Defining precision irrigation: a new approach to irrigation management

Abstract

Although the term precision irrigation is now quite widely used, often to mean drip irrigation, there is no commonly accepted definition or conceptualisation of the term, and no cohesive framework to guide research, development or adoption. This paper is reporting on a review of precision irrigation funded by NPSI. This review is considering the role of current irrigation application technologies in precision irrigation, variable rate applications, adaptive control, and the sensing and decision support requirements. Precision irrigation as a concept differs substantially from current practice. In this paper (which is a slightly expanded version of a research bulletin recently published by NPSI) we have defined it using precision agriculture principles. It is well acknowledged that precision irrigation involves the 'differential irrigation' treatment of field variation as opposed to the 'uniform irrigation' treatment that underlies traditional irrigation management. However, we contend that precision irrigation is much more, that it must be holistic in its approach, adaptive and applicable to all irrigation methods.