Evaluation of Irrigation Water Management Indices in Grape Production (Case Study in Markazi Province)

The volume of applied water in the agriculture as an indicator to evaluate the optimal use of water resources, plays an important role in macro management and planning in the field of water management and engineering. Experimental grape orchards were selected across the Markazi province to cover various factors including irrigation methods, soil texture, type of water source (surface or groundwater) and irrigation water quality. Selected orchards were monitored during the growing season 2018-2019, and different parameters such as irrigation dates, amount of irrigation, irrigation duration, and so on were recorded. The results showed that the irrigation interval in the grape orchards varied from 6 to 20 days and the average irrigation water depth was between 30 and 185 mm. The results showed that the amount of irrigation water consumption of grape orchards in the Markazi province was different depending on the type of irrigation systems, the number of irrigation and management of the orchard, and its amount varied from 5973 to 18168 m3/ ha. Also, the application efficiency of irrigation in the studied orchards varied from 35 to 100 percent, average being 63%. The water productivity for this crop varied from 1.1 to 3.7 kg/m3 and it’s average was 2.62 kg/m3 in the Markazi province. Overall, the results of the measurements carried out at the Markazi province showed that regardless of the type of irrigation system used, the irrigation management by the farmer plays an important role in total water use in the orchards.