Er. M. GopalakrishnanFellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering

Honorary Diplomate of American Academy of Water Resources Engineering

Formerly Secretary General ICID  Formerly Secretary General ICID, Ex‐President, IWRS; Ex‐Member CWC ; 

The Food Challenge: Enhancing ”Crops’ Drops” saving water?Crops  Drops   saving water?  World Population growth– 6 to 8 billion in 2025 and 2050      I  I di       h   i  d d f   6 billi     h   In India, to meet the growing demand for 1.6 billion to perhaps even 1.8 billion people by 2050, water requirements wolud reach higher levels; in fact doubling the present levels as per estimatesg g p p

Macro level food needs ask for efficient management of large and medium schemes for irrigated agriculture    f     li  i   l    h    d d    7 out of 10 poor live in rural areas, where most depend on rainfed, or minor irrigation with farming small‐holdings; for them water shed and water management and adaptable small g pscale solutions are required

A major share in efficient water use has to come from irrigated i lt   f l     ll    di   d  i   h   agriculture of larger as well as medium and minor schemes:  

progressive technologies  alround,are the need of the hour.

The trend in Growth Rate in Irrigated Agriculture 

World Irrigated Area World Irrigated Area –– Continental shares Continental shares 

Growth of Irrigated Area in IndiaGrowth of Irrigated Area in IndiaImportance of an alround efforts in adapting progressive technologies adapting progressive technologies in Irrigation in India is obvious

Improved operation  management and Improved operation, management and maintenance (O M & M)  of irrigation schemesImproved on‐farm water managementImproved on farm water management

o Efficient irrigation methodso Smart irrigation schedulingo Smart irrigation schedulingo Agronomic measureso Drainage water managemento Drainage water management

Higher the WUE more the water saving. Progressive Technologies focus on this aspectProgressive Technologies focus on this aspect.

StorageWhere water saving is possible? 

Consumptive useBeneficial

Crop ETNon‐consumptiveNon‐beneficial

Non‐crop ETEvaporation fromwet field surfaces

Non consumptiveRecoverable

SeepageLeakage/spillU h i d              wet field surfaces•Unauthorized             withdrawals

Non‐recoverableFlow to saline 

On farm Technologiesow to sa e

groundwaterDeep sinks

Application

Off Farm Technologies cover all except “on farm related”.

I d  h l i   d  l   l     i ifi   l  Improved technologies and tools play a significant role in achieving water savings, better operation and maintenance, and overall gains in irrigation , g gperformance and thereby in food production.

Let us view more of these technologies  categorised for convenience, Let us view more of these technologies  categorised for convenience, under the following grouping:

Off farm technologiesOff‐farm technologies

On‐farm technologies

Soft tools for OM &M and Evaluation

Technologies for flow measurement  regulation  Technologies for flow measurement, regulation, operation, diversion and distribution of water; These include, e.g.,

Canal lining using conventional as well as non‐

conventional technologies

Piped conveyance networks

Upstream/ downstream controls,p / ,

Modern flow measuring devices,

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA),

Total Channel Control (TCC) 

Turkey has changed Irrigation design policy from traditional to modern system since 2003traditional to modern system since 2003.

Modern Control StructuresModern Control Structuresin Conveyance Networkin Conveyance Networkin Conveyance Networkin Conveyance Network

Australia

India

I t k   d  t     t  South Africa Intake and water gauge at  Zhanghe Irrigation System (ZIS), China

UKUK

Supervisory controlSupervisory control

Coachella  Valley Water Dist., USA

MUDA Irrigation Scheme, Malaysia

Water supplied at the field head  is applied to crops Water supplied at the field head  is applied to crops through various methods. These include;

Modern methods in application of surface irrigationModern methods in application of surface irrigation,

Sprinklers of different types and nature, and

Micro irrigation application.

Surface irrigation Surface irrigation ––Traditional Traditional visvis a a visvis modernmodern

Wild flooding Land Levelling

Border strips

Modern gravity/ surface irrigation systemModern gravity/ surface irrigation system

TroubleshootingTroubleshooting

On‐farm reservoirs/ Farm pondsOn farm reservoirs/ Farm ponds

China

IndiaIndia

UKUK

IranIran

CanadaItaly

18

Micro and sprinkler irrigation systems p g yfor small holdings

Low-cost small scale drip irrigation unit

Portable micro/ sprinkler irrigation units

Micro irrigation technologyhas dramatically changed the wayhas dramatically changed the way

crops are irrigated in India

Subsurface drip irrigation  for Sugarcane in Subsurface drip irrigation  for Sugarcane in South AfricaSouth Africa

million ha

Water saving:30% to 60%Increase in yields: 20% to 50%

D i   d    il bili

Possible Reasons: The  factors  boosting Micro Irrigation

Decreasing groundwater  availability

Liberal  subsidy by  the Central and State Governments (up to 70%)

Well developed pump and pipe industry,p p p p p y,

Strong manufacturing base,

Wide network of dealers/ system suppliers ( >150 manufacturers),

Govt.  promoting horticulture in a big way

Portable Micro and sprinkler irrigation systems

Top 10 Irrigation TechnologiesTop 10 Irrigation TechnologiesICIDICIDICIDICID Farmer controlled water supply, or total channel control or downstream

control of canals Emitter delivery systems for precision irrigation and for undulating

terrain, not just through drip systems but also through centre pivots, especially those that can be moved from centre to centre, and with sweeps programmed to serve typical farm blocks

Wetting front indicator Drain controllers, for their capability to improve control of soil moisture

and stimulate sub-irrigation Wetting-drying rice, (widespread application in China) g y g , ( p pp ) No-till (NT) or minimum tillage technologies already used to conserve

erodible soils and nutrients, and save fuel, but which can also conserve water in irrigated as well as rainfed productiong p

Top 10 Irrigation TechnologiesTop 10 Irrigation TechnologiesTop 10 Irrigation TechnologiesTop 10 Irrigation TechnologiesICID ICID …2…2 Fresh-saline irrigation, where saline and brackish water is used for

part of the growing period without much loss of yield or detriment to the soil structure

Salt and drought tolerant food crops, perhaps used in conjunction with 7, or independently, especially where irrigation is ephemeral or only supplementary

Remote sensing coupled with the Internet and mobile communications to help the farmer with everything from establishing land tenure to operational forecasting

Drainage, an "old" technology but one which must not be forgotten to improve and sustain production in rather more parts of the world than irrigation on its own

Land drainage

W l d fi ldSaline soil

Waterlogged field

SSD installationSSD installation

For those who would like to have a feel of these award winning i h l i   d I i    d ib d i    sprogressive technologies and Innovations, as described in a 

Statement in the Paper  in Page Table 1 in Page 11, a run through of the slides beneath might be helpful

First PagePaddy cultivation in Egypt by Strip method First Page

Transplanting 20 days after transplanting 90 days after transplanting

WUE (kg/cum); Traditional method; 0.6; Strip method: 1

WUE (Kg/ cum)T di i l   Traditional : 0.2Furrow method: 0.4

Paddy cultivation on beds and furrows in Pakistan

Center pivot irrigating Rice crop in Brazil

Water Usage

600800

10001200

Use

d (

mm

)

0200400

SurfaceIrrigation

PivotIrrigation

Wate

r U

30

Higher outlet

Lower outletField drain

Root zone

Field drain

Level 2

Level 1Groundwater

Capillary fringe

Drain

Controlled Drainage

Use of wastewater for irrigationUse of wastewater for irrigation

Wastewater  ~

Use of wastewater for irrigationUse of wastewater for irrigation

500 million m3 WW/year50% treated to secondary level30% treated to tertiary level4% discharged via cesspits16% inadequately treated 

Mix junction using effluent and saline water.

Computerized water management systemused on 142,000 ha, water savings = 10 ‐ 20%

Date and time flow data collected fromdata collected from• chart recorders• electronic loggers

Data can be• captured• ImportedImported• digitized

Irrigation scheduling using Irrigation scheduling using ‘M C i ’ i S th Af i‘M C i ’ i S th Af i‘My Canesim’ in South Africa‘My Canesim’ in South Africa

Wetting front detector

ControlledControlled alternatealternate partial partial rootzonerootzone irrigation (CAPRI)irrigation (CAPRI)

Cotton crop

Valve used for CAPRI

Cotton crop

Irrigation Schedulingo when to irrigate & how much to apply?o when to irrigate & how much to apply?o soil, plant, weather‐based methodso not commonly used by farmers

Tensiometer

WaterMark Sensor

Evaporation Pan

Infrared Thermometer

p

WaterMark Sensor

39Neutron probe

WaterMark Sensor

Computerized water management systemFl   i   t ti   Computerized water management systemUsed on 142,000 ha, Water savings = 10 ‐ 20%

Flow measuring station 

Capacity building and awareness creation

f f dTraining of women farmers in India

Training of farmers in Cambodia

Irrigation Department Staff in IndiaPromoting Participatory Irrigation Management through Folk Songs

Saving fresh water for irrigated agricultureby reuse of waterby reuse of water

Use of wastewater for irrigation in IsraelUse of wastewater for irrigation in Israel

Wastewater  ~500 million m3 WW/year

% t t d t   d  l l50% treated to secondary level30% treated to tertiary level4% discharged via cesspits6% i d t l  t t d 16% inadequately treated 

Mix junction using effluent and saline water.

Soft tools/ models/ decision support system (DSS) have been / / pp y ( )developed for improved operation, maintenance, monitoring and evaluation of irrigation systems

oCanal operation simulation modelsoCanal operation simulation models

oFAO’ RAP And MASSCOTE,

( )oBenchmarking  of irrigation schemes ( FAO‐IWMI‐ ICID),

oInternet based irrigation scheduling

oSatellite remote sensing and GIS for assessing irrigated area, 

extent of water‐logging,  crop water productivity, etc.,

oParticipatory irrigation management (IMT/PIM)

FAO’s MASSCOTE

Discussion with canal operators, W/S at Bhadra irrigation scheme,

Karnataka IndiaSchematic framework

of MASSCOTE Karnataka, India( Source: T.Facon)

of MASSCOTE(Source: FAO)

Stages of the Benchmarking Process

(1)Identification &Planning

(8)Verification &Monitoring

(3)Calculation &Interpretation(7)Action

(4)Comparisons &Id tifi ti f BP

(6)Integration &D i i ki Identification of BP

(5)Analysis

Decision making

( ) y

Developing appropriate/ affordable technologyDeveloping appropriate/ affordable technology,

Effective dissemination of available technologies among 

d firrigation managers and farmers,

Effective financing system for purchase of equipments 

and tools by small holder and resource poor farmers,

Strengthening the national irrigation extension / advisory 

services

Capacity building of local institutions,

Revamping of irrigation agenciesp g g g

Increased investment by public and private sectors,

Affordable technology for use of wastewater in peri Affordable technology for use of wastewater in peri‐

urban agriculture

C i   l d     d  h   f Creating Knowledge Base and Exchange of 

information