Semiautomation of basin and border irrigation

Humpherys, A.S. (1990) Semiautomation of basin and border irrigation. pp. 28-33. In: Proc. of 3rd Natl. Irrig. Symp. Visions of the Future. USA-AZ-Phoenix, 1990/10/28-11/01. ASAE, St. Joseph, MI.

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Abstract

Basin and border irrigation systems use relatively large supply streams which require precise set
times to optimize irrigation efficiency and to prevent dike overtopping and excessive runoff. During
the past decade, these systems have greatly benefitted from advancements made in land grading
technology using laser-guided equipment. Although this has increased distribution uniformity,
reliably predicting the time required for water to advance to the end of a field is still often difficult.
Advance time is influenced by variable water deliveries, variable soil intake rates within a given field
and throughout the season, and by different stages of crop growth. Thus, the irrigator must make
frequent trips to the field to observe the water's advance, which is particularly inconvenient at night.
These problems can be reduced by semi-automating the irrigation system and by using sensors
located near the lower end of a field to provide feedback to terminate irrigation of a given land.
Semiautomation is usually preferred because of its simplicity and lower cost compared to more
sophisticated systems. Semiautomated systems require manual input to either turn water into the
system or to reset or reposition the structures and/or control devices. The next step toward system
improvement during the coming decade is greater use of automated structures and controls to
provide greater convenience for the irrigator, labor savings, and increased irrigation efficiency.
Several different gate configurations and controls which are currently being field tested in both a
level basin and a border system are described in this paper.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
NWISRL Publication Number:	0720
Subjects:	Practical farm efficiency Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:55
Last Modified:	22 Dec 2016 16:03
Item ID:	880
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/880