Assessing Application Uniformity of a Variable Rate Irrigation System in a Windy Location

doi:10.13031/aea.29.9931

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…Commercial VRI systems were available for retail as early as 2004 (Milton et al, 2006). From an engineering perspective, the mechanical performance of VRI systems is mature, i.e., the VRI systems are reliable in providing uniformity of application and accuracy of applied depth, programmed watering amounts are accurate and application of uniformity within management zones (MZs) is similar to conventional moving sprinkler systems (Perry and Pocknee, 2003;King et al, 2005King et al, , 2009Dukes and Perry, 2006;Pierce et al, 2006;Han et al, 2009;Kim and Evans, 2009;Chávez et al, 2010;O'Shaughnessy et al, 2013;Sui and Fisher, 2015;Yari et al, 2017a). While adoption of these systems is less than expected, more farmers and researchers are becoming aware of potential benefits of VRI (LaRue and .…”

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confidence: 99%

Identifying Advantages and Disadvantages of Variable Rate Irrigation: An Updated Review

O’Shaughnessy¹,

Evett²,

Colaizzi³

et al. 2019

Applied Engineering in Agriculture

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Abstract. Variable rate irrigation (VRI) sprinklers on mechanical move irrigation systems (center pivot or lateral move) have been commercially available since 2004. Although the number of VRI, zone or individual sprinkler, systems adopted to date is lower than expected there is a continued interest to harness this technology, especially when climate variability, regulatory nutrient management, water conservation policies, and declining water for agriculture compound the challenges involved for irrigated crop production. This article reviews the potential advantages and potential disadvantages of VRI technology for moving sprinklers, provides updated examples on such aspects, suggests a protocol for designing and implementing VRI technology and reports on the recent advancements. The advantages of VRI technology are demonstrated in the areas of agronomic improvement, greater economic returns, environmental protection and risk management, while the main drawbacks to VRI technology include the complexity to successfully implement the technology and the lack of evidence that it assures better performance in net profit or water savings. Although advances have been made in VRI technologies, its penetration into the market will continue to depend on tangible and perceived benefits by producers. Keywords: Center pivots, Crop water use efficiency, Irrigation, Management zones, Moving sprinkler irrigation systems, Precision irrigation, Sensor based systems.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Advantages and Disadvantages of Variable Rate Irrigation: An Updated Review

O’Shaughnessy¹,

Evett²,

Colaizzi³

et al. 2019

Applied Engineering in Agriculture

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“…Other authors have reported significantly impacted uniformity for a 3 m wide zone for the first three spans and 6-9 m for last two spans of a six-span centre pivot (O'Shaughnessy et al, 2013). On the 50-100% line, the measured depth reached 75% of the desirable depth (12 mm) in 10 m and 80% in 13 m but did not go above that along the 14-m long measuring line.…”

Section: Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…The lower limit of uniform irrigation of DU is 80% (Irmak et al, 2011). Researchers also found <3 mm of RMSE, measured both in the travel direction and along the pivot (O'Shaughnessy et al, 2013). Student's t-test showed that there was a difference (P < 0.05) in the uniformity of these two rates.…”

Section: Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 97%

Variable Rate Precision Irrigation Technology for Deficit Irrigation of Processing Tomato

Takács

Bíró

Helyes

et al. 2018

Irrigation and Drainage

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Centre pivot machines, with a variable rate irrigation (VRI) package that provides individual sprinkler control systems (VRI iS), are not common. This research focuses on how uniform the water distribution is under VRI control, and on the size of over‐ and under‐irrigated areas and volumes. Moreover, we wanted to know how wide transition zones are. We conducted different uniformity measurements using common rain gauges for measuring water application depths. Besides grid shape and radial direction measurements for uniformity, perpendicular measuring lines to borders were set to evaluate transition zones. In a processing tomato deficit irrigation experiment, we investigated how different plant properties react to different water depths. Results showed that very good uniformity is achievable both in the IR100 and IR50 application rates, but the former showed higher uniformity. CUC ranged from 91.8 to 92.9% and 88.8 to 90.8% in the IR100 and IR50 rates respectively. The highest RMSE was 2.65 mm. The amount of over‐ and under‐irrigation was not significant. Transition zones were not equally wide; 9 m was enough for transition widthways between the IR100 and IR50 rates, but was wider longitudinally. This technology is suitable for conducting deficit irrigation experiments, but consideration of transition zones is important at plant sampling. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…Variable watering rates can be applied using mechanical-move irrigation systems outfitted with computerized speed control or more extensive hardware for zone control as well as speed control (Kranz et al, 2012). VRI packages with zone control, capable of precision water delivery (Dukes andPerry, 2006, Han et al, 2009;Chávez et al, 2010;O'Shaughnessy et al, 2013a), are commercially available. VRI research in Nebraska on large fields (the size of commercial farms) has managed irrigation with a remotesensing-based model using satellite imagery (Barker et al, 2018) and unmanned aircraft imagery (Woldt et al, 2018).…”

Section: Future Perspectives Irrigation Technology For Improving Prodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Past, Present, and Future of Irrigation on the U.S. Great Plains

Evett¹,

Colaizzi²,

Lamm

et al. 2020

Transactions of the ASABE

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Highlights Irrigation is key to the productivity of Great Plains agriculture but is threatened by water scarcity. The irrigated area grew to >9 million ha since 1870, mostly since 1950, but is likely to decline. Changes in climate, water availability, irrigated area, and policy will affect productivity. Adaptation and innovation, hallmarks of Great Plains populations, will ensure future success. Abstract. Motivated by the need for sustainable water management and technology for next-generation crop production, the future of irrigation on the U.S. Great Plains was examined through the lenses of past changes in water supply, historical changes in irrigated area, and innovations in irrigation technology, management, and agronomy. We analyzed the history of irrigated agriculture through the 1900s to the present day. We focused particularly on the efficiency and water productivity of irrigation systems (application efficiency, crop water productivity, and irrigation water use productivity) as a connection between water resource management and agricultural production. Technology innovations have greatly increased the efficiency of water application, the productivity of water use, and the agricultural productivity of the Great Plains. We also examined the changes in water stored in the High Plains aquifer, which is the region’s principle supply for irrigation water. Relative to other states, the aquifer has been less impacted in Nebraska, despite large increases in irrigated area. Greatly increased irrigation efficiency has played a role in this, but so have regulations and the recharge to the aquifer from the Nebraska Sand Hills and from rivers crossing the state. The outlook for irrigation is less positive in western Kansas, eastern Colorado, and the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. The aquifer in these regions is recharged at rates much less than current pumping, and the aquifer is declining as a result. Improvements in irrigation technology and management plus changes in crops grown have made irrigation ever more efficient and allowed irrigation to continue. There is good reason to expect that future research and development efforts by federal and state researchers, extension specialists, and industry, often in concert, will continue to improve the efficiency and productivity of irrigated agriculture. Public policy changes will also play a role in regulating consumption and motivating on-farm efficiency improvements. Water supplies, while finite, will be stretched much further than projected by some who look only at past rates of consumption. Thus, irrigation will continue to be important economically for an extended period. Sustaining irrigation is crucial to sustained productivity of the Great Plains “bread basket” because on average irrigation doubles the efficiency with which water is turned into crop yields compared with what can be attained in this region with precipitation alone. Lessons learned from the Great Plains are relevant to irrigation in semi-arid and subhumid areas worldwide. Keywords: Center pivot, Crop water productivity, History, Sprinkler irrigation, Subsurface drip irrigation, Water use efficiency.

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Assessing Application Uniformity of a Variable Rate Irrigation System in a Windy Location

Cited by 16 publications

References 38 publications

Identifying Advantages and Disadvantages of Variable Rate Irrigation: An Updated Review

Identifying Advantages and Disadvantages of Variable Rate Irrigation: An Updated Review

Variable Rate Precision Irrigation Technology for Deficit Irrigation of Processing Tomato

Past, Present, and Future of Irrigation on the U.S. Great Plains

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