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An example of audit of the Irrigation Systems in a Saudi Farm
Water use for crop irrigation in Saudi farms is one of the main production costs because of increasing energy price, ageing and maintenance of engines, pivots, etc. Furthermore, water ressources in the Kingdom are not unlimited. Consequently, optimized water management in agriculture can contribute to improve short term economic results of Saudi farms and long term duration of crop irrigation in the Kingdom. This general observation has to be specified if one wish to assess cost and water savings that can be reached at a farm scale by improving the water management system. That is the reason why a specific audit has been carried out in a Saudi farm (hard wheat, 4000 ha, 74 pivots) in the Northwestern part of the Kingdom. The second objective of this audit was also to analyse the ability of the technical staff of the farm to use the water management system that has been proposed.
 Methodology
Step 1 : site visit and meetings with farmer and technical staff to get information concerning irrigation management and particularly :
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functioning of irrigation equipement ;
- soil water storage capacity ;
- crop water needs ;
- plant age and climate influence on crop needs.
Step 2 : control of water applied by pivots to specify spatial distribution of water along the pivot and average amount of water for a given speed and pressure ; this control will be used to know how to use each pivot to give the required water quantity to the crop.
Step 3 : installation of soil water sensors (tensiometers) depending on soil study and pivot control ; sensors will be use to decide when to irrigate ; irrigation decision rules depend on soil analysis (soil texture and deepness, roots progression)
Step 4 : water balance between crop needs and irrigation amounts using the pan evaporation method combined with crop coefficient field estimations ; this information is used at a week or 10 days scale as a control tool.
Results
During the observation and study period, we achieved great savings (more that 30 %) of irrigation functioning without decreasing crop growth. Savings will be even larger once the method is adopted all along the growing season.
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Effect of water shortage
The crop's response to water deficit depends on the species and the development stage reached by the plant when the
stress occurs.
Species
Some crops such as sunflower have a low response to water and can resist moderate water deficits. Other, such as maize
or ray-grass will be more sensitive to water shortage.
Development stage
In terms of development stage, it is widely accepted that the reproduction
period is the most sensitive to water deficit. But, whereas a strong water
shortage can affect final yield (no fecundation, abortion etc.), researchers
have also shown that in some conditions, a moderate water deficit has
a positive impact on plant production. In white clover seed production
for example, a moderate water stress during blooming leads to higher yields
and better seed quality (Bissuel et al., 1994).
Effect of water excess
Apart from financial considerations (waste of money), water excess can have an impact on soil properties in arid and
semi-arid regions. FAO has recently insisted on the impact of irrigation on soil salt balance: " too much water
causes water logging, which raises the water table. The soil then acts like a sponge, drawing water up into the root
zone by capillary action. The water then evaporates, leaving salt aroung the roots, which interferes with the ability
of the roots to absorb water."
Too much water can also asphyxiate the roots which reduces water uptake
by the plant. The crop then suffers from water shortage.
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