The effect of irrigation uniformity on irrigation water requirements

Abstract

Irrigated agriculture is the largest user of water in South Africa. Due to the limited amount of water resources, the efficient and equitable use of water is of paramount importance. This can only be achieved through effective design, maintenance and management of irrigation systems. The uniformity with which an irrigation system applies water hasan affect on the efficiency of the system. The uniformity of an irrigation system needs to be high to ensure that the majority of the crop receives an adequate amount of water. This is needed for fields to produce high yields and to have minimal nutrient loss due to deep percolation. The uniformity of application also plays an important role in determining water allocations and the gross amount of irrigation water to apply. The concept of uniformity and calculation thereof are presented in this paper. Results of research of the application uniformity of different irrigation systems in the sugar industry in five sugar-growing regions in South Africa will be discussed in this paper.

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