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Water
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Advances in Agricultural Irrigation Management and Technology
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Advances in Agricultural Irrigation Management and Technology

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Agriculture and Aquaculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 3816

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Xingye Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
Interests: sprinkler irrigation systems and water; water-saving managment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Effective water management is a cornerstone of agricultural sustainability for ensuring food security and environmental resilience. With global water resources under increasing pressure from climate change and population growth, it has become imperative to optimize irrigation efficiency. This Special Issue seeks to highlight how emerging technologies and innovative management strategies can enhance the efficiency of irrigation, reduce water wastage, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

The topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Advanced irrigation techniques and systems;
  • Smart irrigation technologies and IoT applications;
  • Water use efficiency and conservation methods;
  • Sustainable irrigation practices in various climatic conditions;
  • Impact of irrigation management on crop yield and quality;
  • Integration of remote sensing and GIS in irrigation planning;
  • Innovations in water-saving irrigation methods and their applicability across different agricultural settings;
  • Research and development into new water-saving and energy-efficient irrigation technologies and equipment.

Prof. Dr. Xingye Zhu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • precision irrigation
  • smart irrigation systems
  • sprinkler irrigation
  • irrigation efficiency
  • sustainable agriculture
  • irrigation scheduling
  • water resource management
  • irrigation automation
  • water-saving technologies
  • agricultural technology

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 15721 KiB  
Article
Performance of Emitters in Drip Irrigation Systems Using Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis
by Mauro De Marchis, Federica Bruno, Domenico Saccone and Enrico Napoli
Water 2025, 17(5), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050689 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 239
Abstract
Flat drippers are widely used in agricultural irrigation systems to ensure precise water distribution. This study investigates the optimization of flat drippers through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs) simulations, focusing on the channel geometry. These emitters have a particular configuration of the labyrinth channel [...] Read more.
Flat drippers are widely used in agricultural irrigation systems to ensure precise water distribution. This study investigates the optimization of flat drippers through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs) simulations, focusing on the channel geometry. These emitters have a particular configuration of the labyrinth channel appropriately shaped to ensure high turbulence and dissipation of the hydraulic load. CFDs techniques are particularly suitable to investigate the labyrinth design and optimization. Here, by analyzing seven different dripper models with varying dissipation channel sizes, the relationship between flow rate (liters per hour) and pipe pressure (kPa) was studied. Simulations were performed for six inlet pressures in the range between 50 and 175 kPa, with steps of 25 kPa, allowing for the derivation of the pressure–flow curve and the optimization of the emitter exponent. The value of the exponent is closely linked to the conformation of the channel and is standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9261:2004. Additionally, the influence of the labyrinth channel’s cross-sectional area on flow rate was examined, providing insights into design improvements for enhanced hydraulic performance. The proposed optimization could lead to significant water savings and enhanced agricultural productivity by improving the efficiency of irrigation systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Agricultural Irrigation Management and Technology)
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20 pages, 1314 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Short-Term Treated Wastewater Irrigation on Olive Development and Microbial and Chemical Contamination
by Nehaya Al-Karablieh, Lina Al-Elaumi, Emad Al-Karablieh, Mohammad Tabieh, Madi Al-Jaghbir, Ahmad Jamrah and Massimo Del Bubba
Water 2025, 17(4), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17040463 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 542
Abstract
The use of treated wastewater (TWW) in agriculture is an important technological alternative for decreasing freshwater consumption and improving soil physicochemical and biological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate how the quality of soil and olive plants was affected by [...] Read more.
The use of treated wastewater (TWW) in agriculture is an important technological alternative for decreasing freshwater consumption and improving soil physicochemical and biological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate how the quality of soil and olive plants was affected by irrigation with TWW, surface water (SW), and blended water (BW), using tap water as the control. Several plant growth, chemical, and microbial parameters, namely plant height, trunk diameter, chlorophyll content, pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), metals, salinity, and microbial population were selected for this purpose. The short-term irrigation of olive plants for 3 years with TWW, BW, and SW increased the electrical conductivity, TOC, TN, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil. There were notable differences in plant height and chlorophyll content observed in the third year of the experiment, with the greatest values found for the TWW-irrigated plants. These differences were attributed to the rise in the TOC and TN in the soil, which promoted rapid plant growth. The reduction in microbial contamination during the cold seasons may indicate the natural control of these harmful pathogens. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the blending of TWW with SW can reduce the negative effects of TWW resulting from the accumulation of TOC, TN, and metals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Agricultural Irrigation Management and Technology)
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16 pages, 2306 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Irrigation Regimes for Peanuts in Water-Scarce Regions: A Case Study in Western Liaoning, China
by Siyuan Zhao, Xinhao Du, Jing Chen, Dan Chen, Zhaohui Luo, Bo Bi, Haoran Liu, Lan Lin and Huanghuang Wei
Water 2025, 17(2), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17020178 - 10 Jan 2025
Viewed by 680
Abstract
Scientific irrigation scheduling is crucial for conserving agricultural water resources, as excessive irrigation diminishes crop yield and imprecise water application can equally reduce water use efficiency (WUE). In Western Liaoning Province, China, where water scarcity is critical, traditional irrigation regimes are commonly used [...] Read more.
Scientific irrigation scheduling is crucial for conserving agricultural water resources, as excessive irrigation diminishes crop yield and imprecise water application can equally reduce water use efficiency (WUE). In Western Liaoning Province, China, where water scarcity is critical, traditional irrigation regimes are commonly used for peanut cultivation, with local farmers applying water without considering actual crop water demands, thereby reducing water efficiency and yield. In this study, field experiments on peanuts were conducted from May to October during 2021 and 2022 in Heishan County, Western Liaoning Province, China. Four irrigation regime treatments for micro-sprinkler irrigation, with different lower limits of soil water content, were applied: T1 (55% field capacity), T2 (65% field capacity), T3 (75% field capacity), and T4 (85% field capacity). The plant height, stem thickness, root length, dry matter weight, yield, WUE, and net return were measured. Different irrigation regimes had significant effects on peanut growth. The yield was highest in the T3 treatment in 2021 at 5574 kg·hm−2. Moderate irrigation could improve the yield, but it was difficult to simultaneously achieve a high WUE. The WUE of the T3 treatment was 5% lower than that of the T2 treatment in 2022, where the WUE was the highest at 1.62 kg·m−3. The highest net return was observed in the T3 treatment at 27,307 yuan·hm−2. The T3 treatment, with the highest similarity degree of 0.83 as determined with the entropy value and TOPSIS method, was evaluated as the optimal irrigation regime. This regime not only exhibited a favorable balance of water use efficiency and yield but also maximized economic benefits, making it a recommendable practice for local peanut irrigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Agricultural Irrigation Management and Technology)
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16 pages, 4275 KiB  
Article
Improving Irrigation Water Use Efficiency and Maximizing Vegetable Yields with Drip Irrigation and Poly-Mulching: A Climate-Smart Approach
by Denis Bwire, Fumio Watanabe, Shinji Suzuki and Kana Suzuki
Water 2024, 16(23), 3458; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233458 - 1 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1736
Abstract
Water management is a significant aspect of sustainable vegetable farming, especially in water-scarce regions. This, in addition to weed infestations, limits vegetable yields, which negatively affect food security in developing regions, particularly East Africa, where livelihoods chiefly depend on rain-fed agriculture. Vegetable farming, [...] Read more.
Water management is a significant aspect of sustainable vegetable farming, especially in water-scarce regions. This, in addition to weed infestations, limits vegetable yields, which negatively affect food security in developing regions, particularly East Africa, where livelihoods chiefly depend on rain-fed agriculture. Vegetable farming, especially tomato cultivation, requires more water. By promoting mulching, a soil water conservation tool, we can control surface evaporation (E), which, together with irrigation, enhances effective water use and vegetable yields. The experiments for this study were conducted at the Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan, to evaluate the influences of different irrigation conditions and poly-mulching on weed control, tomato yields, and water use efficiency. The study was conducted from May to September 2018 on a 30 m2 plot in an open-ended greenhouse using drip irrigation for tomato cultivation. Three predetermined irrigation conditions of 4, 3, and 2 mm/day were applied on black poly-mulched and bare ridges. Data on soil conditions—soil temperature, as well as meteorological variables, including solar radiation and temperature—were measured using thermocouple sensors and micro-hobo weather stations, respectively, during the tomato cultivation, while yield components—growth, yield, water productivity, and sugar content—were determined after harvest. The results of a two-way ANOVA show that irrigation conditions with poly-mulching reduced the weed biomass significantly, and improved yields and water use efficiency compared to the irrigation conditions on bare ridges. The application of 4, 3, and 2 mm/day irrigation with poly-mulching significantly reduced the weed biomass by 5% compared to the same irrigation conditions on bare ridges. Similarly, 4 and 3 mm/day irrigation conditions with poly-mulching significantly increased the tomato yield by 5% compared to 2 mm/day on bare ridges. The bigger roots were concentrated and widely distributed at the shallow soil depth (0–20 cm) of the ridges with high irrigation amounts, while the small and thin roots were in deeper soil layers (30–45 cm). This study provides scientific knowledge on the application of predetermined irrigation conditions that can be (i) integrated into irrigation scheduling and (ii) adopted for regions facing water scarcity and limited or no in situ meteorological data, to improve water use efficiency for vegetable cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Agricultural Irrigation Management and Technology)
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