Abstract

Successful performance of Surge irrigation system depends chiefly on the design of Surge Cycle Timing parameters and prediction of the net Waterfront Advance times to reach the furrow tailends within the stipulated duration of irrigation. Extensive expermentation with different practical combinations of furrow inflow rates, furrow sizes, length and gradients for selected Surge Cycle Ratios and Numebr of Surges to complete irrigation has resulted in the development of a comprehensive computer model entitled as Surgemode. Validation of the model surgemode has also revealed that the predicted and the observed values of net waterfront advance times to reach furrow tailends lie in an acceptable range of Sto10% deviation while those of the soil moisture distribution efficiency lic in a range of 3108%, making the developed model reliable for design and pre-evaluation of surge irrigation systems to suit the conditions prescribed in the text

Keywords: Surge flow, Cycle timing, Cycle Ratio, Surgemode, Model, Waterfront advance. Moisture distribution efficiency