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Assessment of the Irrigation Advisory Services’ Recommendations and Farmers’ Irrigation Management: A Case Study in Southern Spain

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  • Ignacio Lorite

  • Margarita García-Vila
  • María-Ascensión Carmona
  • Cristina Santos
  • María-Auxiliadora Soriano

Abstract

The Local Irrigation Advisory Services (LIAS) carry out essential work to achieve an efficient use of irrigation water at field and irrigation scheme level, which is crucial in Mediterranean irrigation systems. However, it is unusual to find agronomic and economic assessments of LIAS advice. In this work, the LIAS operating in the Genil–Cabra Irrigation Scheme (southern Spain) was evaluated during the first 5 years of its advice. Acceptance by farmers of the LIAS recommendations was evaluated by using agronomic indicators, such as ARIS (Annual Relative Irrigation Supply). ARIS LIAS (actual irrigation applied v. recommendation of LIAS) with values ranging from about 0.23 for wheat and sunflower, and 0.94 for maize, also detecting a high variability between farmers, which indicated a scant acceptance of the LIAS recommendations. The economic evaluation of irrigation was made through two economic indicators, Irrigation Water Productivity (IWP) and Irrigation Water Benefit (IWB). IWP values varied significantly between different crops: around 0.23 € m −3 in wheat, sunflower and maize, about 0.53 € m −3 in cotton and sugar beet, and values higher than 2.0 € m −3 in garlic, for optimal irrigation schedules. For IWB, trends were similar, emphasizing the low IWB values in wheat and sunflower (average values of 0.06 and 0.13 € m −3 , respectively). Consideration of these economic indicators by LIAS could not only help to obtain more suitable and economically profitable irrigation schedules, but also contribute towards a greater acceptance of advisory services by farmers, by shifting the emphasis from maximizing production to maximizing irrigation profitability. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

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  • Ignacio Lorite & Margarita García-Vila & María-Ascensión Carmona & Cristina Santos & María-Auxiliadora Soriano, 2012. "Assessment of the Irrigation Advisory Services’ Recommendations and Farmers’ Irrigation Management: A Case Study in Southern Spain," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(8), pages 2397-2419, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:waterr:v:26:y:2012:i:8:p:2397-2419
    DOI: 10.1007/s11269-012-0023-3
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    2. Cameira, Maria do Rosário & Rodrigo, Isabel & Garção, Andreia & Neves, Manuela & Ferreira, Antónia & Paredes, Paula, 2024. "Linking participatory approach and rapid appraisal methods to select potential innovations in collective irrigation systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    3. López-Mata, E. & Orengo-Valverde, J.J. & Tarjuelo, J.M. & Martínez-Romero, A. & Domínguez, A., 2016. "Development of a direct-solution algorithm for determining the optimal crop planning of farms using deficit irrigation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 173-187.
    4. García-López, J. & García-Ruiz, R. & Domínguez, J. & Lorite, I.J., 2019. "Improving the sustainability of farming systems under semi-arid conditions by enhancing crop management," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Nadeem, Adeel Ahmad & Zha, Yuanyuan & Shi, Liangsheng & Zafar, Zeeshan & Ali, Shoaib & Zhang, Yufan & Altaf, Adnan Raza & Afzal, Muhammad & Zubair, Muhammad, 2023. "SAFER-ET based assessment of irrigation patterns and impacts on groundwater use in the central Punjab, Pakistan," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    6. García-López, J. & Lorite, I.J. & García-Ruiz, R. & Ordoñez, R. & Dominguez, J., 2016. "Yield response of sunflower to irrigation and fertilization under semi-arid conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 151-162.
    7. Paredes, Paula & Pereira, Luis S. & Rodrigues, Gonçalo C. & Botelho, Nuno & Torres, Maria Odete, 2017. "Using the FAO dual crop coefficient approach to model water use and productivity of processing pea (Pisum sativum L.) as influenced by irrigation strategies," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 5-18.
    8. Taguas, Encarnación V. & Cuadrado-Alarcón, Blanca & Domenech, Ignacio & Carmona, M. Ascensión & Mateos, Luciano & Gomez-Macpherson, Helena, 2025. "Irrigation performance and hydrological indicators in an irrigated catchment: How participatory research within a FabLab can contribute to sustainable irrigated production," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    9. Luis Santos Pereira, 2017. "Water, Agriculture and Food: Challenges and Issues," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(10), pages 2985-2999, August.
    10. Lorite, I.J. & Gabaldón-Leal, C. & Ruiz-Ramos, M. & Belaj, A. & de la Rosa, R. & León, L. & Santos, C., 2018. "Evaluation of olive response and adaptation strategies to climate change under semi-arid conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 247-261.

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