How irrigation management and controlled drainage can reduce subsurface drainage flows
This Phase III study reports on field testing of irrigation tools and drainage control methods designed to lower drain water volume and its salt and boron loads without hurting crop yields. It covers three west side fields and shows how managers can combine hardware and scheduling tools for better water balance and salinity handling.
The report details practical approaches, performance results, and installation guidance that help farmers, agronomists, and engineers decide when and where controlled drainage makes sense. It also discusses the role of predictive and responsive models to support day‑to‑day decisions and longer‑term planning.
- Use of DOS-IR Valves to control water tables and reduce deep percolation
- Integration of DRAINMOD and SWAP/ET for irrigation scheduling and water table predictions
- Field results on deep percolation, upflux, and soil salinity/boron trends across crops
- Field suitability criteria and installation guidelines to maximize drainage control
Ideal for readers of agricultural engineering, irrigation managers, and researchers exploring drainage reduction and salt balance in cropping systems.