Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.

If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

Feedback-controlled surge irrigation systems require operating criteria to maximize application efficiency. Two observable pieces of information that can be used for feedback control are water advance and runoff. Unfortunately, due to its spatially dispersed nature, water advance data can be difficult, expensive, and time consuming to collect. With good infiltration data, existing surge irrigation models can simulate surge flow for many conditions and be used to study the effect of varying management and field variables on surge irrigation performance. However, the models do not automatically generate optimal solutions for management. We developed the operating criteria and control logic for the management of a feedback-controlled surge irrigation system that uses a minimal amount of water advance data and runoff data as feedback information. The equations necessary for application of the operating criteria in a feedback-controlled surge irrigation system with laterally varying infiltration are presented.