Assessing the water conservation potential of optimized surface irrigation management in Northern Italy

Abstract The effects of climate change on water availability affect the performance surface irrigation, which is oldest and most common method application to row crops worldwide. A paradigm shift towards strategies aimed at increasing flexibility irrigation scheduling improving design management field layouts practices should be explored promote conservation farm scale. In this study, we investigate how by adopting a more flexible optimizing variables layout it possible increase efficiency border thus achieve conservations improve quality crop production. analysis actual was carried out two maize fields located in Padana Plain (Northern Italy) 2 years characterized different rainfall patterns (i.e. 2021 2022). Based information, continuous monitoring soil moisture status combined with AquaCrop-OS agro-hydrological model used manage over experimental fields, while optimization (flowrate per unit width cutoff time) geometries (border slope) studied using WinSRFR 5.1 USDA software, properly calibrated measures waterfront advance recession. results show that proper layout, significant can achieved. Specifically, case seasonal about 10% obtained just based needs very dry agricultural season, reached up 60% wetter season. On average, an additional 7% achieved season when duration correctly applied each plots, approximately 20% conserved designed inflow availability. These provide useful information for practice, both under current conditions prospective freshwater scarcity future.