OPTIMIZATION OF IRRIGATION FOR EFFICIENT WATER USE IN SURFACE IRRIGATED SOILS

Abstract

The study was carried to simulate and optimize the furrow irrigation by using SIRMOD model for two different farm fields, one from Queensland, Australia and other Latif Farm from Tandojam, Pakistan. In this connection, the observed data for the advance times at different points along the furrow lengths for both fields has been collected. The advance trajectories were simulated using INFILT-V model, which are matching favourably with the measured curves and establish that the advance trajectories are passing through the advance point selected for the infiltration. Their parameters were assessed and thereby cumulative infiltration was estimated using the INFILT-V model. The SIRMOD model was used to evaluate the performance of furrow irrigation for all selected fields using five different irrigation strategies. Irrigation application efficiencies under usual farm management for fields P and Q are obtained as 43.2% and 39% respectively. The simple optimization control strategy is feasible. From the computed irrigation efficiencies, it was found that this control optimised system may be used to make noteworthy improvements in irrigation performance over the actual farm management. Total volume of water used under ordinary farm management was 1595 m 3 , however, under the optimized system it was computed using SIRMOD model is 963m3 , which shows a saving of about 40% that can be utilized for other crops. Hence, it is suggested that this study can be widely utilized for different soil types and more benefits may be achieved from in the field of irrigation.