Microirrigation for Crop Production

Design, Operation, and Management

2nd Edition - November 21, 2023
Editors: James E. Ayars, Daniele Zaccaria, Khaled M. Bali
Language: English
Hardback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 9 7 1 9 - 5
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 9 7 2 0 - 1

Microirrigation for Crop Production: Design, Operation, and Management, Second Edition is the latest release in this go-to foundational resource for the basics of engine… Read more

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Microirrigation for Crop Production: Design, Operation, and Management, Second Edition is the latest release in this go-to foundational resource for the basics of engineering and the science of the design and operation of micoirrigation systems. This new edition includes novel methods for measurement and estimation of evapotranspiration, resource-efficient microirrigation design and operation, advanced irrigation scheduling methods and tools, novel methods and technology of microirrigation automation, monitoring and control, updates in crop salinity tolerance and leaching practices, variable rate irrigation, updates on the use of biological effluents and chemicals and pesticides to include safety and regulatory concerns.The revised book will provide an understanding on the basic science needed to comprehend systems design, operation, management, maintenance, monitoring and performance evaluation.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Contributors
About the editors
Preface
Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1. History and current status
1.2. General principles
1.3. System components
1.4. System types
1.5. Summary
Chapter 2. Soil water concepts
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Soil water representation
2.3. Soil-water movement
2.4. Modeling water regimes for micro-irrigation design and management
Chapter 3. Irrigation scheduling
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Irrigation scheduling factors
3.3. Irrigation scheduling methods
3.4. Scheduling with forecast ETo and the single-Kc method examples
3.5. Irrigation water quality: Its interaction with irrigation scheduling
3.6. Development of plant-based irrigation scheduling methods
3.7. On-farm experiences with plant-based irrigation scheduling
Chapter 4. Salinity management
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Quantifying salinity and sodicity
4.3. Crop tolerance
4.4. Leaching
4.5. Influences of irrigation system and water source on soil salinity
4.6. Salinity management practices
4.7. Summary and conclusions
Chapter 5. Economics of microirrigation systems
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Benefits of microirrigation systems
5.3. Microirrigation systems
5.4. Growers-level benefits
5.5. Drip cost based on crop type
5.6. Papaya drip cost
5.7. Almond orchard under subsurface drip irrigation in Southeastern Spain
5.8. Cotton under drip irrigation in Northwestern China
5.9. Tobacco seedling production under the microsprinkler system in Andhra Pradesh, India
5.10. Factors influencing the overall cost
5.11. Examples from California and other states
5.12. Cost comparison between traditional (sprinkler, flood) and microirrigation systems
5.13. Saving in water application
5.14. Freeze and frost protection
5.15. Fertigation
5.16. Application of chemicals
5.17. Use of treated wastewater in microirrigation systems
5.18. Increase in cropped acreage
5.19. National-level benefits
5.20. Peak production potential
5.21. Decrease in fallow land
5.22. Environmental effects
5.23. Environmental/ecological benefits
5.24. Observations in adopting microirrigation systems
5.25. Future adaptations and policy implications
5.26. Conclusions
Chapter 6. General system design principles
6.1. Overview of the design process
6.2. Water sources
6.3. System hydraulics
6.4. Filtration
6.5. Summary
List of terms and symbols
Chapter 7. Surface drip irrigation
7.1. Introduction
7.2. Surface drip irrigation of permanent crops
7.3. Surface drip irrigation for row crops
List of terms and symbols
Chapter 8. Subsurface drip irrigation
8.1. Application and general suitability
8.2. Design considerations for SDI
8.3. Operation and maintenance of SDI
8.4. Crop response and management under SDI
8.5. Summary
Chapter 9. Bubbler irrigation
9.1. Application and general suitability
9.2. System design and application
9.3. Sample design—low head bubbler system
9.4. Management, evaluation, and maintenance
List of terms and symbols
Chapter 10. Microsprinkler irrigation
10.1. Application and suitability of microsprinklers
10.2. Materials and components
10.3. Lateral and manifold design
10.4. Unique management considerations
10.5. Evaluation of microsprinkler systems
List of terms and symbols
Chapter 11. Automation
11.1. Introduction
11.2. What is automation?
11.3. Control theory
11.4. Safety, regulatory, and energy management considerations
11.5. Farm impact
11.6. Irrigation planning
11.7. Automatic control systems
11.8. Irrigation design considerations
11.9. Automation components
11.10. Success story
11.11. Conclusions
11.12. Disclaimer
Appendix
Sensors and sensor types
Advantages
Drawbacks
Sample voltage sensors
Advantages
Drawbacks
Sample current sensors
Chapter 12. Application of chemical materials
12.1. Introduction
12.2. Chemical injection systems
12.3. Agrochemicals
12.4. Chemicals and calculation of injection rates
Chapter 13. Application of biological effluent
13.1. Introduction
13.2. Characteristics of biological effluents
13.3. Biological effluent constituent behavior in soils
13.4. Health considerations
13.5. Site considerations
13.6. Design and management considerations
Chapter 14. Field performance and evaluation
14.1. Introduction
14.2. Characterizing uniformity of applied water
14.3. Effect of distribution of applied water on production and economic return
14.4. Field evaluation and adjustment
14.5. Consideration of energy costs
14.6. Considerations due to the flow of water in the soil
14.7. Supplementary material
List of terms and symbols
Chapter 15. Maintenance
15.1. Emitter operation
15.2. Maintenance operation
15.3. Guidelines and practices
Index

James E. Ayars

Dr Ayars is a retired Research Agricultural Engineer with the USDA-ARS, an irrigation/drainage engineer responsible for developing research on the integrated management of irrigation and drainage systems in arid and semi-arid areas. Honored by the California Chapter of the American Society of Agronomy, he also received multiple awards including long-term membership in Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta and Alpha Epsilon Honor Societies in Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering. He was awarded the Sir Frederick McMaster’s Fellowship by CSIRO in Australia, received the USCID Merriam Award for Improved Irrigation and the Royce J. Tipton Award from the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers for his work. In his 40 year career, he served the research community and agricultural industry in a wide range of offices and committee assignments including extensive experience working on a United Nations Development Project in Uzbekistan to improve irrigation and drainage water management.

Affiliations and expertise

retired Research Agricultural Engineer with the USDA-ARS

Daniele Zaccaria

Dr. Daniele Zaccaria worked for the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) actively involved in research, extension education, capacity building and technical development projects in several Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern, North-African and central Asian countries, with focus on design and performance assessment of irrigation delivery networks and on-farm irrigation systems, modernization of irrigation infrastructures, water resources planning, and training for capacity building in the agricultural water management sector. He also worked as a professional designer of micro-irrigation systems for horticultural crops and has reviewed a large number of irrigation projects in southern Mediterranean countries. His expertise and current work at UC Davis focus on research, technical development, and extension education on agricultural water management and irrigation under limited water supplies,design, performance analysis, and modernization of irrigation systems, across on-farm, district and scheme scales, and on developing viable agricultural water management solutions to improve resource-efficiency in irrigated agriculture in arid and semi-arid areas.

Affiliations and expertise

Agricultural Water Management Specialist in Cooperative Extension Department of Land, Air and Water Resources (LAWR) - University of California, Davis, USA

Khaled M. Bali

Dr. Khaled Bali is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in Irrigation and Water Management with University of California Cooperative Extension, University of California Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier, California. He holds a Ph.D. degree in soil science with emphasis on soil physics and a Master of Science degree in Water Science from the University of California, Davis and a B.S. degree in soil and irrigation from the University of Jordan, Amman. He is currently the UC Irrigation Water Management Specialist and is responsible for designing, implementing, and conducting educational and applied research programs in irrigation, drainage, water management, water quality, soil salinity, waste management, reuse of wastewater for irrigation and nonpoint source pollution control practices. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Jordan and conducted research on reuse of wastewater for irrigation and constructed wetlands to treat wastewater.

Affiliations and expertise

Cooperative Extension Specialist, Irrigation Water Management Specialist, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, USA