Management model for decision support when applying low quality water in irrigation

Use of low quality water for irrigation of food crops is an important option to secure crop productivity in dry regions, alleviate water scarcity and recycle nutrients, but it requires assessment of adverse effects on health and environment. In the EU-project “SAFIR¹” a model system was developed that combines irrigation management with risk evaluation, building on research findings from the different research groups in the SAFIR project. The system applies to field scale irrigation management and aims at assisting users in identifying safe modes of irrigation when applying low quality water. The cornerstone in the model system is the deterministic “Plant-Soil-Atmosphere” model DAISY, which simulates crop growth, water and nitrogen dynamics and if required heavy metals and pathogen fate in the soil. The irrigation and fertigation module calculates irrigation and fertigation requirements based on DAISY's water and nitrogen demands. A Water Source Administration module keeps track of water sources available and their water quality, as well as water treatments, storage, and criteria for selection between different sources. At harvest, the soil concentrations of heavy metals and pathogens are evaluated and the risk to consumers and farmers assessed. Crop profits are calculated, considering fixed and variable costs of input and output. The user can run multiple “what-if” scenarios that include access to different water sources (including wastewater), water treatments, irrigation methods and irrigation and fertilization strategies and evaluate model results in terms of crop yield, water use, fertilizer use, heavy metal accumulation, pathogen exposure and expected profit. The management model system can be used for analysis prior to investments or when preparing a strategy for the season.