Development of a Decision Support System for Irrigation Systems Analysis

Different groups of hydrants or configurations operate simultaneously in on-demand pressurized irrigation systems, generating different flow regimes. The varieties of flow regimes cause a variability in hydrant pressure and consequently an adequate analysis of the hydraulic performance of the system is needed for better operation and adequate management. A reliable performance assessment needs a modern diagnostic analysis in space and time. To this aim, this research assessed the hydraulic performance of an irrigation district distribution network calculating two performance indicators at hydrant level: relative pressure deficit and reliability, and integrated the outputs in a geographic information system environment providing a framework for a decision support system (DSS). The user friendly interface provides detailed, attainable and interpretable information to address the present scenario as well as the future development of the system, and facilitates the cooperation among researchers, managers, and manufacturers to improve operation, maintenance, and management activities.