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Efficiency and productivity of irrigation water based on water balance considering quality of return flows

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  • Kazem Attar, Hasti
  • Noory, Hamideh
  • Ebrahimian, Hamed
  • Liaghat, Abdol-Majid

Abstract

Efficiency is one of the most important assessment indicators in irrigation systems. Classical efficiency (CE) is not an exact index due to the lack of consideration of the return flows. Therefore, the neoclassical concepts of the efficiency are considered to take a part of losses of irrigation water as a return flow into account. Quality of the return flows may change in their path and it must be considered in evaluating the efficiency and productivity of irrigation water. This research was carried out to investigate this challenge. Sustainable efficiency (SE) was applied based on the water balance and quality of return flows. The methodology and detail for computing different parameters and their quality and beneficial coefficients in water balance equation were presented. Moghan irrigation and drainage network in the northwest of Iran was selected as the study area and CE and SE were calculated in meso and micro levels using the meteorological data, cropping pattern, irrigation water volume, natural and artificial drainages, infiltration and return flow quality. In addition, the irrigation water productivity was calculated by considering the volume of water based on the different concepts of efficiency. Quality coefficient related to return flow had different values in different months (0.85 in August and 1 in November and December). The results showed that about 87 % of inflow, 91 % of the rainfall, 89 % of the evapotranspiration, 13 % of the non-reusable water, and 91 % of the return flow were useful in the study area. The highest and the lowest efficiencies are occurred in September and November, respectively. The average of meso and micro Sefficiencies were 72 % and 47.5 %, respectively, and the CE was 37.9 %. The results showed that water productivity based on the SE is more than that of the CE. The water productivity at the meso level also showed a higher value than at the micro level.

Suggested Citation

  • Kazem Attar, Hasti & Noory, Hamideh & Ebrahimian, Hamed & Liaghat, Abdol-Majid, 2020. "Efficiency and productivity of irrigation water based on water balance considering quality of return flows," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:231:y:2020:i:c:s0378377419313332
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106025
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    References listed on IDEAS

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