Surface Irrigation Systems Research Articles

Maximizing Growth and Yield Components: Comparative Analysis of Surface and Subsurface Drip Irrigation in Intensively Farmed Rice Systems

Water scarcity is a critical issue in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, necessitating efficient irrigation methods in agriculture. This study evaluated the effectiveness of surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems in direct-seeded rice (DSR) followed by zero-till wheat or maize, compared to conventional puddled transplanted rice (PTR) systems. The two-year experiment, conducted at the International Rice Research Institute's South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi, India, employed a randomized complete block design with eight treatments. Results showed that DSR followed by zero-till wheat with subsurface drip irrigation at 60-cm spacing significantly outperformed other treatments. This system increased rice grain yield by 6.52% and 18.82%, straw yield by 7.68% and 13.45%, and total biomass by 8.30% and 9.73% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, compared to PTR followed by zero-till wheat. Subsurface drip irrigation also led to improved plant growth parameters, including plant height and number of tillers, and enhanced yield attributes such as number of panicles and filled grains per panicle. The study concludes that subsurface drip irrigation in DSR systems offers a promising solution for sustainable intensification and efficient use of water and energy in rice-based cropping systems. However, long-term, multi-location trials are recommended to establish precise water and energy savings under various conditions.

Effect of Drought Stress on Yield Quality, Water Productivity and Profit Net of Potato Crop under surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems

Effect of Drought Stress on Yield Quality, Water Productivity and Profit Net of Potato Crop under surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems

Image Recognition for Floating Waste Monitoring in a Traditional Surface Irrigation System

In the traditional surface irrigation system of Vega Baja del Segura (Spain), large amounts of floating waste accumulate at certain points of the river, irrigation channels and drainage ditches, causing malfunctioning of the irrigation network and rising social problems related to the origins of waste. This work proposes a standardized and quick methodology to characterize the floating waste to detect changes in its amount and components. A dataset was created with 477 images of floating plastic items in different environments and was used for training an algorithm based on YOLOv5s. The mean Average Precision of the trained algorithm was 96.9%, and the detection speed was 81.7 ms. Overhead photographs were taken with an unmanned aerial vehicle at strategic points of the river and channels, and its automatic count of floating objects was compared with their manual count. Both methods showed good agreement, confirming that water bottles were the most abundant (95%) type of floating waste. The automatic count reduced the required time and eliminated human bias in image analysis of the floating waste. This procedure can be used to test the reach of corrective measures implemented by local authorities to prevent floating waste in the river.

Analysis of the Status of Irrigation Management in North Carolina

Farmers in North Carolina are turning to irrigation to reduce the impacts of droughts and rainfall variability on agricultural production. Droughts, rainfall variability, and the increasing demand for food, feed, fiber, and fuel necessitate the urgent need to provide North Carolina farmers with tools to improve irrigation management and maximize water productivity. This is only possible by understanding the current status of irrigated agriculture in the state and investigating its potential weaknesses and opportunities. Thus, the objective of this study was to perform a comprehensive analysis of the current state of irrigation management in North Carolina based on 15-year data from the Irrigation and Water Management Survey by the United States Department of Agriculture–National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS). The results indicated a reduction in irrigation acres in the state. Also, most farms in the state have shifted to efficient sprinkler irrigation systems from gravity-fed surface irrigation systems. However, many farms in North Carolina still rely on traditional irrigation scheduling methods, such as examining crop conditions and the feel of soil in deciding when to irrigate. Hence, there are opportunities for enhancing the adoption of advanced technologies like soil moisture sensors and weather data to optimize irrigation schedules for improving water efficiency and crop production. Precision techniques and data-based solutions empower farmers to make informed, real-time decisions, optimizing water use and resource allocation to match the changing environmental conditions. The insights from this study provide valuable information for policymakers, extension services, and farmers to make informed decisions to optimize agricultural productivity and conserve water resources.

Water depth and cross‐sectional area relationships in sloping surface irrigation systems

Water depth and cross‐sectional area relationships in sloping surface irrigation systems

Performance evaluation of a modified axial flow water Lifting pump for small to medium irrigation in Nigeria.

Most irrigation pumps used in Nigeria are imported. Consequently, the challenges farmers faced in using these pumps include but not limited to the following; priming before operation, relatively low-capacity delivery at low head and high price which is often time not affordable by peasant farmers. The objective of this research was to develop an axial flow pump with locally sourced materials and affordable by farmers for small to medium scale irrigation in Nigeria. The design of the pump for the study was adopted from an existing and functioning axial pumping machine, developed by Agricultural Machinery and Mechatronics Department, Kasetsart University, Thailand. The pump was fabricated at the workshop of National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), Ilorin, Nigeria. Diesel fuel was used in powering the pump because of higher torque deliverable. The developed pump based on its capacity can be used to irrigate one hectare in one hour at 16.2 mm depth of water using 2000 rpm at 1m head and 9.6 mm depth of water using 1000 rpm at 3 m head. The maximum water discharge of 162 m3/h (45 l/s) was at 1m using a speed of 2000 rpm with water to fuel delivery of 124.29 l/s. The maximum water discharge of 162 m3/h (45 l/s) was at 1m using a speed of 2000 rpm with water to fuel delivery of 119.57m3/L. And the least water discharge of 59.30 m3/h (28 l/s) and water delivery per fuel was 41.0m3/L at 3 m head at 1000 rpm. Therefore, the developed pump operates best at lower head of 1m featuring a 3kW prime mover. The developed pump based on its capacity can be used to irrigate one hectare in one hour at 16.2 mm depth of water using 2000rpm at 1m head and 9.6 mm depth of water using 1000rpm at 3m head at a moisture content of 45% on a sand-loamy soil. Statistical analysis reveals relationships between pump speed, head, fuel consumption, and various performance indicators. The centrifugal pumps were found to produce lower discharge than axial flow pumps at different water heads evaluated. Comparative economic analysis demonstrates the pump's superiority over conventional centrifugal pumps in terms of water-fuel delivery efficiency and operational cost. This study introduced a locally modified axial flow pump as a practical, cost-effective, and efficient solution to irrigation challenges faced by small and medium-scale farmers in Nigeria. This pump has higher capacity delivery, spare parts are readily available at local market, it is appropriate for use where the irrigation head requirements are low and large volumes of water is required to be lifted at low pressure, it is appropriate where water can be lifted from rivers and canals and then directed to farmers' fields for irrigation. It is also applicable in rice farm flooding and flood drainage. This type of pump is good for flood (surface) irrigation system, which include furrow, border, basin irrigation and uncontrolled flooding in loamy and clay soils for rice production and sugarcane productions. The pump's adoption and economic viability positions it as a potential catalyst for increased food production, income, and food security in the country.

Analysis of Factors Causing Difficulties in Use of Rice Land in the Irrigation Area of the Tojo Region and West Tojo

In one of the areas in Tojo Una-Una Regency, the rice fields are irrigated rice fields with a surface irrigation system, where the water source comes from a river which flows into the rice fields. However, in the dry season, the water demand for rice fields in these two regions cannot evenly meet the water needs of rice fields in both regions, thus affecting farmers' production results. The aim of this research is to find out what factors make it difficult for farmers to utilize rice fields in the irrigation areas of the Tojo and West Tojo regions and to find out the strategies used by farmers to overcome difficulties in utilizing rice fields in the irrigation areas of the Tojo and West Tojo regions . Respondents in this study were 281 respondents including rice field farmers in the Tojo region and farmers in the West Tojo region. Data analysis uses Factor Analysis. The magnitude of the influence resulting from all these factors reached 62,445%, while the remaining 37,555% was influenced by other factors whose influence was not significant. The strategies implemented by farmers to overcome difficulties in utilizing rice fields in the irrigation areas of Tojo and West Tojo regions include repairing irrigation networks, building groundwater irrigation pumps, improving the quality of farmers' human resources through regular extension activities, arranging planting pattern schedules, changing systems. distributing water during the dry season, and reactivating the P3A (Water User Farmers Association).

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A PLASTIC BOTTLE-BASED SUBSURFACE IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Several attempts have been made by researchers for an efficient and cost-effective means of applying irrigation water, since traditional Surface irrigation system is becoming unsustainable due to water shortage. Adoption of most of these systems have failed because sophistication in design and complexity in setup. The use of recycled plastic bottles (PB) is another attempt at achieving a less complex system, yet promoting reuse of spent PB. Experimental Plot was set up in Samaru-Zaria, for a Subsurface irrigation system using recycled PB perforated at the base and connected to network of pipes. Evaluation of the system was carried out to determine the orifice size, orifice depth and the type of fertilizer application with the best agronomic yield parameters in RCBD design with sixteen (16) treatments replicated three (3) times. The results show the treatment with 3mm orifice size buried to 10mm depth with inorganic fertilizer performs best. The use of PB is therefore recommended for use in subsurface system to promote low-cost, less complex yet very effective water saving irrigation system.

Water Management Using Internet of Things with Surface and Subsurface Drip Irrigation Systems

Water Management Using Internet of Things with Surface and Subsurface Drip Irrigation Systems

Evaluation of infiltration models in clay loam and laterite soils under field conditions

The purpose of the investigation is to calculate soil infiltration rates with the help of infiltration models. The infiltration model helps to design and evaluate surface irrigation systems. The study calculated constant infiltration for two types of soils (clay loam soil and laterite soil) under field conditions (Unploughed and Ploughed). The double-ring infiltrometer has been implemented to experiment. The value of various constants of the models was calculated using the approach of averages counselled through a graphical technique. Fitting infiltration test data to prominent infiltration models such as Philip’s, Horton's and Kostiakov’s and The Nash- Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) statistics are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the model. The results indicate that Philip's model is the most reliable, with R2, NSE, and RMSE values ranging from 0.9044-0.9677, 0.294-0.957 and 1.2647-5.7129, respectively. Therefore, under identical circumstances and without any kind of infiltration information, the above model can be employed to artificially produce infiltration information.

Assessment of Irrigation Potential in Jewuha Watershed, Middle Awash River Basin, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is endowed with immense water and land resources that could be tapped and used for irrigation development. However, little has been done so far due mainly to lack of comprehensive knowledge on the potential of these resources. This study was, therefore, taken up to assess the irrigation potential in data scarce Jewuha watershed of the Awash River Basin. To achieve the objective of the study, the suitability of the land for both surface and pressurized irrigations was estimated using a parametric evaluation technique combined with the FAO land evaluation framework in the GIS environment with multi-criteria analysis of irrigation suitability factors. The irrigation water demands of major crops adopted in the area were determined using CROPWAT software. The surface water potential at the sub watershed was estimated using a combination of SWAT model and the spatial proximity regionalization technique. The performance of the SWAT model was checked by statistical parameters. The irrigation suitability analysis reveals that 51372ha of the study area are suitable and 16274ha are unsuitable for surface irrigation system. Furthermore, 52768ha of the area are suitable and 15088ha are unsuitable for a sprinkler irrigation system. For drip irrigation, 52751ha are suitable and 14855ha are unsuitable. The calibration and validation of SWAT model showed that the model has performed well to simulate the hydrology of the watershed with a coefficient of determination (R2), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and Percent of bias (PBIAS) of 0.74, 0.73 and 0.80 for calibration and 0.71, 0.70 and 7.90 for validation, respectively. From a combined analysis of the available land and water resources, the gross irrigation potential of the area is estimated to be 12,997ha, of which 3098ha of land is exclusively suitable for surface irrigation and 9,899ha is suitable for pressurized irrigation systems.

Инновационные технологические решения инженерно-биологических сооружений на мелиоративных системах АПК

The purpose of the research is to prepare and recommend the implementation of a number of technical solutions for the construction of bioengineered systems for small irrigation systems of surface irrigation along furrows using new environmental techniques of land reclamation. Hydraulic elements and lands of reclamation systems, which are eroded for a number of reasons, must be reliably protected from erosion. As part of the project “Improving the methods of engineering and reclamation of small water bodies of the agro-industrial complex”, bioengineering systems and technologies for protecting not only the coastal areas of small rivers and ponds, under-river water intakes, but also the canals of small surface irrigation systems along furrows were developed and tested under natural conditions using new environmental protection techniques for land reclamation. Biopositive designs are made of local and environmentally friendly man-made materials. Mixed structures contain: gabion mattresses; geomats; metal gratings; geogrids filled with crushed stone; flexible pipelines and other natural and nature-like components. It is noted that the introduction and use of biopositive structures of the developed structures for supplying water for irrigation in reclamation systems of the foothill zones of the North Caucasus Federal District leads to an increase in the economic effect by approximately 2 times and a reduction in the cost of supplied water by more than 40%.

Nitrous oxide emissions and N-cycling gene abundances in a drip-fertigated (surface versus subsurface) maize crop with different N sources

Surface drip fertigation has demonstrated promising results regarding the mitigation of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The use of subsurface irrigation may offer the possibility of reducing these emissions further due to the modification of the soil moisture profile and N allocation, both of which affect the biochemical processes leading to N2O fluxes. However, the mitigation potential of subsurface irrigation combined with different mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizers (ammonium or nitrate-based, use of nitrification inhibitors) still needs to be evaluated. To respond to this need, a 2-year field experiment was set up in central Spain to test two different drip-fertigation systems (surface and subsurface at 30 cm depth) and four N fertilization treatments (control, calcium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate with or without the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, DMPP) in an irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) crop. Nitrous oxide emissions, mineral N concentrations (ammonium, NH4+, and nitrate, NO3−), and abundance of key N genes involved in nitrification and denitrification processes were measured in two soil layers (0–20 and 20–40 cm). Regardless of the irrigation system, ammonium sulfate gave the highest cumulative N2O losses in both campaigns, while calcium nitrate and the use of DMPP were the most effective strategies to abate N2O fluxes in the first and second years, respectively. Differences between irrigation systems were not statistically significant for cumulative N2O emissions, despite the clear effect on topsoil mineral N (higher NH4+ and NO3− concentrations in surface and subsurface drip, respectively). Nitrous oxide emissions were positively correlated with soil NH4+ concentrations. Gene abundances were not a trustworthy predictor of N2O losses in the 1st year, although a clear inhibitory effect of fertilization on microbial communities (i.e., ammonia oxidizers, nitrite reducers, and N2O reducers) was observed during this campaign. During the second year, nitrifying and denitrifying genes were affected by irrigation (with higher abundances in the 20–40 cm layer in subsurface than in surface drip) and by the addition of DMPP (which had a detrimental effect on gene abundances in both irrigation systems that disappeared after the fertigation period). In conclusion, the use of DMPP or calcium nitrate instead of ammonium sulfate may enhance the chances for an additional mitigation in both surface and subsurface irrigation systems.

Improvement of the estimation of the infiltration function in surface irrigation systems.

Surface irrigation systems are widely used on the North China Plain. The design of surface irrigation systems can be improved by developing simulation models including the advanced trajectory, recession trajectory, and infiltration time. Therefore, the objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to evaluate different models to simulate the advanced and recession trajectories, (2) to propose a new method that reduces the required observation data for estimating the infiltration time, and (3) to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed infiltration function based on the modified infiltration time function. Field experiments were conducted. The results indicated that the power function can represent the advanced and recession trajectories well. A modified function that describes the infiltration time has a high correlation and accuracy with the measured data and can be used to estimate the infiltration time. The proposed infiltration function based on the modified infiltration time function is accurate and can be used to estimate the infiltration function.

Effect of Addition Nitrogen Fertilizer at Different Irrigation Levels on Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity by Using Two System of Irrigation

A field study was conducted in the province of Wasit - Kut, in a semi-arid region with a clay loam texture, for the purpose of studying the effect of adding nitrogen fertilizer, which included the level of 300 kg H-1 (N1) and 150 kg H-1 (N2) and the comparison treatment without adding fertilizer (N0) and using two levels of irrigation, which included EP (P1) 75%, EP (P2) 100% under drip irrigation (DI) and surface irrigation (SI) systems on saturated Hydraulic conductivity (Ks). The results showed that the addition of nitrogen fertilizer N1 had a significant effect by increasing the nitrogen availability using (DI), as the N1 gave the highest value of conductivity and a significant difference from the rest of the treatments, by increase 154.3% While the increase were 103.7% and 56.79% for the treatment N2 and N0, respectively. The results indicated that there were significant differences due to the effect of different irrigation levels on the Ks values, as P1 treatment gave the highest Ks value of 2.21 m day-1 compared with P2 treatment, which amounted to 1.94 m day-1, With the presence of significant differences for the two irrigation systems on the Ks values, as the values increased compared with the values before planting, with an increase of 129.6% and 38.27% for the (DI) and (SI) system. The study also showed that there were significant differences for the effect of the interaction between nitrogen fertilizer treatments and the irrigation levels, as well as the presence of significant differences for the effect of the interaction between the nitrogen fertilizer treatments and the irrigation system used on the Ks values.

Irrigation management by a private irrigation operator (PIO) under a fixed‐term management contract: An alternative approach to managing irrigation in Nepal

AbstractMost of the agency‐built surface irrigation systems in Nepal the operation and maintenance (O&M) of which are being managed by irrigation agencies jointly with farmers are not performing satisfactorily. The unreliable delivery of irrigation services to farmers is one of the reasons for this. Thus, the most important challenge in the past and in the present is how to enhance the delivery of irrigation services to farmers.If one examines the private sector management of other public enterprises, they are efficiently delivering services to their clients. Considering this aspect, the government of Nepal recognized that irrigation systems or parts of them may also be managed through private irrigation operators (PIOs) under a fixed‐term management contract to enhance their service delivery.This paper analyses the O&M of jointly managed irrigation systems (JMISs) and suggests that a lack of capacity, accountability and incentive mechanisms on the part of irrigation agencies are the principal causes pertaining to the deficient delivery of irrigation services in them. It further suggests that introducing PIOs in managing the operation and maintenance of part of the JMISs can address these causes. The paper argues that the said PIO approach is viable from financial, technical and managerial perspectives.

Yield and Water Productivity of Wheat under Drip-Tape and Surface Irrigation System in East of Isfahan

Yield and Water Productivity of Wheat under Drip-Tape and Surface Irrigation System in East of Isfahan

Developing a simple method for estimating soil infiltration in furrow and border irrigation using advance, recession and runoff data

AbstractEstimating soil infiltration is important in designing and managing surface irrigation systems. To date, various methods have been proposed to estimate infiltration coefficients. In this research, a simple method for estimating the coefficients of the Kostiakov–Lewis infiltration equation in surface irrigation is presented. Then, the performance of this method is compared with other similar methods, including the Elliott–Walker two‐point, IPARM and Merriam–Keller methods, using eight furrow irrigation datasets and six border irrigation datasets. The proposed method calculates the coefficients of the infiltration equation through the comparison between the measured and calculated infiltrated water amount by an optimization method, the normal decreasing gradient algorithm, using advance and recession data. The mean relative errors in estimating the infiltrated water volume were 13.63, 3.92, 0.005 and 0.00 for the two‐point, IPARM, Merriam–Keller and proposed methods for border irrigation, respectively. Similarly, the respective mean relative error values were 14.35, 6.31, 1.90 and 0.00 for furrow irrigation. In addition, to ensure the optimality of the obtained coefficients, response surfaces were drawn. The coefficients obtained from the proposed method are located in the minimum place of the response surface, while no similar behaviour was observed in the other methods. These results prove the effectiveness of the proposed method in addition to its simplicity.

Hydraulic modelling of irrigation canals for improved flow conditions in surface irrigation systems

ABSTRACT Surface irrigation is a widely utilized method for agricultural irrigation, but it often suffers from low conveyance efficiency. Improving flow conditions in surface irrigation systems is crucial for enhancing water distribution and optimizing crop production. This study presents a comprehensive hydraulic modelling approach aimed at improving flow conditions in irrigation canals. The analysis focuses on the Doho Rice Irrigation Scheme in Uganda and utilizes the HEC-RAS hydraulic model. Different canal conditions, including desilting and vegetation clearing, concrete lining, plastic lining, and brick lining, are evaluated for their impact on flow dynamics. The findings reveal that all four canal conditions lead to significant improvements in flow conditions compared to the current state of the canal. Plastic lining emerges as the most effective solution, resulting in a remarkable 48 % improvement in flow conditions. Concrete lining follows closely with a 37 % improvement, while brick lining shows a 39 % enhancement. Desilting and vegetation clearing contribute to a 20 % improvement in flow conditions. These results underscore the potential of hydraulic modelling in guiding the design and management of irrigation canals to ensure sustainable water use practices.

Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Drip Irrigation of Pepper

Drip irrigation is gaining importance in mitigating the consequences of water scarcity even in regions with abundant rainfall. The transition from surface to subsurface drip irrigation is accompanied by numerous problems. To overcome these issues, shallow subsurface drip irrigation can be potentially used as an effective drought control tool that brings additional benefits compared to conventional surface drip irrigation techniques. This research investigated the effects of different calculations of daily crop water requirements, reference evapotranspiration (ETo), and pan evaporation (Eo) on the yield and water use efficiency of pepper irrigated with a surface and shallow subsurface drip irrigation system. The experiment was conducted in field conditions in the Vojvodina region, the northern part of Serbia. The irrigation scheduling was based on the water balance approach. The calculated evapotranspiration rate was about 400 mm for the pepper growing period, regardless of the calculation method. The highest yield of pepper and evapotranspiration water use efficiency was obtained on the Eo variant with surface drip irrigation. However, irrigation water use efficiency showed no statistical significance concerning the calculation of evapotranspiration and irrigation type. The results indicated that both calculation methods and irrigation types can be used in pepper production, but priority should be given to pan-evaporation-based calculation.