Comparison between a rigid and flexible border irrigation scheduling: a pilot case study in Northern Italy

Border irrigation is one of the most common methods for watering row crops worldwide. Traditionally, this method requires large quantities of fresh water to be poured onto the fields following a rigid rotation planned by the irrigation consortia. Consequently, border irrigation practice is often affected by inefficiency due to over-irrigation in respect to the seasonal crop water need. In this work, the results of an experimental campaign aimed to compare the effects of a rigid and a flexible irrigation scheduling on the seasonal water consumptions and crop production were discussed. The results show that a water saving of at least 10% could be reached (without loss in crop yield) if on-demand irrigation is implemented. This finding provides useful information for improving the management of border irrigation in practice, and, more specifically, to understand what margin of improvement can be obtained in terms of water saving, both under current conditions and in view of future increasing freshwater scarcity.