Skip to main content
Log in

Irrigation scheduling — Theoretical approach and application problems

  • Published:
Water Resources Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper presents a theoretical approach to on-farm irrigation scheduling and discusses the problems of its real-life application to cotton farms in Israel. The theoretical approach is based on a loop of Linear Programming and Dynamic Programming problems which sequentially generate new irrigation schedules for the farm's crops in response to shadow prices of water.

The major problems in the real-life application of this approach are (i) the lack of generally accepted estimates of cotton response to soil moisture, and (ii) the difficulty in adapting the LP results expressed in terms of continuous variables to the actual field layout and irrigation equipment of the farms. These problems are discussed and solutions are suggested and evaluated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, R. L., Yaron, D., and Young, R., 1977, Models designed to efficiently allocate water use based on crop response to soil moisture stress, Tech. Rep. — Colo. Univ., Environ. Resour. Cent. No. 8, pp. 1–80.

  • Baker, D. N., Lambert, J. R., Phene, C. J., and McKinion, J. M., 1976, Gossym: A simulator of cotton crop dynamics, in Computers Applied in the Management of Large Scale Agricultural Enteprises, Moscow, Riga, Kishinev, pp. 100–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bielorai, H. and Yaron, D., 1978, Methodology and empirical estimates of the response function of sorghum to irrigation and soil moisture. Water Resour. Bull. 14, 996–977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dinar, A., 1986, Use of interdisciplinary models in extension — a case study of Rehovot region, Agr. Administration. In press.

  • Dinar, A., Knapp, K. C. and Rhoades, J. D., 1986, Production function for cotton with dated irrigation quantities and qualities, Water Resour. Res. In press.

  • Doorenbos, J. and Kassam, A. H., 1979, Yield response to water, Irrigation and Drainage Paper 33, FAO, Rome.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomory, R. E. and Baumol, W. J., 1960, Integer programming and pricing. Econometrica 3, 521–4401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, W. A. and Butcher, W. S. 1968, Optimal timing of irrigation. J. Irrig. Drain. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng. 94, (IR2), 267–275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanks, R. J., 1974, Model for predicting plant yield as influenced by water use, Agron. J. 66, 660–665.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howell, T. A., Hiler, E. A., and Reddell, D. L., 1975, Optimizing water use efficiency under high frequency irrigation — II System simulation and dynamic programming, Trans. ASAE 18, 879–887.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, M. E. and Heermann, D. F., 1970, Meteorological Approaches to irrigation Scheduling, Am. Soc. Agric. Eng., Lincoln, Nebraska.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marani, A. and Baker, D. N., 1981 Development of a predictive dynamic simulation model of growth and yield in ACALA cotton, Res. Rep. Fac. Agric. Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

  • Shimshi, D., Yaron, D., Bresler, E., Weisbrod, M., and Strateener, G., 1975, Simulation model for evapotranspiration of wheat: empirical approach, J. irrig. Dran. Div. Amer. Soc. Civil Eng. 101, 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weingartner, H. M., 1974, Mathematical Programming and the Analysis of Capital Budgeting Problems, Kershaw Publ. Co., London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yaron, D., Bresler, E., Bielorai, H., and Harpinist, B., 1980. A model for optimal irrigation scheduling with saline water, Water Resour. Res. 16 257–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yaron, D. and Dinar, A. 1982, Optimal allocation of water on a farm during peak season, Amer. J. Agr. Econ. 64, 681–689.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yaron, D., Dinar, A., Meyers, S., and Segev, A., 1983, Optimal allocation of water in kibbutz farms during peak seasons, The Centre for Agr. Econ. Res. The Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel. Progress Report (Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot, Israel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yaron, D., Dinar, A. & Meyers, S. Irrigation scheduling — Theoretical approach and application problems. Water Resour Manage 1, 17–31 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421795

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421795

Key words

Navigation