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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #415687
Research Project: Sustainable Intensification in Agricultural Watersheds through Optimized Management and Technology

Location: Agroecosystems Management Research

Title: SWAT-IRR: A new irrigation algorithm for soil and water Assessment tool to facilitate water management and Conservation in irrigated regions

Author
item XIANG, ZAICHEN - Oklahoma State University
item Moriasi, Daniel
item SAMIMI, MARYAM - Oklahoma State University
item MIRCHI, ALI - Oklahoma State University
item TAGHVAEIAN, SALEH - University Of Nebraska
item STEINER, JEAN - Kansas State University
item Verser, Jerry
item Starks, Patrick

Submitted to: Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/2025
Publication Date: 2/20/2025
Citation: Xiang, Z., Moriasi, D.N., Samimi, M., Mirchi, A., Taghvaeian, S., Steiner, J.L., Verser, J.A., Starks, P.J. 2025. SWAT-IRR: A new irrigation algorithm for soil and water Assessment tool to facilitate water management and Conservation in irrigated regions. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2025.110142.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2025.110142

Interpretive Summary: Irrigation is indispensable for global food production, helping to address challenges posed by climate change and population growth. Accurate simulation of irrigation is key for effective water resources planning and management across various scales. Scientists developed and incorporated a novel irrigation component into the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to improve the simulation of how different irrigation systems and schedules influence water use in irrigated agricultural areas. This enhancement introduces two new irrigation options each with three irrigation systems (surface, sprinkler, and drip). The utility of SWAT-IRR is showcased through an application in central Oklahoma. Results demonstrate SWAT-IRR’s ability to capture the impacts of irrigation systems on water budget and water allocation from the shallow aquifer. This tool will help water resource managers to develop adaptive irrigation water management strategies to protect water resources and enhance climate resilience in agricultural watersheds.

Technical Abstract: Irrigation is indispensable for global food production, helping to address challenges posed by climate change and population growth. Accurate simulation of irrigation is key for effective water resources planning and management across various scales. This paper presents SWAT-IRR, a new irrigation algorithm for the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, designed to enhance the simulation of how different irrigation systems and schedules influence hydrologic fluxes in irrigated agricultural areas. SWAT-IRR enables explicit simulation of three irrigation systems (surface, sprinkler, and drip) parameterized using irrigation application efficiency, conveyance efficiency, surface runoff ratio, and an additional area adjustment factor parameter for drip irrigation. An illustrative application of SWAT-IRR at the Fort Cobb Reservoir Experimental Watershed (FCREW) in central Oklahoma showcases its effectiveness. Results demonstrate SWAT-IRR’s ability to capture the impacts of irrigation systems on water budget and water allocation from the irrigation water source. The enhanced features for simulating irrigation and corresponding water budget responses are crucial for examination of adaptive agricultural water management strategies, aiming to protect water resources and enhance climate resilience in agricultural watersheds.