IRRINET: Large Scale DSS Application for On-farm Irrigation Scheduling

• Published in: Procedia environmental sciences 2013, Vol.19, p.823-829
• Main Authors: Mannini, P., Genovesi, R., Letterio, T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: irrigation scheduling service,water saving; IRRINET
• ISSN: 1878-0296; 1878-0296
• DOI: 10.1016/j.proenv.2013.06.091

IRRINET is an expert system for irrigation scheduling developed by the CER (Emiliano-Romagnolo Canal Irrigation Consortium), implementing the results of more than 50 years of research on plant/water relation and sustainable irrigation management. The IRRINET project was supported and co-funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region with the aim to progressively reduce water use for irrigation all over the region. IRRINET is among the tools provided to the farmers in the frame of Emilia-Romagna Regional Action Plan for Rural Development 2007-2013. The service started in 1984, on the Videotext network, and, nowadays, IRRINET is spreading in other 6 regions of Italy, with IRRIFRAME project. The following step after the 1984 was in 1999 when IRRINET service was developed on WEB. The IRRINET service is freely available on Internet and provides an ‘irrigation advice’ for the main water demanding crops. The system provides a real-time irrigation scheduling: day-by-day information on how much and when to irrigate farm crops. The aim of present paper is describe the evolution of IRRINET service, the sub-models of IRRINET water balance model and the main development trends. With special attention is analyzed the future development needs in precision irrigation context.