This book focuses on best management practices for drip irrigated crops. It cover irrigation methods, scheduling of micro irrigation, and mulching and crop performance. Micro irrigation techniques with diverse crops are discussed, including sweet pepper, chili, tomatoes, cauliflower, wheat, sweet peas, sugarcane, and potatoes. The performance of th
Management Strategies for Water Use Efficiency and Micro Irrigated Crops presents new research and technologies for making better use of water resources for agricultural purposes. The chapters focus on better management to improve allocation and irrigation water efficiency and look at performance factors as well. Chapters look at irrigation technology, environmental conditions, and scheduling of water application. One section of the book focuses on water management in the cultivation of sugarcane, a very important industrial crop used in many fields. Other sections are devoted to principles and challenging technologies, water use efficiency for drip-irrigated crops, performance of fertigated rice under micro irrigation, and evaluation of performance of drip-irrigated crops. This valuable book is a must for those struggling to find ways to address the need to maintain efficient crop production in the midst of water shortages. With chapters from hands-on experts in the field, the book will be an invaluable reference and guide to effective micro irrigation methods.
This important book—the only complete, one-stop manual on microirrigation worldwide--offers knowledge and techniques necessary to develop and manage a drip/trickle or micro irrigation system. The simplicity of the contents facilitates a technician to develop an effective micro irrigation system. Management of Drip/Trickle or Micro Irrigation includes the basic considerations relating to soil-water-plant interactions, with topics such as methods for soil moisture measurement; evapotranspiration; irrigation systems; tensiometer use and installation; principles of drip/ micro/ trickle irrigation; filtration systems; automation; chloration; service and maintenance; design of drip irrigation and lateral lines; the evaluation of uniformity of application; and an economical analysis for selecting irrigation technology.
This book contains previously unpublished & practical design & management information on all forms of drip & microirrigation for agricultural crops. This book benefits from over 30 years of drip/micro design & management experience by the authors in addition to information gleaned from dozens of recent visits to growers using the latest versions of drip/micro. This book is not a repeat or conglomeration of published research. It is meant to satisfy questions by students, designers, & growers who must make hard decisions in the field. Major sections deal with benefits & problems associated with various forms of buried drip. Complete design examples are given for 3 irrigation systems, & new design criteria are provided for pipe sizing of buried drip systems. This book is a must for anyone contemplating practical drip/micro design & management. To order, contact; Irrigation Training & Research Center, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407; 805-756-2434.
Management, Performance, and Applications of Micro Irrigation Systems, the fourth volume in the Research Advances in Sustainable Micro Irrigation series, emphasizes sustainable and meaningful methods of irrigation to counter rampant water scarcity. In many parts of the world, this scarcity significantly affects crop yield, crop quality, and, consequently, human quality of life. This important volume presents the best management practices in sustainable micro irrigation, with the goal of increasing crop yield and quality and conserving water. The practices described are practical and attainable and are based on research and studies from many areas of the world, including India, South Africa, and other areas. The applications described can be adapted and applied to many regions with a critical need to address the water crisis in crop production. The practices and applications presented include: • Partial root-zone surface drip irrigation • Effective maintenance techniques • Web-based irrigation scheduling • Water use efficiency methods • The use of flushing and filtration systems This valuable book is a must for those struggling to find ways to address the need to maintain efficient crop production in the midst of water shortages. With chapters from hands-on experts in the field, the book will be an invaluable reference and guide to effective micro irrigation methods.
This new book, Principles and Practices of Sustainable Micro Irrigation, is the first in the new series on micro irrigation, which offers a vast amount of knowledge and techniques necessary to develop and manage a drip/trickle or micro irrigation system. Written by experienced scientists from various parts of the world, the chapters in this book offer basic principles, knowledge, and techniques of micro irrigation management, which are essential in designing, developing, and evaluating an agricultural irrigation management system. The methods and techniques have worldwide applicability to irrigation management in agriculture. The book includes coverage of many important topics in the field, including: • An historical review of micro irrigation • The current global status of the field and its potential • Basic principles and applications • New research on chemigation and fertigation • Technologies for specific crops, such as sugar cane • Irrigation software for micro irrigation design • Affordable and low-cost micro irrigation solutions for small farms and farms in developing countries • Micro irrigation design using Hydrocalc software This book is a must for those interested in irrigation planning and management, namely, researchers, scientists, educators, and students.
Improving agricultural water use efficiency (WUE) is vitally important in many parts of the world due to the decreasing availability of water resources and the increasing competition for water between different users. Micro irrigation is an effective tool for conserving water resources. Studies have revealed a significant water savings, ranging from 40% to 70% under drip irrigation compared with surface irrigation. This new volume, Engineering Interventions in Sustainable Trickle Irrigation: Irrigation Requirements and Uniformity, Fertigation, and Crop Performance, presents valuable research that evaluates crop water and fertigation requirements, examines optimum irrigation and fertigation scheduling, and analyzes the performance of agricultural crops under micro irrigation. With an interdisciplinary perspective, this volume addresses the urgent need to explore and investigates the current shortcomings and challenges of water resources engineering, especially in micro irrigation engineering. The volume discusses crop water requirements, fertigation technology, and performance of agricultural crops under best management practices. The chapter authors present research studies on drip irrigated tomato, chilies, cucumber, eggplant, cabbage, garlic, sugarcane maize, cashew nut, sapota, banana, mango, and blueberries. Removing the research gap, this volume provides new information that will be valuable to those involved in micro irrigation engineering.
There is no doubt that irrigation makes a major contribution to agricultural production, making a whole range of crops viable in an otherwise unreliable climate and helping insure against drought. However irrigation does not automatically guarantee a profit and acclaim, it is a high cost exercise, using water from increasingly scarce supplies, and contributes to environmental concerns of the community. Many of the pressures facing some irrigators have been caused by a lack of understanding in the past of best practices necessary in design, installation and management. Alternative methods of irrigation are presented, emphasising the characteristics of each that may make them suitable (or unsuitable) for particular situations. The range of crops under irrigation is very wide, and so too is the range of methods available to get water to them. Horticultural crops are included as well as broadacre crops. This section is followed by technical information of the various components that make up an irrigation system, and their installation. Irrigation is concerned with providing the optimum soil moisture conditions for plant growth. So to is drainage, in that too much water in the soil will retard growth. Many of the concepts surrounding irrigation are applicable to a consideration of drainage, so the book discusses that technology as well.
Micro irrigation, also known as trickle, drip, localized, high frequency, or pressurized irrigation, is an irrigation method that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. It is done throug
