General information

• Study points: 6.00
• Language: English
• Category: Lectures
• Duration: 52.0 hours 
• Periodicity: Taught in the first semester
• POC: POC Water Resources Engineering

Taught by

Raes Dirk

Content

Part 1: Agro-climatologic aspects
·    Reference evapotranspiration (ETo): Measurement, collection and processing of climatic data such as air temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, sunshine and evaporation, and an introduction to agro-meteorological field stations;  Measurement and calculation of reference evapotranspiration (FAO-Penman Monteith approach).
·    Rainfall: Characterization of the global dryness/wetness of a period (10-day, month, growing season, or year) based on the estimate of the dependable effective rainfall from historical time series of rainfall data; Determination of effective rainfall
 
Part 2: Crop and Irrigation water requirements
·    Computation of the crop water requirements (Kc-ETo approach); Factors determining the crop coefficient (Kc); Construction of the Kc-curve.
·    Computation of the net and gross irrigation requirement; Crop water requirements and gains of water by rainfall and capillary rise; Leaching requirement to prevent soil salinity; Distribution, application and project efficiency in irrigation schemes.
·    Estimation of field and scheme water requirements.
 
Part 3: Plant-soil-water systems
·    Soil physical properties (particle size distribution, soil structure, bulk density).
·    Soil water content: Common expressions of soil water content (mass water content, volumetric water content, equivalent depth); Water stored in the root zone; Root zone depletion.
·    Soil water retention (field capacity, wilting point, total available water, readily available water); Estimations of the state variables soil water content;
·    Yield response to water under unlimited and limited water supply; Yield response to water under saline conditions;
Part 4: Irrigation scheduling principles
·    Theory of irrigation scheduling when water supply is not limiting;
·    Effect of irrigation system [surface irrigation systems (basin, border and furrow), and pressurized irrigation systems (sprinkling and trickle irrigation)] on irrigation scheduling;
·    Theory of scheduling under conditions of water scarcity (e.g. deficit irrigation);
·    Theory of scheduling under conditions of irrigation with low water quality; and
·    Practical planning of irrigation scheduling at field and project level.
 
Practical sessions (in PC class)
The practical exercises aim at training the students in methods for the processing of climatic data, the characterization of the rainy season, the computation of the reference and crop evapotranspiration, the calculation of the salt and water balance of cultivated rainfed and irrigated fields, and the calculation of net and gross water requirements for various conditions.
During the practical sessions the students receive an introduction in the use of the following menu driven software packages: ETo calculator (FAO); RAINBOW: frequency analysis of hydrological data (K.U.Leuven); New_LocClim: world-wide agroclimatic data (FAO); BUDGET: a soil water and salt balance model (K.U.Leuven); UPFLOW: capillary transport of water above a shallow water table (K.U.Leuven); and Hydraulic properties calculator – soil physical characteristics (USDA – Washington State University).
 
Assignment
The homework consists in the further development of one particular PC application and the writing of a scientific report describing the method, discussing the results and formulating conclusions.

Course activities

26 hrs/2 credits theory; 26 hrs/2 credits of practical work; 26 hrs/2 credits of assignment/guided self-study

Evaluation description

Examination type:
    oral with written preparation
Evaluation type:
    Closed book
    Open book

Explanation

Quotation on sample problems (open book) and oral examination (closed book), and assessment of homework (1 report).