ISHS Acta Horticulturae 278: Symposium on Scheduling of Irrigation for Vegetable Crops under Field Condition
AGROMETEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION FOR EFFECTIVE IRRIGATION SCHEDULING |
| Authors: | D. Rijks, N. Gbeckor-Kove |
| Abstract:
Weather has profound effects on the economy and sustainability of irrigation systems. The benefits of these effects can to a certain extent be increased and the disadvantages reduced through use of weather knowledge and information in irrigation scheduling. The cost of such information is normally no more than 5–15% of the benefits reaped, and often significantly less. Refinements in irrigation scheduling practices, and especially in the timing and amount of individual applications of water, can contribute to an improved agricultural production, a reduction in costs, risks, losses and pollution in agriculture, more efficient use of water and energy and the development of sustainable irrigated agriculture. The relative value of these benefits varies according to the irrigation system, crop, climate of the area and farming system context. Weather parameters, of which knowledge is required for irrigation scheduling practices, are in particular those occurring in the water balance calculations. Of these calculations, the one using the Penman formula is widely used in WMO sponsored programmes. Although research has confirmed its benefits on many occasions, practical use of agrometeorologically based water balance irrigation scheduling is limited by a) insufficient validation of empirical constants in the formulae used and b) insufficient training of technicians and farmers to provide and use the information. A remedy is suggested. | |
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