Required in stage
First term
Second term
Both terms
Not organised
This year
Next year
Alternating years
External
Prerequisites
Language of instruction
Duration
Identical coursesWater Productivity and Irrigation Design (B-KUL-I0D27A)
Cannot be taken as part of an examination contract
Janssens Pieter | N. Aims
After completion of the course, students should be able to:
- Analyze the demands of a farmer/cooperation/water management office to develop a cropping scheme and irrigation infrastructure and management at a specific location
- Analyze the context of crop water productivity at a specific location and context
- Design optimal irrigation schedules, deficit irrigation strategies and irrigation charts for farmers with AquaCrop
- Run and interpret simulations to tackle crop water productivity at a specific location and context under current and future climate
- Understand the (interactions of) effects of soil and agricultural management practices on simulated yield ,CWP and interannual yield stability
- Identify crop rotations/cropping systems suited for a specific location and socio-economic context
- Identify the irrigation type most suited for that specific location and proposed cropping system
- Evaluate/Design the water distribution system from the water source to the irrigated field
- Evaluate/Design the field equipment
(dimensions, selection of suitable components, spatial lay-out, taking into account available workforce and socio-economic constraints)
Previous knowledge
Students are supposed to have basic knowledge on crop water requirements, soil science, physics, hydraulics.
Beginning conditions: Agricultural Water Management (or Irrigation Agronomy or Irrigation and Drainage); Hydraulics; Water Resources Management 1: Hydro-Social Systems
Order of Enrolment
Mixed prerequisite:
You may only take this course if you comply with the prerequisites. Prerequisites can be strict or flexible, or can imply simultaneity. A degree level can be also be a prerequisite.
Explanation:
STRICT: You may only take this course if you have passed or applied tolerance for the courses for which this condition is set.
FLEXIBLE: You may only take this course if you have previously taken the courses for which this condition is set.
SIMULTANEOUS: You may only take this course if you also take the courses for which this condition is set (or have taken them previously).
DEGREE: You may only take this course if you have obtained this degree level.
FLEXIBLE (I0P71A) OR FLEXIBLE(I0D14C) OR FLEXIBLE( I0W44A ) OR FLEXIBLE (I0J63A)
The codes of the course units mentioned above correspond to the following course descriptions:
I0P71A : Irrigatie en drainage (No longer offered this academic year)
I0D14C : Irrigation Agronomy (No longer offered this academic year)
I0W44A : Irrigation and Drainage (No longer offered this academic year)
I0J63A : Agricultural Water Management
Is included in these courses of study
- Master of Water Resources Engineering (Leuven et al) (Option Specialized Knowledge and Skills in Water Resources Engineering and Modelling) 120 ects.
- Master of Water Resources Engineering (abridged programme 60 ECTS) (Leuven et al) 60 ects.
- Courses for Exchange Students Faculty of Bioscience Engineering (Leuven)
- Master in de bio-ingenieurswetenschappen: landbeheer (Leuven) (Major bodem- en watersystemen) 120 ects.
- Master of Bioscience Engineering: Agro- and Ecosystems Engineering (Leuven) (Major Subject: Soil and Water Systems) 120 ects.
Activities
3 ects. Crop Water Productivity Management (B-KUL-I0O89a)
Content
1. Relevance of Water Productivity on a general and global scale. Introduction to the problem of global water availability and agronomic use, water footprint, crop water productivity management and modelling. Introduction to AquaCrop
2. Application of AquaCrop to design agro-systems and management practices with attention to the system’s water productivity.
- Simulation from crop canopy cover over transpiration and biomass production to yield
- Field management including soil surface practices, runoff, soil salinity and soil fertility
- Irrigation management including net irrigation requirement, irrigation scheduling and deficit irrigation
- Adapted agro-systems for climate change conditions
Course material
- Handbook on the underlying theoretical concepts of the crop water productivity model AquaCrop
- Handbook on how to run the crop water productivity model AquaCrop for practical application
Available on Toledo:
- Crop water productivity model AquaCrop (software)
- Online modules to acquire (practical and theoretical) knowledge about crop water productivity management and modelling, including presentations with voice-over about the underlying theoretical concepts and practical application of the crop water productivity model AquaCrop
- Online modules to (self) test (practical and theoretical) knowledge about crop water productivity management
- Reference manual of the crop water productivity model AquaCrop
Format: more information
Flipped classroom - Group assignment - Practical lecture - Project work - Report
Presentation
Students follow in-class sessions that consist of mainly practical exercises, training in software and feedback on student’s queries to design field management for achieving optimal crop water productivity (including an irrigation schedule) in a practical application project
During pre-class sessions students have to prepare each of the in-class sessions by completing an online module (on Toledo) offering presentations with voice-over, selected chapters in the course handbooks and a minor pre-class assignment
2 ects. Design and Evaluation of Irrigation Systems (B-KUL-I0O88a)
Content
During this OLA, students will be engaged to analyze and evaluate the context of an existing or planned irrigation project addressing the different dimensions. Starting from a concrete assignment, they will
- Identify crop rotations/cropping systems suited for a specific location and socio-economic context
- Identify the irrigation type(s) most suited for that specific location and proposed cropping system
- Explore available water resources for the location
- Evaluate/Design the water distribution system from the water source to the irrigated field
- Evaluate/Design the field equipment (dimensions, selection of suitable components, spatial lay-out, ...)
- Reflect on the socio-economic context of the project and the links to water management in the irrigated perimeter
Course material
Learning material will be made available on Toledo following the project progress
Format: more information
Group assignment - Literature review - Presentation - Project work - Report
Discussion
Students will get a project assignment, which they will have to analyse, propose a methodology to investigate and implement that methodology to create their report and oral presentation. During the practical sessions, they will get time to work in groups and get access to relevant/necessary theory by the professor upon demand as part of their learning process. Several learning blocks will be available as part of the learning process.
Evaluation
Evaluation: Water Productivity and Irrigation Design (B-KUL-I2D27a)
Explanation
The assessment is based on an evaluation of the student’s reports about their projects (55%), which is submitted prior to the oral defence and the oral exam (45%).
The projects and reports are discussed during the oral examination. The student presents the design or management projects on an individual basis, discusses how to select alternative management and design options, justifies his or her choices for management and design and explains the steps followed towards the final result.
Information about retaking exams
Whereas the progress presentations and the group report cannot be repeated in the second session, the individual oral defence can be subject to a second exam opportunity.