespread implementation of the pattern based on WEFN and sustainable economic development at the regional level. Also, it can be concluded that the expansion of sustainable patterns in the agricultural sector will not be possible without considering the situation of the region from the point of view of water resources and also the cooperative behavior of the farmers. Finally, the framework of the present study is recommended to achieve the goals of sustainable economic development of the agricultural sector in WSRs.

Date palm cultivation: A review of soil and environmental conditions and future challenges

AbstractDate palm (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) fruit is one of the ancient crops that have been cultivated for thousands of years in the arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa. Its nutritional and economic importance has extended the cultivation to other countries with suitable environmental conditions. Despite the large expansion in date palm cultivation and the associated improvement in its yield and quality over the last few decades, challenges remain in its cultivation and sustainability. Here, we review: (1) the current status of date palm cultivation, (2) the key environmental and soil‐related factors influencing its cultivation and productivity, and (3) the challenges under global change in addition to assessing the future potentials for improvements and sustainability. The global production of date palm has increased by 18% during the last ten years, reaching 8.53 million tons, on a total area of 1.11 million ha. Water scarcity and salinity stresses are the major constraints affecting date palm productivity, which is a serious issue in arid regions, where water resources are becoming depleted and soil is becoming increasingly salinized due to limited rainfall, high evapotranspiration, and incorrect irrigation. Although date palm can tolerate salinity up to 12 dS m−1, accumulation of salts in soil strongly reduces the yield. The main cultivation areas are dominated by soils of sandy texture with high pH and a low capacity for water and nutrient retention. Organic fertilizers increase water and nutrient retention. There is a lack of long‐term studies (e.g., ≥10 years) designed to monitor date palm cultivar responses to abiotic stresses as well as to nutrition and management practices. Future challenges facing date palm cultivation mainly include water shortages, extremely high temperatures, salinity, and soil degradation, as well as diseases and pests. The implementation of efficient management practices, including modern irrigation systems, selecting cultivars most suitable for the local environmental conditions, and increasing soil water and nutrient retention, help to sustain date palm cultivation and productivity.

Impact of Modern Irrigation Methods on Groundwater Storage and Land Subsidence in High-water Stress Regions

Water resources management in high-stress regions is a large-scale problem affecting food and water security. Therefore, modern irrigation systems such as sprinklers, subsurface, and drip irrigations are applied to manage the water shortage in regions of the Nile delta. Because of the increase in population rate and climate change, freshwater supplies are significantly limited and must be efficiently managed. Consequently, Egypt plans to implement MIS in the old land of the Nile delta. The current study aims to investigate and model the recharge from the excess irrigation system that affects groundwater storage and land subsidence unexpectedly. The visual modflow was applied to investigate the groundwater heads and drawdown. At the same time, the analytical solution based on Terzaghi theory, and the surfer software was used to estimate and map the land subsidence.For this reason, we investigated the groundwater drawdown in the high-water shortage of Egypt’s Nile delta. Three scenarios were considered by changing irrigation methods and their Impact on land subsidence in the Nile Delta Aquifer (NDA). Therefore, the results of this study demonstrated that the groundwater drawdown reached 2.60 m, 4.20 m, and 6.50 m, respectively. In contrast, the land subsidence outstretched 26 m, 44 m, and 65 cm for the sprinkle sub-surface. Future design infrastructures such as pipelines, roads, irrigation networks, canals, and water structures should consider land subsidence due to modern irrigation systems (MIS).

Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

In the coming years, climate change is predicted to impact irrigation water demand considerably, particularly in semi-arid regions. The aim of this research is to investigate the expected adverse impacts of climate change on water irrigation management in Saudi Arabia. We focus on the influence of climate change on irrigation water requirements in the Al Quassim (97,408 ha) region. Different climate models were used for the intermediate emission SSP2-4.5 and the high emission SSP5-8.5 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) scenarios. The FAO-CROPWAT 8.0 model was used to calculate reference evapotranspiration (ETo) using weather data from 13 stations from 1991 to 2020 and for both the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios for the 2040s, 2060s, 2080s, and 2100s. The findings indicated that, for the 2100s, the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios forecast annual average ETo increases of 0.35 mm/d (6%) and 0.7 mm/d (12.0%), respectively. Net irrigation water requirement (NIWR) and growth of irrigation water requirement (GIWR) for the main crops in the Al Quassim region were assessed for the current, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. For SSP5-8.5, the GIWR for the 2040s, 2060s, 2080s, and 2100s are expected to increase by 2.7, 6.5, 8.5, and 12.4%, respectively, compared to the current scenario (1584.7 million m3). As a result, there will be higher deficits in 2100 under SSP5-8.5 for major crops, with deficits of 15.1%, 10.7%, 8.3%, 13.9%, and 10.7% in the crop areas of wheat, clover, maize, other vegetables, and dates, respectively. Optimal irrigation planning, crop pattern selection, and modern irrigation technologies, combined with the proposed NIWR values, can support water resources management. The findings can assist managers and policymakers in better identifying adaptation strategies for areas with similar climates.

Economic and Productive Efficiency of Using Modern Irrigation Systems in Egypt (A case Study of Fayoum Governorate)

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Diverging Global Dry and Humid Heat Responses to Modern Irrigation

Abstract The moderating influence of irrigation on dry heat extremes is well established, but the effect of irrigation on humid heat is more uncertain. Here, we study the impact of modern irrigation on both dry and humid heat-wave occurrences during the boreal summer using the NASA GISS Earth System Model (ModelE) with and without present-day irrigation. We show that the presence of modern irrigation reduces the total number of dry heat waves in most land areas, especially in arid and temperate regions. In contrast, humid heat waves occur more frequently under modern irrigation, especially in the Mediterranean Sea region, northern Africa, southern Africa, and the Middle East. Present-day irrigation reduces dry heat extremes by favoring latent heating over sensible heating and lowering surface solar radiation by increasing total cloud cover. Meanwhile, modern irrigation drives increases in humid heat through increases in specific humidity and precipitation. Notably, the reduction in dry heat is mostly localized over irrigated grid cells while humid heat increases both in locally irrigated areas and remote (nonirrigated) regions because of widespread increases in humidity associated with irrigation. Our results suggest that irrigation may amplify humid heat, even in nonirrigated areas, highlighting the importance of improving our understanding of both local and remote effects of the irrigation forcing on climate hazards.

Режимы орошения перца сладкого

Purpose: to study the features of irrigation regimes and their impact on the yield of sweet pepper based on the analysis of scientific sources of information. Discussion. Sweet pepper is a moisture-loving crop. For its normal growth and development, optimal soil moisture is required. Plants experience a special need for moisture when planting seedlings, flowering, as well as during fruit set and formation. Since sweet pepper crops are located in southern regions with a moisture deficit, irrigation acts as a guarantor of obtaining the planned yield of this crop. The main elements of the irrigation regime are irrigation, irrigation norms, the number of irrigations, the timing of their implementation to maintain a given level of soil moisture during crop cultivation. Modern irrigation regimes for sweet pepper have been developed both for conditions of full provision of water resources and for conditions of their deficiency. Under conditions of full water supply, maximum productivity and product quality indicators, more efficient use of irrigation water are ensured by drip irrigation mode with maintaining the pre-irrigation moisture threshold of the calculated soil layer at least 70–80 % of the lowest moisture capacity during the growing season. In differentiated irrigation regimes, higher values of pre-irrigation soil moisture thresholds are maintained in the first half of the growing season, when it is necessary to create favorable conditions for the rooting of seedlings, growth and development of plants. However, during this period the size of the calculated soil layer is reduced. By the stage of technical ripeness and until the end of fruit harvesting, soil moisture thresholds are reduced to 70–75 % of the lowest moisture capacity, but the moistened layer is increased. Conclusions. Optimal irrigation regimes make it possible to maintain the vital processes of plants and obtain the planned productivity even in dry conditions. The combination of irrigation modes with other elements of the technological process (mulching, fertilizing, etc.) increases the productivity of sweet pepper by 15–20 %.

Опыт водосбережения при поливах овощных культур открытого грунта

Abstract. Purpose: on the basis of study and analysis of scientific sources to summa-rize the experience of water saving and to determine the features of modern irrigation regimes for vegetable crops in open ground. Discussion. Tomatoes and cucumbers are popular vege-table crops. The main areas of their cultivation in the country are the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts, where it is impossible to obtain yields without irrigation. The re-quirements of vegetable crops for moisture increase significantly during the periods of flower-ing, fruit setting and formation. Its deficiency during these periods leads to a decrease in productivity and a shortage of output. At present, both intensive irrigation with full irrigation rates and differential irrigation are practiced where irrigation is carried out with reduced irri-gation rates and the inter-irrigation periods and the number of watering are changed. An anal-ysis of the results of studies on tomato and cucumber cultivation on irrigated lands made it possible to determine that as a rule, under full irrigation, pre-irrigation soil moisture sill for these crops are maintained at least 80 % of the minimum moisture capacity. With differentiat-ed regimes, water saving is achieved by reducing the amount of irrigation water used. In this case, the differentiation criteria are the pre-irrigation soil moisture sill, the phases of crop growth and development, the depth of the calculated soil layer, the magnitude of irrigation rates, and the total evapotranspiration. The disadvantage of differentiated irrigation regimes is the lack of production, which can reach 14 % compared to the intensive irrigation regimes. Conclusions. An analysis of the water-saving experience during irrigating vegetable crops in open ground confirmed the effectiveness of differentiated irrigation regimes. Under such re-gimes, the yield decrease is not so significant, however, the most efficient use of irrigation water and higher product quality are noted. The combination of the optimal soil water regime and fertilization system contributes to the increase in the efficiency of production process of vegetable crops.

Effect of different managements with drip irrigation (tape)

Conventional irrigation methods to new methods have been altered with respect to reduction of water resources and climate change. Considering the corn cultivation development, applying modern irrigation methods namely drip irrigation with the aim of improving the efficiency of water consumption as well as the zone under cultivation has been investigated. In this research, the performance of corn (SC 704) in various managements of drip irrigation (by strip method) both in single-row and double-row planting patterns was considered with a variety of densities. This test was carried out on random complete blocks in the form of a 3-repetitive Split Design in Isfahan-Iran during the years 2018–2019. Four irrigation levels containing: 80, 100 and 120% of full water requirement with drip irrigation (strip) and 100% of water requirement with normal drip irrigation were utilized. The results indicated that applying the aforementioned drip tapes and different surface treatments with soil and water monitoring, the water consumption of corn seasonal irrigation can be saved by 81, 71, 61, 52 and 36% compared to normal drip irrigation without soil, water and root monitoring, respectively. Seasonal yield (Kc), the yield response coefficient (Ky), and pan coefficient (Kp) for corn were 0.80, 0.76 and 0.97, respectively.

Smart Irrigation and Temperature Control for a Greenhouse System

Now a days it’s a great challenge for the farmers to irrigate the crops in a correct time. This project is designed with the aim to facilitate the farmer or gardener to engage in green house systems and to improve agricultural technology. In order to reduce continuous monitoring of the soil parameters, excess time consumption for the farmers and excessive usage of water, “Smart irrigation and temperature control for a greenhouse system” has been developed. There are two different ways to irrigate the land namely traditional irrigation methods and modern irrigation methods.

Productivity of Some Bread Wheat Cultivars As Affected By Modern Irrigation System and Water Salinity in Sandy Soil

Productivity of Some Bread Wheat Cultivars As Affected By Modern Irrigation System and Water Salinity in Sandy Soil

Study on health evaluation model of modern irrigation district project based on AHP-FCE

Study on health evaluation model of modern irrigation district project based on AHP-FCE

Model-based water footprint accounting framework to evaluate new water management policies

Countries' water-related programs mainly align with water scarcity and climate change adaptation. However, a central point about the proposed strategies is the effectiveness degree of the introduced measures and their proportionality and coordination with the other goals of the system. This study uses a combination simulation approach using the SWAT model and water footprint accounting framework to investigate water management activities' effects and rebound effects on water resources sustainability. The activities included expanding modern irrigation systems, developing rain-fed orchards, watershed management activities, and omitting water-intensive crops. Results show that although the growth of modern irrigation systems reduced water extraction by 50%, this strategy cannot be helpful in water-saving because the actual water use is not controlled and even caused a slight increase in water consumption of 0.6%. This measure also led to a significant reduction in return flow to the aquifer (80%). Results also indicate an intensification of blue water non-sustainability caused by the expansion of rain-fed orchards because of increased actual water use. Watershed management activities raise green water storage by 4%, positively impacting aquifer recharge, which is in line with the objectives of the water sector. However, it cannot be used as an effective strategy to create new water resources to deal with environmental crises such as wetlands restoration. Changing the water-intensive cropping pattern will effectively improve blue water and groundwater sustainability if the rebound effects are controlled. Thus, there will be a water saving of approximately 110 million m3 in water consumption with the alteration of rice cultivation into wheat in the studied basin.

Smallholders’ Water Management Decisions in the Face of Water Scarcity from a Socio-Cognitive Perspective, Case Study of Viticulture in Mendoza

Grape producers in the Province of Mendoza (Argentina) are extremely vulnerable to the current water crisis, especially smallholders who have very limited resources to adapt. The discourse on adaptation options is mainly technocratic with a focus on modern irrigation systems not accessible to the majority of grape producers. Thus, this research aims at shedding light and providing information for the design of inclusive adaptation strategies by identifying, with a socio-cognitive model, feasible adaptation options according to grape producers’ perceptions and the related implementation barriers. Grape producers’ water scarcity and adaptation appraisal were explored through qualitative interviews in the Northern Oasis (Mendoza) to better understand how producers’ intentions are shaped through perceptual and socio-cognitive processes. To do so, a socio-cognitive model on grape producers’ adaptation to water scarcity (GPAWS) was developed based on two similar models. The analysis reveals that, as overall grape producers share a similar concern with the risk of water scarcity, their different adaptive behaviours tend to be mostly derived from their differences in adaptation appraisal. Moreover, producers’ adaptation intentions are mainly reactive and limited to answer short term, immediate risks. Most of the grape producers perceive feasibility and plan the implementation of reasonable efficiency measures. However, multiple barriers consequently limit the implementation of such adaptation options perceived as feasible by the producers. The results of this research can support government actors, agriculture research institutes, but also the cooperatives of producers seeking to encourage farmers’ adaptation, by identifying which adaptation options could be implemented according to the type of producers and their adaptation appraisal, but also why certain feasible measures are not being implemented.

Potentially toxic metals in sediments, lake water and groundwater of the Ramsar wetlands Bakhtegan–Tashk, South Iran: Distribution and source assessment

Bakhtegan–TashkLakes (BTL) and Kamjan Marsh, one of the Ramsar sites with an area of 1323 km 2 , have been shrunk due to groundwater overexploitation, construction of two new dams and drought. Evaporation of the BTL water significantly increased potentially toxic metal (PTMs) and average total dissolved solids (TDS) from 45000 to 382000 mg/l. This study focuses on contamination and sources of 16 PTMs. The sampling sites include 24 sediments, 2 surface salts, 17 water samples from Bakhtegan Lake (BL), and two wells. The PTMs were analyzed in Act Lab. The BTL sediments are contaminated by Hg, Ni, Mo and Se based on CF, EF, I geo indices and at ecological risks by Hg, Ni and Cr based on SQGs index and by Hg based on ecological Risk index. Kamjan Marsh and adjacent aquifer were at negligible ecological risk. Most PTMs concentrations in water samples were not measured due to dilution. The BL water and groundwater below the BL bed were contaminated and/or at ecological risk by significantly high values of TDS and measurable PTMs Mo, Pb, V, As, Mn and Sb. The most probable sources of contamination are chromite mines, sewage of petrochemical and industrial complexes, contaminated dust from west of Iran and Iraq, combustion of fossil fuel and fertilizers. The BTL can be restored by a new water resource plan to save water by installing water meters on all exploited wells, modern irrigation systems, optimizing crop patterns, enhancement crop yield per unit of applied water, and stakeholder cooperation. • The BTL has shrunk in recent decades, resulting in enhancement of TDS and PTMs. • The BTL sediments and water are contaminated for irrigation and aquatic life. • Hg, Mo, Se, Ni, Cr and As are the main sediment contaminants in parts of the BTL. • The BTL contaminations originate from mixed geogenic and anthropogenic sources. • The BTL can be restored by a new water resources plan with water-saving strategies.

AN ANALYTICAL STUDY TO ESTIMATE WATER FOOTPRINT AND ITS ECONOMIC EFFECTS FOR WHEAT CROP IN EGYPT

Wheat is the most important strategic grain crops in Egypt . The average area with wheat in Egypt is about 3.144 million Feddans (2000-2018).Wheat cultivated area comprises about 45.2% of the total area of the winter crops during (2016 – 2018), which is about 6.953 million Feddans. Under the condition of limited resources in Egypt, Virtual Waters principle considers importing/exporting crops equivalent to importing/exporting water resources from other countries. Available works used farm-scale experimental data, which didnt add-up to applicable values. In this work, we use data by CAPMS (Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics Egypt) to evaluate wheat water footprint in Egypt. The objectives of this work are: to estimate the Overall Water Footprint indicators for the wheat crop, and to estimate the food security coefficient, and the strategic stock for the crop. In addition, to evaluate the relative value of contribution from local wheat production, wheat imports and the Egyptian agricultural investment abroad in achieving food security for wheat crop in Egypt. The total quantity of virtual waters acquired from imports and Egyptian agricultural investment abroad to achieve the complete level of food security coefficient (1.0) for wheat was estimated. It ranges between the lowest value of 2.9 billion Cubic meters, and highest value of 11.7 billion cubic meters, valued about 3.7 billion Egyptian Pounds, at 95% degree of confidence. Based on the above results, this work recommends the following: 1) Supporting the research authorities to develop a new wheat crop which require less quantities of irrigation water. 2) implementation of modern irrigation systems that reduce irrigation water losses in agriculture. And 3) Adopting agricultural policy that balances between the local production, trade and the external agricultural investment together with optimization of the return from the water unit used in the agricultural.

Investigating Water Demand under Different Irrigation Techniques Numerically in Al-Anbar Province - Iraq: A Case Study

In terms of the importance of achieving a successful integrated sustainable management to the agricultural sector within the light of the tangible decrease in Euphrates discharge, this research was initiated with the objective of investigating water demand under different irrigation methods, numerically. Primarily, literature in field of modeling and water scarcity was assembled and scrutinized. Anbar in Iraq was selected to be a case study, to which site visits were carried out and data were assembled. WEAP was selected to be implemented to the case study, where it was calibrated and verified against real data sets. Confident with the calibration process and based on previous studies results, WEAP was applied to the study area. 2010 was taken as the base year and simulations were carried out over a span of 30 years (2010-2040). Two scenarios were considered to calculate the water demand and the unmet demand. The 1^st scenario considered the present condition (i.e. using traditional irrigation methods), while the 2^nd scenario is a virtual condition (i.e. using modern irrigation techniques). The results indicated that the water demand decreased from 5846.59 to 4232.29 MCM, for the 1^st and 2^nd scenarios, respectively (i.e. decreased by 38%). Accordingly, it is recommended to implement modern irrigation methods to achieve successful integrated-sustainable-management in the agricultural sector.