Simulation of Advance Curve in Furrow Irrigation with Continuous and Cutback Inflows

Furrow irrigation is one of the common surface irrigation methods whose hydraulic behavior is under the influence of the inflow hydrograph. Accurate prediction of the advance phase is very important for design, management, and evaluation of this kind of surface irrigation system. In this study, the advance phase was simulated for six different hydrograph conditions of continuous and cutback inflows to furrow by using surface irrigation mathematical models. Field experiments were performed in Aboureihan campus, located in the southeast of Tehran province. The field data collected included inflow and outflow hydrographs, advance and recession data, cross sectional area and geometry of furrow, field slope, and infiltrated water depth along the furrows. The results showed that the least value of root mean square error(RMSE) (with an average of 6.32) and the highest value of the model efficiency factor (average 0.95) were related to the cutback hydrograph whose flow was reduced to 0.75 of the initial inflow after 60% of the cutoff time. The highest value of the RMSE (with an average of 12.30) and the least value of the model efficiency factor (with an average of 0.83) belonged to the continuous hydrograph whose discharge was reduced to 0.25 of the total discharge and irrigation continued for the entire time of irrigation. The results also showed that in cutback inflows section, the hydrodynamic, zero-inertia, and kinematic wave models were not applicable for reduction of flow in any lengths or any times. The selection of mathematical model for simulation of the advance of flow in the furrow depends on the amount of inflow and cut off time.