Conceptual principles of watering control under irrigation

The conceptual principles of watering control under irrigation using decision support systems are outlined. Based on the analysis and research of foreign and domestic authors, it has been proven that the effectiveness of watering control depends to a large extent on the methodological approaches used to determine the terms and rates of watering in various decision support systems. It is shown that the most complete potential of varieties and hybrids of various types of crops under irrigation can be realized when establishing and implementing irrigation regimes ensuring the moisture supply of the soil root layer in a narrow range of high humidity (close to field water-holding capacity (FWHC) during the entire growing season. It was grounded that the implementation of such irrigation regimes is possible only by applying decision support systems using GIS technologies, which combine hydrogeological models for calculation and forecasting of watering terms and rates, based on the use of soil moisture potential as a criterion of moisture supply availability for plants and Earth remote sensing data (ERSD). Such a combination makes it possible to analyze and apply measurement and forecasting data to the areas not covered by ground observations and provides highly efficient ecologically safe irrigation providing high irrigation water productivity and ecological safety of irrigation. The implementation of these principles in the practice of irrigation management ensures the yield of irrigated crops as of 0.85-0.90 of the potential of modern varieties and hybrids, while simultaneously reducing the consumption of irrigation water per unit of yield, as well as minimizing or eliminating losses of irrigation water due to infiltration, development of flooding processes, salinization, and secondary salinization of soils.