Use of SIRMOD as a Quasi Real Time Surface Irrigation Decision Support System

Abstract

Surface irrigation currently accounts for 70-80%of irrigation water use in Australia and surfaceapplication is by far the dominant irrigationmethod applied throughout the world. However,water use efficiencies with surface irrigationmethods tend to be low. In recent years a numberof surface irrigation simulation models forassessing surface irrigation system performancehave been developed. One of the most commonlyused models SIRMOD, developed by Utah StateUniversity, has seen wide use and evaluationthroughout the world particularly by researchersand has been shown to offer potential forincreasing surface irrigation water useefficiencies.Considerable efforts are now being undertaken tomove use of the model from the realm of aresearch domain to the farmer domain. Maximumbenefit from the use of such models will onlyoccur when farmers have the ability to useDecision Support Systems (DSS) such asSIRMOD in a near real time environment i.e. forindividual irrigations.