Development Experience and Ways of Improvement of Irrigation Management Systems

Abstract

The paper provides an overview of models and software used in decision support systems in irrigation. The models of biomass accumulation or evapotranspiration are the base of decision support systems in irrigation. The overview of the most famous systems is given, as well as an innovative irrigation control system "Irrigation online" is presented. 
 The objective of the work is to share the experience of development and implementation of irrigation management systems and outline the ways of their improvement.
 The "Irrigation online" system consists of hardware and software components. The part of the system's hardware is located in the field consisting of iMetos or Davis weather stations, as well as of own-developed equipment. The software part, intended for storing, processing and providing recommendations, is hosted and run on a server. It sends the recommendations about start watering and necessary irrigation rates to a user’s computer or mobile device.
 The system is based on modelling of moisture transfer, automated measurements of soil moisture and meteorological indicators in the field and weather data from automated forecast web-sites. Water retention curve of soil and the dependence of the moisture transfer coefficient on the head, which are the input parameters of the model, are given for every layer according to the van Genuchten-Mualem Model.
 The application of the system took place in 2019 in SE EF“Askaniiske” Kherson region and LLC “APC “Mais” in Cherkasy region. The system "Irrigation Online" provided the recommendations on watering winter rape, wheat, corn, soybeans, alfalfa and potatoes. 
 The system provided the recommendations on watering winter rape, wheat, corn, soybeans, alfalfa and potatoes. It was specified that the use of the system "Irrigation Online" enables to schedule irrigation regimes, the implementation of which requires watering with less (by 15-25%) in comparison with the current irrigation rates, due to which more favourable conditions for the maximum realization of crop varieties and hybrids potential are created. It is accompanied by enhancing the environmental safety of irrigation as a result of minimization of irrigation water losses for infiltration.
 Irrigation control system "Irrigation Online" uses a range of soil moisture suction pressure rather than a soil moisture range as an optimum moisture supply range for plants. For setting up irrigation terms and rates, the value of suction pressure, which corresponds to the part of water field capacity when it is determined by water retention curve of soil, is taken. The pre-irrigation threshold of suction pressure is the value, which at non-irrigation for some short period will not cause water stress for plants 
 Monitoring of meteorological parameters and soil moisture level in the "Irrigation Online" system allows daily adjusting irrigation terms and rates for next 5 day period and significantly improves the accuracy of their forecasting.