An Optimization Scheme of Irrigation Advice: A Case Study, Sugar Beet in the Basque Country

Abstract

Irrigation advice is usually based on the optimization of crop yield, which sometimes does not meet the objective of economic optimization. In some regions, the information provided by irrigation scheduling schemes based on crop production optimization is not completely reliable if there are economic or environmental constraints. The objective of the present study is the development of an optimization scheme of irrigation advice based on economic optimization under different scenarios of water availability. The optimization scheme presented in this study is focused on the minimization of the economic losses related to the cost of water and the economic yield loss associated with different irrigation strategies. As a case study the developed scheme was applied to the optimization of irrigation advice on sugar beet in the Basque country (northern Spain). A comparison has been performed between the optimized and the actual irrigation strategies in the area of study. As a result of this comparison the adoption by an Irrigation Advisory Service of the developed optimization scheme seems adequate in the area of study. This comparison reveals the utility of the developed scheme for the optimization of irrigation advice under specific scenarios of water constraints. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.