Author
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Replogle, John |
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Submitted to: Congreso Nacional de Irrigacion
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Irrigation water supply is a necessary component to agriculture in arid regions, but in itself is inadequate to guarantee suitable crop production. Many factors influence irrigated agriculture, which grows about one-third of the total crop production and about one-half of the crop value of the world, while using only about 4% of world crop land. This relatively high production has the potential of even greater impact because much of world irrigation is at low water use efficiency. Thus, another tool for increasing crop production involves the delivery of irrigation water in such a way as to encourage better water use efficiency. This efficiency is expected to translate into increased crop production and is of special interest to international, national, regional and local water delivery agencies and governments. Accomplishing this for irrigation depends on several factors. Primary among these are quantity, location, and timeliness sof delivery. Thus, a valuable water supply must not only be controllable and controlled, but must be beneficially controlled. This paper discusses some of the interrelated aspects of flow measurement, flow control, and irrigation water management. It examines some of the problems and technologies affecting water delivery and the measurement of that delivery to farms. Beneficiaries of this work include other researchers, irrigation irrigation districts, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, Cooperative Extension and state water agencies. Technical Abstract: Measured delivery of irrigation water is of special interest to international, national, regional, and local water delivery agencies for many reasons, including water marketing, general accounting, and conservation of water supplies. The value of water for marketing depends on several factors, including quantity, location, and timeliness of delivery. Irrigation water supply is a necessary component to agriculture in arid regions, but in itself is inadequate to guarantee suitable agricultural production. Value-added features sought by farm operators include assured delivery, and accurate, steady delivery rates. Measurement and control are closely connected in providing these. The major advances in flow measurement and control for irrigation have come from the application of computer techniques in several ways. These include computational advances and equipment advances. Some recent examples are adjustable-throated flumes sand some new ultrasonic flow profiling techniques. |
