Technological and agronomic assessment of a Variable Rate Irrigation system integrated with soil sensor technologies

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 564-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Martello ◽  
A. Berti ◽  
G. Lusiani ◽  
A. Lorigiola ◽  
F. Morari
Keyword(s):  
Irrigation System ◽  
Irrigation Performance ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Management Zones ◽  
Soil Moisture Sensors ◽  
First Results ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Noticeable Reduction ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

The main goal of this study was assessing the technological and agronomic performances of a centre pivot Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) system. The study was conducted in 2015 on a 16-ha field cultivated with maize. Irrigation was scheduled in three Management Zones according to data provided by a real-time monitoring system based on an array of soil moisture sensors. First results demonstrated the potential benefits of the VRI system on irrigation performance however a multiyear comparison is requested for evaluating the response to climate variability. VRI resulted in yields comparable to the business-as-usual regime but through a noticeable reduction in irrigation volumes.

Assessment of Field Spatial and Temporal Variabilities to Delineate Site-Specific Management Zones for Variable-Rate Irrigation

2017 ◽  
Vol 143 (9) ◽  
pp. 04017037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aghil Yari ◽  
Chandra A. Madramootoo ◽  
Shelley A. Woods ◽  
Viacheslav I. Adamchuk ◽  
Hsin-Hui Huang
Keyword(s):  
Variable Rate ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Management Zones ◽  
Specific Management ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

Crop Yield and Water Productivity Responses in Management Zones for Variable-Rate Irrigation Based on Available Soil Water Holding Capacity

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 1659-1667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weixia Zhao ◽  
Jiusheng Li ◽  
Rumiao Yang ◽  
Yanfeng Li
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Crop Growth ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Summer Maize ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Management Zones ◽  
Water Holding ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

Abstract. Effective management of variable-rate irrigation (VRI) is a critical factor for maximizing the benefit of a VRI system. In this study, the influences of soil properties on winter wheat and summer maize were studied to verify whether differences in soil available water holding capacity (AWC) had an influence on crop growth parameters, yield, and water productivity (WP). A center-pivot VRI system was employed to deliver irrigation water across the field in an alluvial flood plain in China, and AWC was used to delineate VRI management zones. Three management zones with substantial differences in AWC were created, with AWC varying from 152 to 161 mm, from 161 to 171 mm, and from 171 to 185 mm for zones 1, 2, and 3, respectively. All zones were managed using the same allowed depletion. In the two-year study, the seasonal irrigation amount was basically equivalent among management zones for both winter wheat and summer maize. Differences in crop growth parameters were detected in plant height and leaf area index for winter wheat. The maximum plant height and leaf area index observed in zone 2 were 5 cm and 2.1 greater, respectively, than in the other zones. For both winter wheat and summer maize, the highest yield and WP were observed in zone 2, except for summer maize WP in the 2014 season. Compared with the average value for this field, the yields in zone 2 were 27% and 23% greater for winter wheat and 4% and 11% greater for summer maize in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, respectively. We demonstrate that AWC is an effective parameter for zone identification in VRI management, and differences in AWC and the layered-textural soils in a field may influence the crop growth parameters, yield, and WP of winter wheat and summer maize. Keywords: Center-pivot irrigation, Critical soil moisture deficit, Management zone, Summer maize, Variable-rate irrigation, Winter wheat.

scholarly journals Potential Water Conservation Using Site-Specific Variable Rate Irrigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 881-888
Author(s):  
Kenneth C Stone ◽  
Philip J Bauer ◽  
Gilbert C Sigua
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Water Usage ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Management Zones ◽  
Water Holding ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

Abstract. Site-specific variable-rate irrigation (VRI) systems can be used to spatially manage irrigation within sub-field-sized zones and optimize spatial water use efficiency. The goal of the research is to provide farmers and consultants a tool to evaluate the potential benefits of implementing VRI. The specific objective of this research is to evaluate the potential water savings using VRI management compared with uniform irrigation management to maintain soil water holding capacity above 50% depletion using two irrigation scenarios: 1) a standard 12.5 mm irrigation per application; and 2) an application to refill the soil profile to field capacity. A 21-year simulation study was carried out on a selected field with varying degrees of soil and topographic variability. The simulated field had 12 soil mapping units with water holding capacities in the top 0.30-m ranging from 42 to 70 mm. The 21-year simulation covering all weather conditions for each soil produced only two significantly different irrigation management zones for scenario 1, and for scenario 2 only one management zone. However, when the 21-year period was divided into periods with different ratios of rainfall to reference evapotranspiration, the simulations identified 1 to 5 management zones with significantly different irrigation requirements. These results indicate that variable rate irrigation system design and management should not be solely based on long term average weather conditions. Years with differing weather conditions should be used for potentially identifying management zones for VRI systems. Irrigation application depths between management zones ranged from 17 to 38 mm. However, when the actual soil areas of the study field were utilized to calculate the total volume of irrigation water applied, it resulted in an increase in water usage in the 2 and 4 management zones ranging from -1.2% to 5.8%. Water usage with VRI over uniform irrigation was greater by -1.6% to 6.8% in the 12.5 mm irrigations and by -1.2% to 2.2% for the field capacity irrigations Keywords: Management zones, Precision farming, Variable-rate irrigation, Water conservation.

Performance Evaluation of a Center Pivot Variable Rate Irrigation System

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arndt Gossel ◽  
Allen L Thompson ◽  
Kenneth A Sudduth ◽  
Joseph C Henggeler
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Center Pivot ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

scholarly journals Mapping Management Zones Based on Soil Apparent Electrical Conductivity and Remote Sensing for Implementation of Variable Rate Irrigation—Case Study of Corn under a Center Pivot

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3427
Author(s):  
João Serrano ◽  
Shakib Shahidian ◽  
José Marques da Silva ◽  
Luís Paixão ◽  
Francisco Moral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Travel Speed ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Management Zones ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

Climate change, especially the trend towards global warming, will significantly affect the global hydrological cycle, leading to a general reduction of the water available for agriculture. In this scenario, it is essential that research should focus on the development of ‘water saving’ techniques and technologies. This work summarizes the methodology followed in a project for large scale implementation of variable rate irrigation (VRI) systems using center pivots in corn crop. This is based on technologies for monitoring (i) soil electrical conductivity (ECa) and altimetry, (ii) soil moisture content, (iii) vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) obtained from satellite images, and automatic pivot travel speed control technologies. ECa maps were the basis for the definition of first homogeneous management zones (HMZ) in an experimental corn field of 28 ha. NDVI time-series were used to establish the subsequent HMZ and the respective dynamic prescription irrigation maps. The main result of this study was the reduction of spatial yield variability with the VRI management in 2017 compared to the conventional irrigation management. This study demonstrates how a relatively simple approach could be designed and implemented on a large scale, which represents an important and sustainable contribution to the resolution of practical farmer issues.

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