PRECISION IRRIGATION- A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF IRRIGATION WATER

Abstract

Water resources management approaches around the world are changing dramatically. This “changing water management paradigm” has a plethora of components. These components are- a shift from sole reliance on finding new sources of supply to address perceived new demands, a growing emphasis on incorporating ecological values into water policy, a re-emphasis on meeting basic human needs for water services and a conscious breaking of the ties between economic growth and water use. A reliance on physical solutions continues to dominate traditional planning approaches, but these solutions are facing increasing opposition. At the same time, new methods are being developed to meet the demands of growing populations without requiring major new construction or new large-scale water transfers from one region to another. Irrigation water suppliers and planning agencies are exploring efficiency improvements, implement measures for managing water demand and allocating water among stakeholders/users to reduce projected gaps and meet future needs in a sustainable manner. The connections between water and food are receiving increasing attention in the context of an ever-growing population as freshwater availability is reducing. This is rightly so because of the fact that agriculture is by far the largest consumer of fresh water. These shifts have not come easily; they have met strong internal opposition. These changes represent a real shift in the way we human beings, especially the farmers, water management experts, water resources planners think about water use. This paper summarizes the components of this ongoing shift and looks at the new paths in the form of Precision Irrigation being explored in different parts of the world. Precision irrigation, an existing aspect of precision agriculture is just beginning to be explored. This means applying water in the right place with the right amount at the right time. The approach is still in the development stage and requires a lot of investigation and experimental work to determine its feasibility and applicability across a range of crops and agro-climatic regions. The availability of some low-cost data gathering methods, positioning systems and the development in computer programming will help in regulating the depth of water within a field. So the next generation in irrigation scheduling would be not just when and how much to irrigate but when, how much and where to irrigate. That is to say that the paradigm shift would be from 'uniform irrigation treatment' that underlies traditional irrigation approach to 'differential irrigation treatment'.