Background

  　Water is critical for agriculture and irrigation practice is an important part of farm management. Irrigation water is often wasted or poorly applied (i.e., amount or timing) leading to lowered agricultural production from poor crop health or damage. It is important to evaluate water resource availability to effectively manage irrigation timing and amounts required for efficient crop production.
　  We assessed watershed-level water availability upon a local irrigation scheme. Data were gathered through field observations and farmer questionnaires. Data were evaluated by computer modeling. At the watershed level, irrigation water allocation is spatially unbalanced among upstream, midstream, and downstream observations. We attempted to determine alternative management methods and/or improve current methods for efficiently allocating irrigation water equally to the fields.

Our mission

  　By improving irrigation water use efficiency through better allocation management, there is an apparent increase in water availability. This will lead to an expanded cultivation area, higher production, and ultimately, better agricultural stability.

URL

http://www.eme.okayama-u.ac.jp/Sections/Irrigation/index-en.html