Overview |
Crop Production |
Crop Pattern |
Crop Yield |
Irrigation |
Soil Management | Precision Farming |
Relevant Products |
Relevant Links
GIS based diagnostic analysis of irrigation system performance assessment of Bhadra command area at disaggregated level Actually the irrigation system performance is characterized by the effectiveness of the irrigation throughout the season in a timely pattern averting the losses thereby improving the economic gains (Martin Hvidit, 1997). If the control over irrigation water and its distribution in time and space according to the cropping pattern can be exercised, the system output in terms of production and economic gains will be realized. On the other hand, the water availability in time and space will command the agricultural practices such as cropping pattern, calendar, etc. Such a synchronization of cultivation and irrigation is possible only when the water control in terms of adequacy, timeliness and uniformity is practiced in a command. For this purpose the irrigation system operation should be so devised to create a potential for high performance irrigation resulting in an application system that farmer can use to irrigate his field uniformly in right time, with right amount (Skewes M.A, 1998). With this viewpoint, government of India with assistance from World Bank launched the “National Water Management Program (NWMP) which aims at RELIABLE, PREDICTABLE AND EQUITABLE supply of water. The timely and reliable assessment and monitoring of water resources and systematic exploration and developing new ones is of paramount importance. Considering the stupendous task and the constraint of time, it is necessary to employ modern methods of surveying, investigations, design and implementation. Remote sensing and GIS are viewed as an efficient tool for irrigation water management.  Fig. 2: Analysis on the cultivation – irrigation practices Remote sensing techniques are useful for Irrigation water management in the following areas (NRSA 1993)
 Fig. 3: Analysis on the crop performance This primary information on the crop and water availability derived from remote sensing methods form a reliable databases for further investigation and analysis across space and time at desegregated levels of spatial parcels. This integration of remote sensing and ground inputs can be very effectively organized and analyzed in GIS environment. Such augmentation of the basic information of the system and the expert knowledge results in a system that addresses the present scenario of the system and future development in the system (Wolfe D.S , 1997). One of the advantages of GIS is that it gives a clear picture of effect of any action plan employed in the system through “if-then “ simulation.
Significance of the study Here an attempt is made to integrate satellite-derived crop information with ground- collected inputs with respect to agricultural, irrigation and socioeconomic practices, in GIS environment for a diagnostic analysis of the irrigation system across space and time. Two systems were developed; one addressing the performance evaluation of the entire command at distributary level from satellite-derived crop information, yield model, water use efficiency, etc.; second addressing the diagnostic analysis of a few selected distributors to find the causative factors (Chari S.T et al, 1995,1996). Three distributor commands of Bhadra Irrigation system, Karnataka were selected for this study. This is an extension of system which addresses the performance evaluation of Irrigation command and compares the good and poor performance in distributaries reported by the first system. An analysis is carried out to analyze these distributories with respect to report practices add the performance to find out the causative factors for poor performance. This is to basically establish GIS as a tool aid analysis irrigation system at different levels and to help the time- manned location-wise decision-making process for enhancing the efficiency of the system.  Fig. 4: Analysis on fertilizer application |