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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Request a sales quoteMicroirrigation 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.
- Presents a detailed explanation and examples of systems design, operation, and management specific to the latest types of microirrigation systems, as well as sample irrigation schedules
- Assesses the proper use of irrigation technology and its effects to increase efficiency and crop productivity
- Includes illustrations of design options and charts of systems typologies
Researchers in crop science, agronomy, irrigation science, engineering and management, food science, irrigation practitioners, and environmentalists, as well as students in horticulture, agronomy, soil science, agricultural, civil, and environmental engineering, Certified Agricultural Irrigation Specialists among the categories of Irrigation Association membership
- 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
- No. of pages: 526
- Language: English
- Edition: 2
- Published: November 21, 2023
- Imprint: Elsevier Science
- Hardback ISBN: 9780323997195
- eBook ISBN: 9780323997201
JA
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-ARSDZ
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, USAKB
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, USARead Microirrigation for Crop Production on ScienceDirect