Comparison of different irrigation methods based on the parametric evaluation approach in Dosalegh plain: Iran

Declining water resources and limited clean water reservoirs call for more efficient water use for food production in the future. The objective of this research was to compare different irrigation methods based on a parametric evaluation system in an area of 60,000ha in the Dosalegh plain of the Khuzestan province, in the southwest of Iran. After 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 and drip irrigation instead of surface irrigation method, the land suitability of 23,790 and 33,261ha (39.89%) in the Dosalegh plain will improve, respectively. The comparison of the different types of irrigation techniques revealed that the drip and sprinkler irrigations methods were more effective and efficient than that of surface irrigation for improved land productivity. However, the main limiting factor in using either surface or/and sprinkler irrigation methods in this area were soil texture, salinity, and slope, and the main limiting factor in using drip irrigation methods were the calcium carbonate content, soil texture and salinity.