Optimization of Irrigation Depth Considering Weather Forecast and Water Use Efficiency in Potato Cultivation.

In areas with restriction of water resource access for agricultural activities, one of the most challenging issues is determining irrigation depth in such a way that gets high efficiency. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate three different irrigation scenarios; in which irrigation depth was determined by WASH_1D/2D model and FAO method; as well as rainfed (no irrigation) treatment, in the fine textured soil under potato cultivation. The results showed that simulating method could optimize water use with considering weather forecast data as 6 irrigation events and 12.6 mm depth, compared to 10 irrigation events and 37.3 mm depth for FAO method. A significant difference was observed among gained yield under irrigated and rainfed plots that implied irrigation importance even in rainy season. The applied water efficiency values for simulated and FAO methods was gained as 198 and 70 g/mm, respectively; which indicate the WASH_1D/2D model may be an appropriate choice to determine irrigation depth considering water use optimizing in regions with water supply problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]