Design and Performance Analysis of Low Pressure Irrigation Distribution Systems

Low-pressure pipe distribution systems forsurface irrigation provide both off- andon-farm recognized environmental benefits.However, expected benefits can only beattained when adequacy, dependability andequity of systems are high enough tosupport appropriate conditions for wateruse on the farm. An innovative methodologyfor design and analysis is proposed anddescribed, which includes the generation ofthe demand at the scale of the distributionsystem and, consequently, the generation ofthe flow regimes expected during a givenperiod of time, generally the peak month.These flow regimes are utilized for theoptimization of pipe sizes using theiterative discontinuous method for severalflow regimes. The performance analysis isdeveloped through the system simulationwith several flow regimes, which allow thecomputation of the system adequacy,dependability and equity. An application toone sector of the Sorraia irrigation systemillustrates the usefulness of themethodology proposed.     

Irrigation and food security in the 21st century

Global food projections indicate that food prices in the next threedecades will likely be stable or decline, but progress inreducing malnutrition in developing countries will be slow. Smallshortfalls in crop productivity growth would lead to rising foodprices and worsening malnutrition. Increased food production fromirrigation is essential, and will require expansion of irrigatedarea and water supplies, and improved efficiency of use of existingwater supplies. Neither of these growth factors will prove easy, andboth will require complex institutional and policy reforms. Failureto meet food production needs through efficient expansion andintensification of irrigated agriculture would increase pressure onland resources and hasten the process of environmental degradation.Irrigation and water development strategies have been hampered bya lack of understanding of the links between water scarcity, foodproduction, food security, and environmental sustainability.Research to improve this understanding would have high payoffs.     

Evaluating factors influencing farmers' satisfaction with their irrigation system

The logit technique is used to analyze the relationship between dichotomous reactions of satisfaction (satisfied/dissatisfied) with the irrigation system and certain independent variables. The result shows that five important variables — water availability on time, fertilizer availability, landholding size, farmers' participation in irrigation activities and location of farmland along the canal — significantly determine satisfaction.     

Use of saline–sodic waters through phytoremediation of calcareous saline–sodic soils

Use of poor-quality groundwater has become inevitable for irrigation to compensate rapidly increasing water demands in many arid and semiarid regions. Salinity and sodicity are the principal soil and water quality concerns in such areas. Many saline–sodic and sodic soils have saline or saline–sodic subsurface drainage waters. Amelioration of these soils needs a source of calcium (Ca²⁺) that can replace the excess exchangeable sodium (Na⁺). Most of these soils, however, contain calcite (CaCO₃) of extremely low solubility. The native calcite does not supply adequate levels of Ca²⁺ for soil amelioration as do other chemical amendments. Phytoremediation may help ameliorate such soils through cultivation of certain crops tolerant to ambient soil salinity and sodicity. This amelioration strategy works through plant root action to help dissolve CaCO₃ to supply adequate Ca²⁺ without the application of an amendment. During a 3-year field experiment conducted under irrigated conditions, we evaluated phytoremediation against soil application of gypsum and farm manure, and water treatment with sulphuric acid on a calcareous saline–sodic soil (pH_s=8.0–8.4, EC_e=24–32 dS m⁻¹, SAR=57–78, CaCO₃=45–50 g kg⁻¹ for the top 0.15 m depth; Calcic Haplosalids). A saline–sodic water (EC=2.9–3.4 dS m⁻¹, SAR=12.0–19.4, RSC=4.6–10.0 mmol_c l⁻¹, SAR_adj=15.6–18.4) was used to irrigate the rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crops grown in rotation. Active desalinisation and desodication processes were observed in all the treatments. After the final wheat crop, the 1.2 m soil profile EC_e was 7±0.5 dS m⁻¹ and SAR was 15±2 with non-significant treatment differences, indicating comparable soil amelioration effect of phytoremediation with other treatments. Better crop yields were obtained from the manure-treated plots, owing to its annual addition to the soil that possibly improved soil fertility. Phytoremediation needed minimum capital input because no initial investment was made to purchase the amendments.     

建德市农业结构调整与农机化发展

通过建德市农业产业结构调整发展推进建德市农机化发展的现状。浅析农机管理部门必须把握机遇，加快发展农机化事业。     

我国植保机械及施药技术现状与发展趋势

阐述了我国植保机械及施药技术的现状,分析了我国施药技术中存在的问题以及与国外植保机械发展水平的差距,并提出了发展趋势。     

A study of water distribution from a branch to distributary canals: A case study of Gugera Branch,Punjab, Pakistan

This study was conducted on Gugera Branch of Lower Chenab Canal, Punjab, Pakistan. Sample distributaries off taking from Gugera Branch were selected for the study. The existing conditions of water distribution among the distributaries were studied. Field data were collected during the whole of 1988. Field observations suggested that the variability at the head of distributaries is much greater than the variability in the Gugera Branch under existing operational practices. The distribution of water among the distributaries is rarely in accordance with design criteria. Some channels get priority over other channels. The annual closure period varied from 17 to 41 days for different channels. The discharge at the head of distributaries remained lower than the standard operational range for 69 to 183 days in a year. The data suggested that a regulating gate at the head of the distributary can reduce discharge variation up to 2.4 times compared with a Karrees System (wooden stop logs used for water regulation). The data indicated that the adjustments in the head gate of a distributary on daily basis can substantially improve discharge conditions at the head of distributary. Rotational schedules are not being followed as per design and need to be improved. Most of the existing head discharge relationships of discharge measuring structures are not reliable. A frequent calibration of these structures is recommended.     

跨区作业经济效益影响因素剖析

根据2004年跨区作业调查,计算了联合收割机跨区机收的经济效益,并着重指出了跨区作业经济效益下降的实际问题;通过深入分析其中的原因,指出影响跨区作业经济效益的两大主要因素,是信息系统不完善和散机的无序流动。     

区域农业可持续发展战略思考

可持续农业产业化建设是一个复杂的系统工程,它既要满足国家和区域可持续发展的总体要求,又要实现产业化链条中各部分的经济利益,做到农业产业化发展中的经济效益、社会效益和环境效益的统一. 为此,阐述了区域农业可持续发展的涵义,并在分析东北农业产业化现状及存在问题分析的基础上,探讨了实现东北农业可持续发展的有效途径、可持续农业产业化建设应遵循的原则及相应对策.     

白口铸铁机械性能研究及在农机制造中的应用(I)

为了提高白口铸铁的冲击韧性等机械性能,扩大其在农机具上的应用范围,采用BZ变质剂对白口铸铁进行变质浇铸,并研究了变质剂对白口铸铁中碳化物的断网效果。试验结果表明,变质剂对于含碳量在3.2%以下、含铬量在12%以下的白口铸铁具有较好的断网效果。