Managing the effect of infiltration variability on the performance of surface irrigation

PhD Thesis


Gillies, Malcolm H.. 2008. Managing the effect of infiltration variability on the performance of surface irrigation. PhD Thesis Doctor of Philosophy. University of Southern Queensland.
Title

Managing the effect of infiltration variability on the performance of surface irrigation

TypePhD Thesis
Authors
AuthorGillies, Malcolm H.
SupervisorSmith, Rod
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Qualification NameDoctor of Philosophy
Number of Pages398
Year2008
Abstract

[Abstract]: Infiltration variability is a major issue during the design phase and management for all types of irrigation systems. Infiltration is of particular significance for furrow irrigation and other forms of surface irrigation as the soil intake rate at any given position not only determines the depth applied but also governs the distribution of water to other locations in the field. Despite this, existing measurement and evaluation
procedures generally assume homogeneous soil infiltration rates across the field to simplify data collection and computational requirements. This study was conducted to
(a) determine whether spatial and temporal variations in soil infiltration characteristics have a significant impact on the performance of surface irrigation and (b) identify more appropriate management strategies that account for this variability and substantially improve irrigation performance.

The soil infiltration rate is typically expressed as an empirical function of opportunity time. The infiltration function parameters cannot be directly measured but are commonly estimated from field hydraulic measurements using an appropriate simulation model. The volume balance model as used in the inverse solution for infiltration (e.g. Two Point Method) was modified to enable runoff data collected during the inflow period to be used in the estimation of the infiltration parameters. The resulting model, IPARM also accommodates the full (variable) inflow
hydrograph rather than relying on a constant inflow assumption. Inclusion of runoff data in the inverse solution improved the accuracy of the infiltration curve during the runoff phase and hence offered the greatest benefit where the irrigation time exceeded
the completion of advance. Analysis of field data collected from multiple furrows at a single site indicated that accounting for the variable inflow in IPARM both reduced the variability (e.g. reduction in the coefficient of variance (CV) of cumulative infiltrated depths of 18.6% and 11.5% at opportunity times of 100 and 500 minutes,
respectively) and standardised the shape of the estimated infiltration curves. Hence, a significant proportion of the apparent variability in soil infiltration rates was shown to be a consequence of the constant inflow assumption. Sensitivity analysis indicated
that IPARM is highly sensitive to the runoff measurements but is not influenced by the relative numbers of advance and runoff data points. Validation of IPARM estimated infiltration parameters using the full hydrodynamic model SIRMOD showed that the inclusion of runoff data in the inverse procedure did not compromise the ability to predict the measured advance trajectory but significantly improved the fit to the measured runoff volumes (average decrease in absolute error of simulated runoff volumes of 84%). Whereas the use of runoff data enabled SIRMOD to estimate runoff volumes, accounting for variable inflow improved the fit of the predicted runoff rates to the shape of the measured outflow hydrograph.

Field data collected from several sites across the Darling Downs, Queensland has shown that the infiltration rates vary significantly (e.g. by up to 65% at 500 minutes),
both spatially between furrows and temporally over the season. For the sites studied, the spatial variance in infiltration was surpassed by the seasonal variance (e.g. average CV of infiltration of 33.1% compared to 12.5%) but no consistent trends were identified. It was found that the lognormal distribution provided the best fit for the
variance in the infiltration curves which was in turn strongly related to the statistical distribution of the infiltration term of the volume balance. From this research, a procedure was developed to predict the infiltration parameters using a single advance
point and any number of “known” infiltration curves from the same field.

The IrriProb model was developed to extend the process of simulation from a single furrow scale to the whole field scale. IrriProb performs the full hydrodynamic
simulation for multiple independent furrows which are combined to form a spatial representation of the water application. Each furrow can have a unique infiltration
rate, inflow rate (Q), time to cut off (TCO) and soil moisture deficit. Validation of IrriProb using multiple sets of field data demonstrated that the single furrow
simulations failed to predict the true whole field irrigation performance (e.g. furrow distribution uniformity (DU) between 72.2% and 86.2% compared to the whole field DU of 64.8%).

An optimisation routine was developed within IrriProb to maximise irrigation performance through identification of optimal values of Q and TCO. The optimisation objective function is comprised of a Boolean combination of customisable performance criteria. The user selects the appropriate performance terms and the optimal management is determined through a graphical overlay of the complying
ranges of Q and TCO. Hence, the objective function of IrriProb retains the importance of each individual performance term, an advantage over those based on numerical combinations of weighted terms. Simulation of the whole field application under practical ranges of Q and TCO demonstrated the complex interactions between the
performance indices (e.g. the trade off between requirement efficiency (RE) and application efficiency (AE)). In cases of low infiltration variability it was possible to optimise the whole field performance using a single value of Q and TCO. However, under increased infiltration variability it was more appropriate to manage the field using two or more different management strategies. Irrigation optimisation based on
measurements from a single furrow or the average infiltration curve, cannot identify the optimal combination of Q and TCO for the whole field. Simulation of field management based on the optimisation strategy obtained from single furrow measurements results in lower whole field performance than estimated from simulation of the single furrow data (e.g. field RE, AE and distribution uniformity of the root zone up to 26%, 18% and 66% lower than predicted). Field trials were used to demonstrate the ability to estimate whole field infiltration variability, evaluate whole field irrigation performance and optimise whole field irrigation management while taking into account the influence of spatial variability.

Keywordsinfiltration variability; surface irrigation
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020300201. Agricultural hydrology
Byline AffiliationsDepartment of Agricultural, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/9yq94/managing-the-effect-of-infiltration-variability-on-the-performance-of-surface-irrigation

Download files


Published Version
Gillies_2008_whole.pdf
File access level: Anyone

  • 3082
    total views
  • 1227
    total downloads
  • 5
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Smarter Irrigation for Profit - Taggle IrriMATE Irrigation Advance Sensor & SMS notifier
Gillies, Malcolm, Foley, Joseph and Kelderman, Simon. 2018. Smarter Irrigation for Profit - Taggle IrriMATE Irrigation Advance Sensor & SMS notifier. Toowoomba, Australia. University of Southern Queensland.
Smarter Irrigation for Profit 2 RRDP2002 Precise real-time automated cotton and dairy irrigation for improved water productivity
Foley, J., Gillies, M., McCarthy, A., Kelderman, S., Eberhard, J. and Shippam, R.. 2022. Smarter Irrigation for Profit 2 RRDP2002 Precise real-time automated cotton and dairy irrigation for improved water productivity. Narrabri, Australia.. Cotton Research and Development Corporation.
Smart automation of furrow irrigation in the sugar industry
Gillies, Malcolm, Attard, Steven, Jaramillo, Andres, Davis, Marian and Foley, Joseph. 2017. "Smart automation of furrow irrigation in the sugar industry." 39th Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT 2017). Cairns, Australia 03 - 05 May 2017 Mackay, Australia.
Advancing automation in the agricultural working environment
Brett, P, McCarthy, A, Long, D, Gillies, M, Foley, J and Baillie, C. 2019. "Advancing automation in the agricultural working environment." Allsopp, P. (ed.) 41st Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT 2019). Toowoomba, Australia 30 Apr - 03 May 2019 Australia.
Site-specific non-water-stressed and water-stressed baselines to calculate CWSI to schedule irrigation for furrow-irrigated sugarcane: a new approach
Rana, Vishal, Gillies, Malcolm H and McCarthy, Alison C. 2019. "Site-specific non-water-stressed and water-stressed baselines to calculate CWSI to schedule irrigation for furrow-irrigated sugarcane: a new approach." Allsopp, P. (ed.) 41st Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT 2019). Toowoomba, Australia 30 Apr - 03 May 2019 Australia.
Hydraulic implications of variable-rate irrigation
Msibi, Trevor, Foley, Joseph and Gillies, Malcolm. 2019. "Hydraulic implications of variable-rate irrigation." 41st Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT 2019). Toowoomba, Australia 30 Apr - 03 May 2019 Australia.
Cost-benefit analysis of automated furrow irrigation in the Burdekin
Gillies, Malcolm, Attard, Steven, Foley, Joseph and Davis, Marian. 2019. "Cost-benefit analysis of automated furrow irrigation in the Burdekin." Allsopp, P. (ed.) 41st Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT 2019). Toowoomba, Australia 30 Apr - 03 May 2019 Australia.
Knowledge management, sensing and control tools for irrigated broadacre cropping
McCarthy, Alison, Scobie, Michael, Gillies, Malcolm, Agustina, Lidya and Foley, Joseph. 2016. "Knowledge management, sensing and control tools for irrigated broadacre cropping." 19th Symposium on Precision Agriculture in Australasia. Toowoomba, Australia 12 - 13 Sep 2016
Estimating irrigation duration for high performance furrow irrigation on cracking clay soils
Smith, R. J., Uddin, M. J. and Gillies, M. H.. 2018. "Estimating irrigation duration for high performance furrow irrigation on cracking clay soils." Agricultural Water Management. 206, pp. 78-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2018.03.014
Improving surface irrigation
Gillies, Malcolm H., Foley, Joseph P. and McCarthy, Alison C.. 2018. "Improving surface irrigation." Chen, Guangnan (ed.) Advances in agricultural machinery and technologies. United States. CRC Press. pp. 225-262
Modernisation of furrow irrigation in the sugar industry: final report 2014/079
Gillies, M., Attard, S. and Foley, J.. 2017. Modernisation of furrow irrigation in the sugar industry: final report 2014/079. Brisbane, Australia. Sugar Research Australia.
Smart automated furrow irrigation of cotton
Uddin, J., Smith, R. J., Gillies, M. H., Moller, P. and Robson, D.. 2018. "Smart automated furrow irrigation of cotton." Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. 144 (5), pp. 04018005-1. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0001282
Smart Automated Broad-acre Irrigation (Smarter Irrigation for Profit RRDP1603)
Foley, J.P., Gillies, M.H. and McCarthy, A.C.. 2018. Smart Automated Broad-acre Irrigation (Smarter Irrigation for Profit RRDP1603). Australia. Cotton Research and Development Corporation.
Evaluating the performance of automated bay irrigation
Smith, R. J., Uddin, J. M., Gillies, M. H., Moller, P. and Clurey, K.. 2016. "Evaluating the performance of automated bay irrigation." Irrigation Science. 34 (3), pp. 175-185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-016-0494-8
Trends in the use of surface irrigation in Australian irrigated agriculture
Koech, R., Smith, R. and Gillies, M.. 2015. "Trends in the use of surface irrigation in Australian irrigated agriculture." Current. 42 (5), pp. 84-92.
SISCO: surface irrigation simulation, calibration and optimisation
Gillies, M. H. and Smith, R. J.. 2015. "SISCO: surface irrigation simulation, calibration and optimisation." Irrigation Science. 33 (5), pp. 339-355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-015-0470-8
CFD study of the hydraulic performance of large-diameter gated fluming
Koech, Richard, Mossad, Ruth, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2015. "CFD study of the hydraulic performance of large-diameter gated fluming." Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. 141 (2), pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000795
Evaluation of the performance of automated bay irrigation of pasture and fodder
Smith, Rod, Uddin, Jasim and Gillies, Malcolm. 2015. "Evaluation of the performance of automated bay irrigation of pasture and fodder." Irrigation Australia Regional Conference 2015. Sydney, Australia 26 - 28 May 2015 Sydney, Australia.
Smart automated furrow irrigation of cotton
Uddin, Jasim, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2015. "Smart automated furrow irrigation of cotton." Irrigation Australia Regional Conference 2015. Sydney, Australia 26 - 28 May 2015 Sydney, Australia.
Seepage losses in the Coleambally Irrigation Area – loss estimates from channel automation data
Moavenshahidi, A., Smith, R. and Gillies, M.. 2016. "Seepage losses in the Coleambally Irrigation Area – loss estimates from channel automation data." Australasian Journal of Water Resources . 20 (1), pp. 78-88. https://doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2016.1227580
Evaluation of the performance of automated bay irrigation
Smith, Rod, Uddin, Jasim and Gillies, Malcolm. 2014. Evaluation of the performance of automated bay irrigation. Toowoomba, Australia. University of Southern Queensland.
Controlling surface irrigation using digital devices
Uddin, Jasim, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2014. "Controlling surface irrigation using digital devices." Keppell, Mike and Reushle, Shirley (ed.) 2nd Digital Rural Futures Conference 2014. Toowoomba, Australia 25 - 27 Jun 2014 Toowoomba, Australia.
High performance automated furrow irrigation
Uddin, Jasim, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2014. "High performance automated furrow irrigation ." 17th Australian Cotton Conference (ACC 2014): Our Fibre, Our Focus, Our Future. Gold Coast, Australia 05 - 07 Aug 2014 Narrabri, Australia.
A simple strategy to manage furrow irrigation efficiently
Uddin, Jasim, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2014. "A simple strategy to manage furrow irrigation efficiently." 17th Australian Cotton Conference (ACC 2014): Our Fibre, Our Focus, Our Future. Gold Coast, Australia 05 - 07 Aug 2014 Narrabri, Australia.
Selection of irrigation duration for high performance furrow irrigation on cracking clay soils
Smith, Rod, Uddin, Jasim and Gillies, Malcolm. 2014. "Selection of irrigation duration for high performance furrow irrigation on cracking clay soils." Irrigation Australia Conference 2014: Water for Life, Future for All. Gold Coast, Australia 02 - 06 Jun 2014 Sydney, Australia.
Inflow rate and border irrigation performance
Morris, Michael R., Hussain, Amjed, Gillies, Malcolm H. and O'Halloran, Nicholas J.. 2015. "Inflow rate and border irrigation performance." Agricultural Water Management. 155, pp. 76-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2015.03.017
Autonomous site-specific irrigation control: the current state and a vision of a future system [Keynote]
McCarthy, Alison, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2014. "Autonomous site-specific irrigation control: the current state and a vision of a future system [Keynote]." Keppell, Mike and Reushle, Shirley (ed.) 2nd Digital Rural Futures Conference 2014. Toowoomba, Australia 25 - 27 Jun 2014 Toowoomba, Australia.
Evaluating the performance of a real-time optimisation system for furrow irrigation
Koech, R. K., Smith, R. J. and Gillies, M. H.. 2014. "Evaluating the performance of a real-time optimisation system for furrow irrigation ." Agricultural Water Management. 142, pp. 77-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2014.04.020
A real-time optimisation system for automation of furrow irrigation
Koech, R. K., Smith, R. J. and Gillies, M. H.. 2014. "A real-time optimisation system for automation of furrow irrigation." Irrigation Science. 32 (4), pp. 319-327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-014-0432-6
A computer model to estimate seepage rates from automated irrigation distribution channels during periods of shutdown
Moavenshahidi, A., Smith, R. and Gillies, M.. 2014. "A computer model to estimate seepage rates from automated irrigation distribution channels during periods of shutdown." Journal of Hydroinformatics. 16 (6), pp. 1302-1317. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2014.104
Factors affecting the estimation of seepage rates from channel automation data
Moavenshahidi, A., Smith, R. and Gillies, M.. 2014. "Factors affecting the estimation of seepage rates from channel automation data." Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. 141 (6), pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000842
Hydraulics of large diameter gated flexible fluming
Koech, Richard, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2013. "Hydraulics of large diameter gated flexible fluming." Biosystems Engineering. 114 (2), pp. 170-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2012.12.005
Water-use efficiency and productivity trends in Australian irrigated cotton: a review
Roth, Guy, Harris, Graham, Gillies, Malcolm, Montgomery, Janelle and Wigginton, David. 2013. "Water-use efficiency and productivity trends in Australian irrigated cotton: a review." Crop and Pasture Science. 64 (12), pp. 1033-1048. https://doi.org/10.1071/CP13315
Real-time, web-enabled adaptive control and monitoring of surface and overhead irrigation systems
McCarthy, Alison, Gillies, Malcolm and Smith, Rod. 2013. "Real-time, web-enabled adaptive control and monitoring of surface and overhead irrigation systems." Lamb, David (ed.) 1st Digital Rural Futures Conference: Smart Farms - Smart Regions (DRF 2013). Armidale, Australia 26 - 28 Jun 2013 Armidale, Australia.
Seepage rate estimation from total channel control data during periods of shut down: preliminary data quality assessment. Case study: Coleambally irrigation system
Shahidi, A. M., Smith, R. and Gillies, M.. 2013. "Seepage rate estimation from total channel control data during periods of shut down: preliminary data quality assessment. Case study: Coleambally irrigation system." Bjornlund, H., Brebbia, C. A. and Wheeler, S. (ed.) 4th International Conference on Sustainable Irrigation and Drainage: Management, Technologies and Policies . Adelaide, Australia 11 - 13 Dec 2012 Southampton, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.2495/SI120101
Improved evaluation of bay (and furrow) irrigation
Rojas-Ponce, Samuel, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2011. "Improved evaluation of bay (and furrow) irrigation." Thompson, Chris (ed.) Irrigation 2011: New Horizons, Fresh Ideas Regional Conference and Exhibition. Launceston, Australia 22 - 25 Aug 2011 Sydney, Australia.
Evaluating whole field irrigation performance using statistical inference of inter-furrow infiltration variation
Gillies, M. H., Smith, R. J. and Raine, S. R.. 2011. "Evaluating whole field irrigation performance using statistical inference of inter-furrow infiltration variation." Biosystems Engineering. 110 (2), pp. 134-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2011.07.008
Design of an automatic furrow irrigation system utilising adaptive real-time control
Koech, R. K., Smith, R. J. and Gillies, M. H.. 2011. "Design of an automatic furrow irrigation system utilising adaptive real-time control." Banhazi, T., Saunders, C. and hegarty, R. (ed.) SEAg 2011: Diverse Challenges, Innovative Solutions. Gold Coast, Australia 29 - 30 Sep 2011 Canberra, Australia.
A decision support model for travelling gun irrigation machines
Smith, Rod, Gillies, Malcolm H., Newell, Geoffrey and Foley, Joseph P.. 2008. "A decision support model for travelling gun irrigation machines." Biosystems Engineering. 100 (1), pp. 126-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2008.01.004
Accounting for temporal inflow variation in the inverse solution for infiltration in surface irrigation
Gillies, Malcolm H., Smith, R. J. and Raine, Steven R.. 2007. "Accounting for temporal inflow variation in the inverse solution for infiltration in surface irrigation ." Irrigation Science. 25 (2), pp. 87-97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-006-0037-9
Infiltration parameters from surface irrigation advance and run-off data
Gillies, Malcolm H. and Smith, R. J.. 2005. "Infiltration parameters from surface irrigation advance and run-off data." Irrigation Science. 24 (1), pp. 25-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-005-0004-x
Automation and control in surface irrigation systems: current status and expected future trends
Koech, Richard, Smith, Rod and Gillies, Malcolm. 2010. "Automation and control in surface irrigation systems: current status and expected future trends." Goh, Steven C. and Wang, Hao (ed.) 2010 Southern Region Engineering Conference (SREC 2010). Toowoomba, Australia 11 - 12 Nov 2010 Toowoomba, Australia.
Simulation modelling in surface irrigation systems
Koech, Richard, Gillies, Malcolm and Smith, Rod. 2010. "Simulation modelling in surface irrigation systems." Goh, Steven C. and Wang, Hao (ed.) 2010 Southern Region Engineering Conference (SREC 2010). Toowoomba, Australia 11 - 12 Nov 2010 Toowoomba, Australia.
Head ditch hydraulics and the variability of inflows to irrigation furrows
Smith, R. J. and Gillies, M. H.. 2010. "Head ditch hydraulics and the variability of inflows to irrigation furrows." Irrigation and Drainage. 59 (4), pp. 442-452. https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.495
Hydraulic characteristics of large diameter gated flexible fluming
Koech, R. K., Smith, R. J. and Gillies, Malcolm H.. 2010. "Hydraulic characteristics of large diameter gated flexible fluming ." Montagu, Kelvin (ed.) Australian Irrigation Conference and Exibition 2010: One Water Many Futures. Sydney, Australia 08 - 10 Jun 2010 Sydney, Australia.
Furrow irrigation in the Australian cotton industry: alternative water delivery systems and their potential for automation
Koech, R. K., Smith, R. J. and Gillies, Malcolm H.. 2010. Furrow irrigation in the Australian cotton industry: alternative water delivery systems and their potential for automation. Toowoomba, Australia. University of Southern Queensland.
Improving performance of bay irrigation through higher flow rates
Gillies, Malcolm, Smith, Rod, Williamson, Bill and Shanahan, Matthew. 2010. "Improving performance of bay irrigation through higher flow rates." Montagu, Kelvin (ed.) Australian Irrigation Conference and Exibition 2010: One Water Many Futures. Sydney, Australia 08 - 10 Jun 2010 Sydney, Australia.
Evaluating the performance of bay irrigation in the GMID
Smith, R. J., Gillies, Malcolm H., Shanahan, Matthew, Campbell, B. and Williamson, Bill. 2009. "Evaluating the performance of bay irrigation in the GMID." Irrigation Australia 2009: Irrigation Australia Irrigation and Drainage Conference: Irrigation Today - Meeting the Challenge. Swan Hill, Australia 18 - 21 Oct 2009 Sydney, New South Wales.
Measurement and management of furrow irrigation at the field scale
Gillies, Malcolm H., Smith, R. J. and Raine, Steven R.. 2008. "Measurement and management of furrow irrigation at the field scale." Irrigation Australia 2008: Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference and Exhibition: Share the Water, Share the Benefits. Melbourne, Australia 20 - 22 May 2008
A decision support model for travelling gun irrigation machines
Smith, Rod, Gillies, Malcolm H., Newell, Geoffrey and Foley, Joseph P.. 2007. "A decision support model for travelling gun irrigation machines." CIGR 2006: Agricultural Engineering for a Better World. Bonn, Germany 03 - 07 Sep 2006
Is it possible to extract infiltration rates for variable inflow furrow irrigation?
Gillies, Malcolm H., Smith, R. J. and Raine, Steven R.. 2006. "Is it possible to extract infiltration rates for variable inflow furrow irrigation?" Irrigation Australia 2006: Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference and Exhibition. Brisbane, Australia 09 - 11 May 2006 Hornsby, NSW, Australia.