The main objective of this research is to compare different irrigation methods based upon a parametric evaluation system in an area of 45,000 ha in the Ramhormoz plain located in the Khuzestan Province, in the southwest of Iran. The soil properties of the study area such as texture, depth, electrical conductivity, drainage, calcium carbonate content and slope were derived from a semi-detailed soil study carried out on the Ramhormoz plain on a scale of 1:20,000. Once the soil properties were analyzed and evaluated, suitability maps were generated for surface, sprinkler and drip irrigation methods using Remote Sensing (RS) Techniques and Geographic Information System (GIS). The results demonstrated that by applying sprinkler irrigation instead of surface and drip irrigation methods, the arability of 39,625 ha (87.98%) in the Ramhormoz Plain will improve. In addition by applying drip Irrigation instead of surface and sprinkler irrigation methods, the land suitability of 2925 ha (6.57%) of this Plain will improve. The comparison of the different types of irrigation techniques revealed that the sprinkler and drip irrigations methods were more effective and efficient than the surface irrigation methods for improving land productivity. However, the main limiting factor in using surface irrigation methods in this area were salinity, drainage and carbonate content and the main limiting factor in using sprinkler and drip irrigation methods in this area were salinity and carbonate content.

surface irrigation; sprinkler irrigation; drip irrigation; land suitability evaluation; parametric method; soil series

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia