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Modelling and Management of Irrigation System

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Agriculture and Aquaculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 48336

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Juan Antonio Rodríguez Díaz

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Guest Editor

Department of Agronomy, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: hydraulics; irrigation engineering; agricultural water management; water–energy nexus
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Rafael González Perea

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Guest Editor

Department of Agronomy, University of Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: irrigation engineering; agricultural water management; big data; artificial intelligence
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Prof. Dr. Miguel A. Moreno

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Guest Editor

Vegetal Production and Agrarian Technology, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
Interests: irrigation engineering; energy efficiency; agricultural water management; high-resolution remote sensing
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Irrigated agriculture will face important challenges in the coming decades, and must feed, in a climate change context, a growing population with less soil and water resources. The evolution of irrigation systems to pressurized ones, makes energy another key resource for the irrigation sector, which represents a growing percentage of the total water costs and increases the carbon footprint of irrigation activities.

In this situation, irrigation is becoming an activity of precision, in which the modeling techniques, both at the water distribution network and the plot scale, as well as other aspects related to new management strategies, such as big data techniques, sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and new technologies in general, are becoming more relevant every day. A better control of the irrigation process, as well as a better management of pressurized irrigation networks, are essential to convert irrigation to a precision activity, where the efficiency of the use of the involved resources is maximized. These facts highlight the need to improve efficiency in the water–energy nexus, essential for economic, social and environmental development of the sector.

This Special Issue aims to provide a space for discussion, where researchers are invited to submit their novel approaches in modelling and management techniques for irrigation systems.

Prof. Dr. Juan Antonio Rodríguez Díaz
Dr. Rafael González Perea
Prof. Dr. Miguel Ángel Moreno Hidalgo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

hydraulics
irrigation engineering
agricultural water management
water-energy nexus
modelling
big data
sensors

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 204 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Modelling and Management of Irrigation System

by Juan Antonio Rodríguez Díaz, Rafael González Perea and Miguel Ángel Moreno

Water 2020, 12(3), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12030697 - 4 Mar 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4510

Abstract

Nowadays, irrigation is becoming an activity of precision, whereby it is necessary to combine information collected from various sources to manage resources in an optimal way. New management strategies, such as big data techniques, sensors, artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and new technologies in general, are becoming more relevant every day. Related to this, modeling techniques, both at the water distribution network and at farm level, will be essential to gather information from various sources and offer useful recommendations for decision-making processes. In this Special Issue, ten high-quality papers were selected that cover a wide range of issues that are relevant to the different aspects related to irrigation management: water source and distribution network, plot irrigation systems and crop water management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

17 pages, 2426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

REUTIVAR: Model for Precision Fertigation Scheduling for Olive Orchards Using Reclaimed Water

by Carmen Alcaide Zaragoza, Irene Fernández García, Rafael González Perea, Emilio Camacho Poyato and Juan Antonio Rodríguez Díaz

Water 2019, 11(12), 2632; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11122632 - 13 Dec 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3580

Abstract

Olive orchard is the most representative and iconic crop in Andalusia (Southern Spain). It is also considered one of the major economic activities of this region. However, due to its extensive growing area, olive orchard is also the most water-demanding crop in the Guadalquivir River Basin. In addition, its fertilization is commonly imprecise, which causes over-fertilization, especially nitrogen. This leads to pollution problems in both soil and water, threating the environment and the system sustainability. This concern is further exacerbated by the use of reclaimed water to irrigate since water is already a nutrient carrier. In this work, a model which determines the real-time irrigation and fertilization scheduling for olive orchard, applying treated wastewater, has been developed. The precision fertigation model considers weather information, both historical and forecast data, soil characteristics, hydraulic characteristics of the system, water allocation, tree nutrient status, and irrigation water quality. As a result, daily information about irrigation time and fertilizer quantity, considering the most susceptible crop stage, is provided. The proposed model showed that by using treated wastewater, additional fertilization was not required, leading to significant environmental benefits but also benefits in the total farm financial costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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19 pages, 1943 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Feasibility of the Use of Variable Speed Drives in Center Pivot Systems Installed in Plots with Variable Topography

by Victor Buono da Silva Baptista, Juan Ignacio Córcoles, Alberto Colombo and Miguel Ángel Moreno

Water 2019, 11(10), 2192; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11102192 - 21 Oct 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4044

Abstract

Pumping systems are the largest energy consumers in center pivot irrigation systems. One action to reduce energy consumption is to adjust the pumping pressure to that which is strictly needed by using variable speed drives (VSDs). The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of including VSDs in pumping systems that feed center pivot systems operating in an area with variable topography. The VSPM (Variable Speed Pivot Model) was developed to perform hydraulic and energy analyses of center pivot systems using the EPANET hydraulics engine. This tool is able to determine the elevation of each tower for each position of the center pivot using any type of digital elevation model. It is also capable of simulating, in an accurate manner, the performance of the center pivot controlled with a VSD. The tool was applied to a real case study, located in Albacete, Spain. The results show a reduction in energy consumption of 12.2%, with specific energy consumptions of 0.214 and 0.244 kWh m⁻³ of distributed water obtained for the variable speed and fixed speed of the pumping station, respectively. The results also show that for an irrigation season, to meet the water requirements of the maize crop in the region of the study (627 mm), an average annual savings of 14,107.35 kWh was obtained, which resulted in an economic savings of 2821.47€. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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15 pages, 3553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Sugar Beet Responses to Irrigation with AquaCrop for Optimizing Water Allocation

by Margarita Garcia-Vila, Rodrigo Morillo-Velarde and Elias Fereres

Water 2019, 11(9), 1918; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11091918 - 14 Sep 2019

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4571

Abstract

Process-based crop models such as AquaCrop are useful for a variety of applications but must be accurately calibrated and validated. Sugar beet is an important crop that is grown in regions under water scarcity. The discrepancies and uncertainty in past published calibrations, together with important modifications in the program, deemed it necessary to conduct a study aimed at the calibration of AquaCrop (version 6.1) using the results of a single deficit irrigation experiment. The model was validated with additional data from eight farms differing in location, years, varieties, sowing dates, and irrigation. The overall performance of AquaCrop for simulating canopy cover, biomass, and final yield was accurate (RMSE = 11.39%, 2.10 t ha⁻¹, and 0.85 t ha⁻¹, respectively). Once the model was properly calibrated and validated, a scenario analysis was carried out to assess the crop response in terms of yield and water productivity to different irrigation water allocations in the two main production areas of sugar beet in Spain (spring and autumn sowing). The results highlighted the potential of the model by showing the important impact of irrigation water allocation and sowing time on sugar beet production and its irrigation water productivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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20 pages, 5754 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization and Simulation of a Low-Pressure Rotator Spray Plate Sprinkler Used in Center Pivot Irrigation Systems

by Cruz Octavio Robles Rovelo, Nery Zapata Ruiz, Javier Burguete Tolosa, Jesús Ramiro Félix Félix and Borja Latorre

Water 2019, 11(8), 1684; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11081684 - 14 Aug 2019

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4066

Abstract

Spray sprinklers enable to operate at low pressures (<103 kPa) in self-propelled irrigation machines. A number of experiments were performed to characterize the water distribution pattern of an isolated rotator spray plate sprinkler operating at very low pressure under different experimental conditions. The experiments were performed under two pressures (69 kPa and 103 kPa) and in calm and windy conditions. The energy losses due to the impact of the out-going jet with the sprinkler plate were measured using an optical technique. The adequacy to reproduce the measured water distribution pattern under calm conditions of two drop size distribution models was evaluated. A ballistic model was used to simulate the water distribution pattern under wind conditions evaluating three different drag models: (1) considering solid spherical drops; (2) a conventional model based on wind velocity and direction distortion pattern, and (3) a new drag coefficient model independent of wind speed. The energy losses measured with the optical method range from 20% to 60% from higher to lower nozzle sizes, respectively, for both evaluated working pressures analyzing over 16,500 droplets. For the drop size distribution selected, Weibull accurately reproduced the water application with a maximum root mean square error (RMSE) of 19%. Up to 28% of the RMSE could be decreased using the wind-independent drag coefficient model with respect to the conventional model; the difference with respect to the spherical model was 4%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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16 pages, 2104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Dual Crop Coefficient Approach in Estimating Evapotranspiration of Drip-Irrigated Summer Maize in Xinjiang, China

by Fengxiu Li and Yingjie Ma

Water 2019, 11(5), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11051053 - 21 May 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3569

Abstract

A dual crop coefficient approach was validated experimentally to estimate evapotranspiration of drip-irrigated summer maize with partial mulch and no mulch in an arid region in Aksu, Xinjiang, China, during 2016–2017. In this study, five treatments were established based on fixed or variable irrigation cycles. Summer maize transpiration and evapotranspiration were estimated by the dual crop coefficient approach. Evapotranspiration was validated, and a positive regression with those values was obtained using the water balance method, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 10 mm. The estimated transpiration also had a positive regression with measurements obtained by the stable carbon isotope technique, with a RMSE of 20 mm. By analyzing the RMSE, regression coefficients, and concordance index, we suggest that the dual crop coefficient approach is an effective method to estimate and partition evapotranspiration. Across the entire growing season for partially mulched summer maize, the estimated crop transpiration accounted for 78.7% and 76% of the total evapotranspiration in 2016 and 2017, respectively. For non-mulched summer maize, the estimated crop transpiration accounted for 64.9% of the total evapotranspiration over the entire growing season, which implied that the soil evaporation was about 12% higher than that of the partially mulched treatments. Water consumption with partial mulching was reduced by about 10%, compared with non-mulching, which indicated that mulching improved the use of water during irrigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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19 pages, 8586 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decision Support System Tool to Reduce the Energy Consumption of Water Abstraction from Aquifers for Irrigation

by Juan Ignacio Córcoles, Rafael Gonzalez Perea, Argenis Izquiel and Miguel Ángel Moreno

Water 2019, 11(2), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11020323 - 14 Feb 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4050

Abstract

In pressurized irrigation networks that use underground water resources, submersible pumps are one of the highest energy consumers. The objective of this paper was to develop a decision support system, implemented in MATLAB®, to reduce the energy consumption of the water abstraction process, from an aquifer to a reservoir in existing wells, by installing a frequency speed drive. An economic module with the aim to assess the economic profitability of the investment cost of the variable speed drive was also developed. This tool was used in three wells that were located in the Eastern Mancha Aquifer. Several scenarios and irrigation seasons were analyzed while considering the interannual and annual variation in ground water depth. In the three analyzed irrigation societies (named A, B, and C), energy savings were achieved using a variable speed frequency when compared with fixed speed. Considering the analyzed cases, when the dynamic water table level is higher, energy savings ranged from 4.4% and 24.4%, using a variable speed ratio of 0.9 and 0.82. The energy savings based on the variable speed frequency increased when the dynamic water table level was lower, with the average energy savings close to 23%, 22% and 6.8% for irrigation societies A, B, and C, respectively. The results also show that the investment costs of the variable speed drive in two of the three irrigation societies studied were highly profitable, with a payback that ranged from 4.5 to 10 years. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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20 pages, 3543 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pump-as-Turbine Selection Methodology for Energy Recovery in Irrigation Networks: Minimising the Payback Period

by Miguel Crespo Chacón, Juan Antonio Rodríguez Díaz, Jorge García Morillo and Aonghus McNabola

Water 2019, 11(1), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11010149 - 16 Jan 2019

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5938

Abstract

In pressurized irrigation networks, energy reaches around 40% of the total water costs. Pump-as-Turbines (PATs) are a cost-effective technology for energy recovery, although they can present low efficiencies when operating outside of the best efficiency point (BEP). Flow fluctuations are very important in on-demand irrigation networks. This makes flow prediction and the selection of the optimal PAT more complex. In this research, an advanced statistical methodology was developed, which predicts the monthly flow fluctuations and the duration of each flow value. This was used to estimate the monthly time for which a PAT would work under BEP conditions and the time for which it would work with lower efficiencies. In addition, the optimal PAT power for each Excess Pressure Point (EPP) studied was determined following the strategy of minimising the PAT investment payback period (PP). The methodology was tested in Sector VII of the right bank of the Bembézar River (BMD), in Southern Spain. Five potential sites for PAT installation were found. The results showed a potential energy recovery of 93.9 MWh and an annual energy index per irrigated surface area of 0.10 MWh year⁻¹ ha⁻¹. Renewable energy will become increasingly important in the agriculture sector, to reduce both water costs and the contribution to climate change. PATs represent an attractive technology that can help achieve such goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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22 pages, 3007 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Irrigation Management Based on Reservoir Operation with an Improved Weed Algorithm

by Mohammad Ehteram, Vijay P. Singh, Hojat Karami, Khosrow Hosseini, Mojgan Dianatikhah, Md. Shabbir Hossain, Chow Ming Fai and Ahmed El-Shafie

Water 2018, 10(9), 1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10091267 - 17 Sep 2018

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4255

Abstract

Water scarcity is a serious problem throughout the world. One critical part of this problem is supplying sufficient water to meet irrigation demands for agricultural production. The present study introduced an improved weed algorithm for reservoir operation with the aim of decreasing irrigation deficits. The Aswan High Dam, one of the most important dams in Egypt, was selected for this study to supply irrigation demands. The improved weed algorithm (IWA) had developed local search ability so that the exploration ability for the IWA increased and it could escape from local optima. Three inflows (low, medium and high) to the reservoir were considered for the downstream demands. For example, the average solution for the IWA at high inflow was 0.985 while it was 1.037, 1.040, 1.115 and 1.121 for the weed algorithm (WA), bat algorithm (BA), improved particle swarm optimization algorithm (IPSOA) and genetic algorithm (GA). This meant that the IWA decreased the objective function for high inflow by 5.01%, 5.20%, 11.65% and 12% compared to the WA, BA, IPSOA and GA, respectively. The computational time for the IWA at high inflow was 22 s, which was 12%, 18%, 24% and 29% lower than the WA, BA, IPSOA and GA, respectively. Results indicated that the IWA could meet the demands at all three inflows. The reliability index for the IWA for the three inflows was greater than the WA, BA, IPSOA and GA, meaning that the released water based on IWA could well supply the downstream demands. Thus, the improved weed algorithm is suggested for solving complex problems in water resources management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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10 pages, 1448 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantification of Daily Water Requirements of Container-Grown Calathea and Stromanthe Produced in a Shaded Greenhouse

by Richard C. Beeson, Jr. and Jianjun Chen

Water 2018, 10(9), 1194; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10091194 - 5 Sep 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3576

Abstract

Irrigating plants based on their water requirements enhances water use efficiency and conservation; however, current irrigation practices for container-grown greenhouse plants largely relies on growers’ experiences, resulting in leaching and/or runoff of a large amount of water. To address water requirements of greenhouse-grown plants, this study adapted a canopy closure model and investigated actual evapotranspiration (ET_A) of Calathea G. Mey. ‘Silhouette’ and Stromanthe sanguinea Sond. from transplanting to marketable sizes in a shaded greenhouse. The daily ET_A per Calathea plant ranged from 3.55 mL to 59.39 mL with a mean cumulative ET_A of 4.84 L during a 224 day growth period. The daily ET_A of S. sanguinea varied from 7.87 mL to 97.27 mL per plant with a mean cumulative ET_A of 6.81 L over a 231 day production period. The best fit models for predicting daily ET_A of Calathea and Stromanthe were developed, which had correlation coefficients (r²) of 0.82 and 0.73, respectively. The success in modelling ET_A of the two species suggested that the canopy closure model was suitable for quantifying water use of container-grown greenhouse plants. Applying the research-based ET_A information in production could reduce water use and improve irrigation efficiency during Calathea and Stromanthe production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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27 pages, 9249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multi-disciplinary Modelling Approach for Discharge Reconstruction in Irrigation Canals: The Canale Emiliano Romagnolo (Northern Italy) Case Study

by Marta Luppi, Pierre-Olivier Malaterre, Adriano Battilani, Vittorio Di Federico and Attilio Toscano

Water 2018, 10(8), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10081017 - 31 Jul 2018

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3957

Abstract

Agriculture is the biggest consumer of water in the world, and therefore, in order to mitigate the effects of climate change, and consequently water scarcity, it is important to reduce irrigation water losses and to improve the poor collection of hydraulic status data. Therefore, efficiency has to be increased, and the regulation and control flow should be implemented. Hydraulic modelling represents a strategic tool for the reconstruction of the missing hydraulic data. This paper proposes a methodology for the unmeasured offtake and flowing discharge estimation along the open-canal Canale Emiliano Romagnolo (CER), which is one of the major irrigation infrastructures in Northern Italy. The “multi-disciplinary approach” that was adopted refers to agronomic and hydraulic aspects. The tools that were used are the IRRINET management Decisional Support System (DSS) and the SIC² (Simulation and Integration of Control for Canals) hydraulic software. Firstly, the methodology was developed and tested on a Pilot Segment (PS), characterized by a simple geometry and a quite significant historical hydraulic data availability. Then, it was applied on an Extended Segment (ES) of a more complex geometry and hydraulic functioning. Moreover, the available hydraulic data are scarce. The combination of these aspects represents a crucial issue in the irrigation networks in general. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling and Management of Irrigation System)

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