Optimum Design of Alternate and Conventional Furrow Fertigation to Minimize Nitrate Loss
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 11
Abstract
Alternate-furrow fertigation has shown potential to improve water and fertilizer application efficiency in irrigated areas. A combination of simulation and optimization approaches permits researchers to identify optimum design and management practices in furrow fertigation, resulting in optimum cost, irrigation performance, or environmental impact. The objective of this paper is to apply one-dimensional (1D) surface and two-dimensional (2D) subsurface simulation-optimization models to the minimization of nitrate losses in two types of alternate-furrow fertigation, as follows: (1) variable alternate-furrow irrigation, and (2) fixed alternate-furrow irrigation. For comparison purposes, optimizations are also reported for conventional furrow irrigation. The model uses numerical surface fertigation and soil-water models to simulate water flow and nitrate transport in the soil surface and subsurface, respectively. A genetic algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem. Four decision variables (inflow discharge, cutoff time, start time, and duration of fertilizer solution injection) were optimized to minimize the selected objective function (nitrate loss) for two fertigation events performed during a maize-growing season. The simulation-optimization model succeeded in substantially reducing the value of the objective function as compared with the field conditions for all irrigation treatments. In the experimental conditions, optimization led to decreased inflow discharge and fertilizer injection during the first half of the irrigation event. This was because of the high potential of the field experiment to lose water and nitrate through runoff. In the optimum conditions, alternate-furrow fertigation strongly reduced water and nitrate losses compared with conventional furrow irrigation. The simulation-optimization model is a valuable tool for alleviation of the environmental impact of furrow irrigation.
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Acknowledgments
The research reported in this paper was funded by the Center of Excellence for Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Irrigation and Drainage Networks at the University of Tehran. The first writer acknowledges Zahra Thomas, INRA, Agrocampus Rennes, France, for providing the code to make the grid.in file for the SWMS-2D model.
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Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 11 • November 2013
Pages: 911 - 921
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 11, 2012
Accepted: May 16, 2013
Published online: May 18, 2013
Discussion open until: Oct 18, 2013
Published in print: Nov 1, 2013
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