Surface Irrigation Methods Research Articles

Crop geometry and dripper spacing in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) raised with single bud transplants

Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of dripper spacing and plant spacing on growth, yield and WUE of turmeric (Curcuma longa) raised with rhizome bud seedling at Agricultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Bhavanisagar, Erode Dt., Tamil Nadu, India. The treatment structure includes two dripper spacing viz., 60 cm and 40 cm with combination of four plant spacing viz., 30 cm x 15 cm, 30 cm x 20 cm, 30 cm x 25 cm and 45 cm x 15 cm and with conventional (furrow / surface) irrigation method as control. The trials were laid out in randomized block design and replicated thrice. The irrigation is being applied once in three days through drip at 80 per cent PE which is common for all the treatments except the conventional method. The fertigation is being given once in ten days by following the fertigation schedule of turmeric. The results revealed that drip irrigation at 80 per cent Pan Evaporation (PE) with 60 cm dripper spacing and crop spacing of 30 cm x 20 cm recorded higher rhizome yield as well as high income and B:C ratio. Significantly lowest yield was observed in the control treatment (conventional method). Turmeric cultivated under drip irrigation system resulted in saving of 48 per cent of water when compared to conventional method with a WUE ranging from 19.4 to 26.5 kg ha-1mm-1

Modified Surface Drip Irrigation and Hydraulic Barrier Impacts on Soil Moisture and Water Productivity for Tomatoes in a Greenhouse

Considerable amounts of irrigation water of vegetable crops grown in homogenous sandy soil profiles could be subjected to deep percolation water losses due to inappropriately designed surface or subsurface drip irrigation methods. This study aimed to investigate the combined influence of implementing clay soil layer in homogenous sandy soil profile of low-tech greenhouse ridges and using modified surface drip irrigation (M-DI) on soil moisture distribution and water productivity of tomatoes. In the greenhouse, a 7.5 cm thick clay soil layer was implemented 15 cm from the soil surface of each ridge as a hydraulic barrier. Three irrigation regimes (100%, 70% and 50% of ETo) were imposed with the M-DI on tomato plants and 100%ETo with surface drip irrigation (DI) as control. Regarding economic valuation, viability was preserved for the M-DI and DI methods. The outcome indicated that soil moisture spreads more horizontally than vertically on the sandy soil above the clay soil layer. The combined effect of the homogenous sandy soil profile amendment and full irrigation (100%ETo) with the M-DI irrigation method increased the tomato fruit yield by 64.5%. Furthermore, the combined influence enhanced water productivity by the M-DI to 54.7 kg/m3 compared to 32 kg/m3 by the DI. However, M-DI demonstrated dominance over DI regarding returns, yield, and profit. Economic-wise, the M-DI requires 50% less of the lateral pipelines needed by the DI in low-tech greenhouses. Adopting the M-DI with a hydraulic barrier can improve soil moisture, water productivity, yield, and returns for tomato crops in low-tech greenhouses under sandy soil conditions. Also, the M-DI with the hydraulic clay barriers was an economically viable investment compared to the DI without clay barriers for growing tomatoes in low-tech greenhouses.

Optimizing Irrigation Systems for Water Efficiency and Groundwater Sustainability in the Coastal Nile Delta

This study investigates the replacement of traditional surface irrigation methods with modern irrigation systems (MIS) including horizontal sprinkler, central pivot, surface drip, and subsurface drip aimed at improving water efficiency in the Nile Delta, Egypt. The primary objectives were to determine the optimal agricultural area for implementing MIS and to assess the effects of these systems on groundwater quantity and quality in the region. To achieve this, the LINDO software was employed to optimize land allocation for each irrigation method. At the same time, the SEAWAT code was utilized to simulate saltwater intrusion (SWI) in the Nile Delta aquifer. The transition from traditional surface irrigation to MIS resulted in significant water savings, reaching 2.15 × 10^9 m³. However, groundwater modeling indicated a decrease in groundwater levels, leading to an 8 % increase in aquifer salinity due to reduced infiltration of recharge water. These findings underscore the urgent need to revise outdated irrigation practices and enhance water management strategies in the Nile Delta to mitigate salinity issues in coastal aquifers. This research's outcomes are crucial for decision-makers and stakeholders in selecting appropriate irrigation methods, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, to ensure sustainable water use and agricultural productivity.

The effects of irrigation on the survival of Clostridium sporogenes in the phyllosphere and soil environments of lettuce

This study aimed to address the gap in knowledge regarding the fate of foodborne pathogens within agro-ecosystems. It specifically focused on the surrogate microorganism Clostridium sporogenes, which was introduced into lettuce-producing environments via surface and spray irrigation methods, respectively. The concentration of C. sporogenes in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and non-rhizosphere soil was quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) over a 42-day trial. The surface irrigation method exhibited a more noticeable contamination effect on the soil environments, compared to the phyllosphere. The results indicated a noticeable increase in C. sporogenes concentrations during the initial 22 days, with a 10.4-fold rise (0.39–4.05 log copy numbers/g soil) in the rhizosphere and 1.9-fold increase (2.97–5.59 log copy numbers/g soil) in the non-rhizosphere. However, concentrations in both soil environments subsequently decreased, falling below the initial inoculum concentration by the end of the trial. In contrast, the spray irrigation method resulted in most of the contamination being localised on the lettuce phyllosphere, with a high C. sporogenes concentration of 9.09 log copy numbers/g leaves on day 0. This concentration exponentially decreased to a minimal 0.019 log copy numbers/g leaves by day 32. Although concentrations in both soil environments decreased over time, trace concentrations of C. sporogenes were detectable at the end of the trial, posing a potential hazard to the microbiological safety of postharvest produce. These findings shed light on the dynamics of C. sporogenes in agro-ecosystems and underscore the importance of irrigation practices that ensure the safety of those who consume fresh produce.

Impact of irrigation systems on water saving and yield of greenhouse and open field cucumber production in Saudi Arabia

Water resources worldwide are limited, especially in desert areas like Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the rational and sustainable management of irrigation water supply is an imperative requirement. This research aimed to assess how different irrigation systems, such as partial root-zone drying (PRD) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), would affect the growth of cucumber crops. The study specifically focused on comparing the impact of these irrigation techniques when implemented with surface (S) and subsurface (SB) drip irrigation methods. The research was conducted in both controlled environments and open-field settings in central Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the study aimed to promote the adoption of RDI and PRD irrigation systems among Saudi farmers as a means to conserve essential irrigation water resources. The treatments consisted of two groups: the drip irrigation group with a single line (RDI), which includes full irrigation and deficit irrigation, and the group with the (PRD) for the root zone with two lines with the same irrigation ratios as the first group. The productivity of the RDI-S regular drip irrigation treatment was considered 100 % as the control on which the results of all treatments are measured. The results showed that in terms of irrigation technique, the PRD-SB technique had the highest productivity during the winter season in a greenhouse, with an average of 13.8 kg m−2 for all irrigation levels, while the RDI-SB technique had the highest productivity during the summer season, with an average of 16.1 kg m−2. Regarding irrigation level results, the study showed that an irrigation level of 100 % is the highest yield in all irrigation techniques, with a general average of 14.9 kg m−2 for all irrigation techniques during the winter season and 16.4 kg m−2 during the summer. The study showed that irrigation with the PRD-SB system was the most productive in the open field at all irrigation levels, with an average of 7.3 kg m−2. It could be concluded that using PRD and RDI systems for indoor and outdoor cucumber production can save irrigation water in arid regions.

Assessment of Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) of Sorghum Irrigated by Surface and Subsurface Drip Irrigation Methods under Mediterranean Conditions

In recent years, subsurface drip irrigation has become increasingly important in view of the increasing drought. As it is a newly developed method, the effects of subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI) and surface drip irrigation (SDI) need to be compared in terms of plant growth and yield parameters as well as water savings. The CWSI is an important index that indicates the water status in the plant and is closely related to yield and plant development parameters. The aim of the study is to compare the CWSI calculated with the SDI and SSDI methods in sorghum. The relationship between CWSI and physiological parameters (leaf number (LN), leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll content (CC)), as well as bioethanol and juice yield are also evaluated in the study. The study was designed in a randomized complete block design to include two drip irrigation methods (SDI and SSDI) and five different irrigation treatments (I0, I25, I50, I75, and I100) in three replications in Antalya in 2017. The full irrigation treatment was applied when 40% of the available soil water capacity in the soil profile of 0-90 cm was depleted, while the deficit irrigation treatments were applied at 75%, 50% and 25% of the full irrigation treatment. Consequently, the upper limit value was calculated as 5.5oC and the lower limit equation was determined as Tc-Ta = -1.96*VPD-0.08 under Mediterranean conditions for the sorghum plant. Compared to the SDI treatments, lower CWSI values were calculated for the SSDI treatments. Additionally, it was determined that as the CWSI increased in sorghum, leaf number, leaf area index, and chlorophyll content values decreased and as a result, juice and bioethanol yield decreased. It was determined that there was a high level of exponential relationship and a strong negative correlation between CWSI-irrigation, CWSI-ET, CWSI-leaf number, CWSI-LAI, CWSI-CC, CWSI-Juice yield, CWSI-bioethanol yield, and CWSI-IWP for both irrigation methods in sorghum. Considering the lower CWSI and higher bioethanol yield, it was concluded that the SSDI method is more suitable for sorghum.

Suitability of Sprinkler and Drip Irrigation in Transplanted and Direct Seeded Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Haryana, India

On-farm trials on rice crop were conducted at farmer field over a span of three years (2018, 2019 and 2020) to assess the effectiveness of micro-irrigation methods (specifically drip and sprinkler irrigation) on water usage and crop yield in rice cultivation. The aim was to compare these methods with the conventional surface irrigation (flooding) method both in transplanted (manually or mechanically) and direct seeded rice so as to determine the feasibility of micro-irrigation in rice to tackle the problem of groundwater depletion in Haryana. In transplanted rice (TPR), grain yield obtained with drip and sprinkler irrigation was statistically similar to that obtained with conventional method. But the yield of direct seeded rice (DSR) increased significantly (15.1- 21.1% increase) when it was irrigated by drip or sprinkler methods than by conventional method. The yield of DSR was significantly lower than that of TPR when it was irrigated by conventional surface flooding method but the DSR yielded at par with TPR when irrigated by drip or sprinkler method. The grain yield of the crop obtained with drip and sprinkler irrigation was at par, irrespective of the crop establishment techniques. Over the conventional irrigation, the drip and sprinkler irrigation saved 54.4-57.2% and 47.4-49.0% of irrigation water, respectively in TPR whereas the saving of irrigation water over the conventional method in DSR was 52.5-53.9% and 38.3-39.3%, respectively. Irrespective of establishment techniques, the highest water use efficiency was achieved with drip irrigation (6.73-9.46 kg/ha/mm), followed by sprinkler irrigation (5.66-7.85 kg/ha/mm) whereas it was the lowest with the conventional irrigation (3.28-3.55 kg/ha/mm). It is evident from the findings that it is feasible to adopt sprinkler irrigation in rice (both in TPR and DSR) as it saved substantial quantity of irrigation water without any penalty in yield and net profit in TPR and even increased the yield and net profit in DSR over the conventional irrigation method. Therefore, sprinkler irrigation can be an effective strategy to manage the depletion of groundwater in Haryana. On the other hand, the drip irrigation, despite saving more water and being comparable to the sprinkler irrigation in respect of its effect on yield, may not be economically viable due to its higher initial cost.

THE DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Irrigation can be defined as the process of applying artificial water to soil or land in order to promote the growth of agricultural crops such as corn and wheat. Water irrigation has a number of advantages,including an increase in crop yield, protection against famine, revenue generation, and the avoidance of mixed cropping. It also has advantages in navigation, hydroelectric power generation, and the creation of employment opportunities. It should be noted that irrigation has both advantages and disadvantages, just like everything else. Irrigation has a number of disadvantages, including the waste of irrigation water, formation of marshy lands, damp weather, and the loss of valuable agricultural land. Drip irrigation is one of the surface and subsurface irrigation methods that we will discuss in this paper. We will also discuss the various effects and advancements in this technique that have occurred as a result of the research conducted. Last but not least, the significance and necessity of this system will be discussed. Key words:- Drip, Irrigation, Artificial Irrigation, Efficiency, Framers

A Review on Drip Irrigation System

Irrigation can be defined as the process of applying artificial water to soil or land in order to promote the growth of agricultural crops such as corn and wheat. Water irrigation has a number of advantages,including an increase in crop yield, protection against famine, revenue generation, and the avoidance of mixed cropping. It also has advantages in navigation, hydroelectric power generation, and the creation of employment opportunities. It should be noted that irrigation has both advantages and disadvantages, just like everything else. Irrigation has a number of disadvantages, including the waste of irrigation water, formation of marshy lands, damp weather, and the loss of valuable agricultural land. Drip irrigation is one of the surface and subsurface irrigation methods that we will discuss in this paper. We will also discuss the various effects and advancements in this technique that have occurred as a result of the research conducted. Last but not least, the significance and necessity of this system will be discussed. Key words:- Drip, Irrigation, Artificial Irrigation, Efficiency, Framers

Comparison of toxicity of some synthetic insecticides against thrips (Thrips tabaci) on cotton crop under different irrigation regimes

Cotton is the main cash crop and back bone of agriculture. However, its yield is decreasing due to insect pests attack. Among them, sucking insect pests are serious problem in cotton and various agricultural crops. Hence, present research work was executed to assess the toxicity of some synthetic insecticides against Thrips tabaci in cotton crop. The research trial was executed with varied planting geometry under different irrigation regimes. Sowing of the cotton crop was done with plant to plant distance of 30 and 60 cm while row to row distance was 4 ft. apart. The plants were irrigated under single lateral and double lateral arrangements of drip irrigation while control plot was irrigated through conventional surface irrigation method. Results of relative incidence of thrips population on different irrigation plots showed that highest thrips population (19.43/plant) was noted in case of flood irrigated plot having plant to plant distance of 30 cm followed by in double lateral drip irrigation plot (15/plant) and single lateral plot (13.10 thrips/plant). Comparatively lower mean thrips population values; 16.30, 12.40 and 10.56 thrips/plant, respectively were recorded in experimental plot under 60 cm plant to plant distance. Toxicity bioassays revealed that highest reduction (75.27%) was recorded in spinetoram while lowest thrips population reduction (28.18%) was recorded in case of spinosad. It can be concluded that spinetoram can be effective tool for efficient control of thrips leading to augmentation in cotton crop yield.

Choice of an Irrigation Method for Maize Cultivation in a Local Productive Arrangement Using the SAPEVO-M Method

Corn crops can be irrigated using surface irrigation methods (furrows, horizontal pots, strips), as well as fixed or mobile sprinklers under canopy and localized irrigation (drip and micro sprinklers). The selection of the most appropriate irrigation method and system for a particular situation depends on an assessment of the available physical resources, such as water supply (quantity, quality and location), soil properties (texture, structure, depth, salinity, drainage, topography, erodibility) and plant climate systems, in which the adaptability of crops to the climatic conditions of each site must be taken into account. In this sense, the objective of this work is to select an irrigation method for a corn plantation in a Local Productive Arrangement (LPA). For this study, six irrigation methods were pre-selected as alternatives, and seven pre-established comparison criteria were unstructured interviews with stakeholders. The solution of the problem was carried out using the Multicriteria Decision Analysis model Simple Aggregation of Preferences Expressed by Ordinal Vectors – Multi Decision Makers (SAPEVO-M). After modeling the problem with the decision-makers, the method indicated the drip irrigation system as the best alternative.

Effect of Drip Irrigation Manners and Perlite Application on Water Consumption and Water Use Efficiency for Potato Crop

A field study was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station affiliated to the College of Agriculture, located in Al-Buetha area, Al-Ramadi district, central Anbar province, Iraq. (33°26′40" N latitude and 48°10′43" E longitude). The study was carried out during the autumn season in 2022 in a sedimentary soil with a sandy clay loam texture. The study aimed to investigate the role of surface and subsurface drip irrigation methods, along with the perlite addition, in terms of water consumption and water use efficiency for potato crop. The study included two main factors. The first factor was the irrigation system, which consisted of two methods: surface drip irrigation (SD) and subsurface drip irrigation (SSD). The second factor was the perlite application, which had three levels: without perlite (control treatment, P0), addition of half the calculated amount of perlite at a depth of 0.20m from the soil surface (Ph), and addition the full calculated amount of perlite at the same depth (Pf). The experimental design used was a randomized complete block design (RCBD). potato tubers (variety of EL BEIDA) were planted on September 27, 2022. Irrigation was scheduled when 50% of the available water was depleted, based on evaporation pan Class A. The results of the study showed that the best water consumption value for the potato crop was achieved under subsurface drip irrigation with the addition of both full and half amounts of perlite, with a value of 290.40 mm per season. Subsurface drip irrigation method significantly superior to surface drip irrigation in terms of water use efficiency, especially when full and half amounts of perlite were added, with values of 252.28 and 218.70 kg m-3, respectively.

Carrot productivity and its physiological response to irrigation methods and regimes in arid regions

Abstract The aim of this study is to optimize water irrigation management for improving carrot productivity and water-saving in arid regions of southern Tunisia. Field studies were conducted over two seasons (2017–2019) to evaluate the effects of drip irrigation (DI) and surface irrigation (SI) methods coupled with three irrigation regimes on agronomic parameters of carrot crops. Irrigation regimes consisted of water replacements of cumulated crop evapotranspiration (ETc) at levels of 100% (I100), 70% (I70), and 40% (I40) when the readily available water in I100 treatment was depleted. Results showed a reduction in carrot yield by 13–22% and 22–32% with I70 and I40 treatments compared to I100, respectively. Yield is affected by the irrigation method with a reduction of around 6–7% under the surface method for both years. The water productivity (WP) was found to significantly vary among regimes and methods, where the highest values were observed for the I40 regimes and drip method. Drip and I100 irrigation techniques seem to optimize carrot production. Under situations of water shortage, adopting deficit irrigation treatment (DI70) could be an alternative for managing carrot irrigation and improving water productivity.

Plot Layout Method of Field Experiment for Wheat with Border Irrigation Based on Soil Water Content Heterogeneity

The objective of this research was to improve the accuracy and representativeness of experimental plot studies by determining the optimum plot area and replication number for winter wheat with border irrigation. Considering the spatial distribution of soil water content, the border effect in relation to crop growth, and the lateral seepage of soil water, we sought to study and optimize the area and specifications of irrigation experiment plots with different levels and replicates. The results show that the experimental irrigation plot consisted of two parts—the core area and the guard area. The most suitable area for the experiment plot core area, with a single level and without replicates, was 60–80 m2. The core experimental area can be arranged with two replicates per 40 m2, with differences in soil moisture content between the treatments reaching more than 15% at the two experiment levels. Each plot comprised two replicates, or if they were 20 m2, then they contained three replicates; when the soil moisture contents differed between 10% and 15%, the area of each replicate plot was 80 m2, comprising two replicates, or 30 m2 with three replicates. When the difference in soil moisture content between the treatments exceeded 15% with the three experimental levels, the area of each plot was 30 m2 and they contained two replicates, or 20 m2 containing three replicates; at differences of 10% to 15%, each replicate plot was 50 m2 containing two replicates, or 30 m2 with three replicates. The experimental plots were rectangular, with irrigation furrows dug lengthwise; therefore, the plots had aspect ratios between 7:1 and 5:1. The width of the buffer area was over 60 cm. The effect of the border on plant height and LAI for winter wheat primarily emerged with one to three rows (20–60 cm) at the jointing stage, while the effect on grain yield and biomass in winter wheat mainly emerged with one to two rows (20–40 cm). The conclusions of this research will inform the development of surface irrigation methods for silt loam in northern Henan, as a reference for optimizing experiment plots employing border irrigation with different soil textures.

Water-efficient genotypes along with conservation measures significantly reduce the green and blue water footprints in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.)

Sugarcane crop is irrigated using surface, overhead, and drip irrigation methods. Increased water use in sugarcane is a major concern around the world, implying the need for water accounting, developing water-efficient hybrids and water-saving agro-techniques for long-term conservation and use of water. “Water Footprint (WF)” is a measure of both direct and indirect water usage accountable for any product and/or process. In praxis, ‘Green Water Footprint’ (GWF) and ‘Blue Water Footprint’ (BWF) are extremely crucial for the restoration of essential ecosystem services (ES), such as sugarcane production. The WF metric was used as a priority tool in our study to evaluate water-efficient sugarcane hybrids, germplasm clones, deficit irrigation scheduling, crop geometry, and water conservation measures. Precise and accurate WF quantification would supplement the decision-making processes for managing available water resources in sugarcane agriculture. In split plot experimental design two research investigations on water management in sugarcane were undertaken at the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The major objective of the research trails was to find out suitable sugarcane hybrids and agronomic management practices to minimise water usage in sugarcane cultivation in water stressed and drought prone areas of tropical India. Our investigation comprised two phases; the first one being assessment of the impact of deficit irrigation scheduling, planting techniques and water conservation measures in sugarcane production, while the second phase dealt with genotypic evaluation under variable irrigation scheduling. Results showed that BWF reduced significantly in the first ratoon crop due to deficit irrigation scheduling coupled with planting of two budded setts and application of sugarcane trash at the rate of 5 t ha−1. Sugarcane hybrids viz., Co 85019, Co 10026, Co 12009, Co 13014, Co 14002, Co 14025, Co 15015, and Co 15018 were more water efficient, with a lower total WF. Among the germplasm clones, Fiji 55, ISH 111, ISH 107, Pathri, and Gungera exhibited lower GWF, BWF and total WF.

Investigation of Salt and Nitrogen Distribution under Belt Plastic Film Mulching in Surface- and Drip-Irrigated Maize Field in Hetao Irrigation District

Hetao Irrigation District (HID) is one of the main regions for maize and sunflower production in North China. However, water resource shortages and soil salinization greatly limit maize and sunflower production. The surface irrigation method is the main irrigation method in HID; however, now, the plastic mulching and drip irrigation area is increasing to reduce irrigation water and enhance crop yield. In this study, the soil water, salt, and nitrogen contents at the 0–100 cm soil layer under plastic mulching and non-mulching conditions with the surface irrigation—fertilizer broadcast practice and drip fertigation method were investigated at the maize elongation and maturation stages in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The results show that the mulching practice and irrigation methods greatly influenced the soil salt and ionic nitrogen (NO3− and NH4+) distributions and, ultimately, the maize yield. Mulching reduced the soil salt content in the 0–20 cm soil layer by a mean of 35.7% under surface irrigation and by 18.6% under the drip irrigation condition. The NO3− content in the 0–20 cm soil layer with the drip fertigation system was approximately 8 times higher in mulching soil than that out of mulching. However under the surface irrigation condition, the NO3− content was 8–10 times lower under mulching than that out of mulching. The soil salt and NO3− contents were distributed uniformly at each soil layer deeper than a 40 cm depth, indicating minor effects of mulching. The soil NH4+ content decreased as the soil depth increased and distributed uniformly at each soil layer, indicating the insignificant influence of the mulching practice. As a result, the maize yield under the drip-mulching condition was approximately 11% (10.6~11.4%) higher than that under the surface-mulching condition in the two maize seasons. Given that surface irrigation is currently the primary irrigation method in the Hetao Irrigation District (HID), we have proposed three approaches aimed at enhancing maize production through the improvement of nitrogen levels in surface-mulching practices.

Performance of Basin and Bubbler Irrigation Systems under River Nile State Conditions

This study was conducted in the Jordanian Bashair project,River Nile State, during two seasons (2007 and 2008) to evaluate theperformance of irrigation systems applying different amounts of irrigationwater. The treatments were surface irrigation method (basin irrigationsystem) and localized irrigation system with two types of distributors:locally made bubblers and imported bubblers. The irrigation wateramounts were given as percentages (50%, 75% and 100%) of date palmwatering requirement (ETc). ETc was obtained from the means of theprevious thirty years, using CROPWAT4 WINDOWS. The performanceof the irrigation system was evaluated with reference to the applicationand storage efficiencies and distribution uniformity. The experiment wasorganized in a split plot design with three replicates. The irrigationsystems showed negative effect on distribution uniformity and positiveeffect on application and storage efficiencies. The locally made andimported bubblers revealed highly significant (P ≤0.01) differences withapplication and storage efficiencies, while there was no significantdifference between them. The 50% ETc recorded high significant valuesof application efficiency, but less values of storage efficiency anddistribution uniformity. Interaction of the irrigation systems and amountsof water showed positive effect, whereas locally made bubblers showedhigher values of application and storage efficiencies with 50% and 100%ETc, respectively. On the other hand, the basin irrigation system gavehighest values of distribution uniformity with 75% and 100% ETc .Hence,it was concluded that using bubbler irrigation system would give highirrigation efficiency, thus saving water for other agricultural activities.

Assessing the impacts of large‐scale substitution of pressurized irrigation on basin hydrology through a water accounting framework

AbstractAs the main challenge to water resource management, the impacts of irrigation method improvement need to be addressed in regional hydrological processes. This study investigates the hydrological impacts of developing pressurized irrigation systems at the basin scale using the WEAP–WA (water evaluation and planning system–water accounting) coupling approach. Regarding the development of pressurized irrigation systems since 2006, two separate periods can be mentioned for surface irrigation (1998–2006) and for pressurized irrigation development (2006–2013) in the intermediate basin of Ahar‐Chai in Iran. All major water resource elements of the region were found and constructed in WEAP as predefined object‐oriented elements. The simplified soil moisture method was adopted to model the rainfall‐runoff process in irrigated areas. This model was calibrated and validated using PEST (parameter estimation tool) with acceptable statistical criteria. To understand water balance components, the water accounting framework (WAF) was employed, and the results indicated that modernizing the irrigation system increased water depletion and usage. The results indicate an increase of 26% in actual evapotranspiration in pressurized irrigation compared with surface irrigation (50% of the irrigated area). Actual evapotranspiration and nonbeneficial evapotranspiration per unit area also followed the same trend. However, pressurized systems have higher crop productivity and denser crop patterns. In contrast, the basin runoff during pressurized irrigation was 42% less than that during surface irrigation, which is due to fewer return flows caused by pressurized irrigation. Therefore, the basin surface runoff can be influenced by the type of irrigation. The results obtained by this study suggest an adverse effect of altering the surface irrigation methods in pressurized systems.

Effect of Traditional and Modified Surface Irrigation Methods on Pomegranate Fruits Quality and Productivity in Assiut Governorate

Effect of Traditional and Modified Surface Irrigation Methods on Pomegranate Fruits Quality and Productivity in Assiut Governorate

Evaluation and optimization of surge and alternate furrow irrigation performance in maize fields using the WinSRFR software

Low efficiency of irrigation is a major problem with surface irrigation methods, mainly due to poor management and improper design. The objective of this study was to evaluate and improve the performance of different surge and alternate furrow irrigation methods. A field experiment was conducted during the grain maize growing season in the Jayedar Plain of Poldokhtar City (southwest of Iran) in the years 2020 and 2021. Five different furrow irrigation methods including conventional furrow irrigation (CFI), surge irrigation with on/off cycle ratios of 1 and 0.5 (SFI1–1 and SFI1–2, respectively), fixed alternate irrigation (FFI) and variable alternate irrigation (AFI) were investigated. A total of 15 irrigation evaluations were performed at the initial, middle, and end of the growing season by measuring inflow rate, cutoff time, outflow rate, infiltration and advance time. The length and spacing of experimental furrows were 120 and 0.75 m, respectively, and the inflow rate of furrows and the flow cutoff times at the initial (3rd irrigation), middle (6th irrigation), and end (9th irrigation) of the season were 0.28 L/s and 240 min, 0.42 L/s and 360 min, 0.35 L/s and 300 min, respectively. The WinSRFR 3.1 software was calibrated and applied using field data based on the zero-inertia model. The results of the furrow irrigation sensitivity analysis with WinSRFR 3.1 software demonstrated that furrow irrigation in the studied area was most sensitive to the inflow rate, cutoff time and infiltration parameters, respectively. There were high correlations between the measured and simulated values of runoff, infiltration and advance time (coefficient of determination of 1.0, 0.94, and 0.97, respectively). The relative error values in estimating runoff, infiltration and advance time were 5.60 %, 5.09 %, and 2.14 %, respectively. Mean performance indices of different furrow irrigation methods under field experiments showed that the highest values of Application Efficiency (78.7 %), Potential Application Efficiency of the minimum (69.5 %), and Potential Application Efficiency of low-quarter (74.1 %) were observed under the AFI method. By optimizing the inflow rate and flow cutoff time, application efficiencies of 66.6–80.7 % were obtained for different irrigation methods. The results of this study show that AFI is a more suitable method for maize irrigation in the study area.