04227 - Irrigation and Drainage

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Marketing and Economics of the agro-industrial system (cod. 8526)

Learning outcomes

The student learns the main agro-technical and economic characteristics of the irrigation and drainage systems used for agricultural water management. The student is able to assess the agro-system and identify the best technical solutions at different spatial scales. Finally the student is able to characterize the economic value of water management for agricultural production and more in general for the environment.

Course contents

Formative Pre-requirements

The student must have a basic knowledge of mathematics and physics and agronomy. These pre-requirements are provided by the respective courses of the Bachelor degree.

Unit 1 – Introduction to hydrology (12 hours)

  • Main characteristics of the water balance and water fluxes. Measurements and modelling. Challenges and solutions at different spatial scales.

Skills acquired in unit 1

  • The student learns the main concepts of hydrology and the main challenges related to agricultural water management.

Unit 2 – Dry conditions and irrigation (24 hours)

  • Soil hydrology, plant water requirements, irrigation
  • Irrigation systems: gravitational methods (sliding, infiltration, submersion); methods of irrigation in pressure (sprinkling, micro-irrigation).
  • Computer exercises for the estimation of plant water requirements and for irrigation design

Skills acquired in unit 2

  • The student learns the functioning of the different irrigation techniques.
  • The student is able to choose the suitable irrigation technique in the different conditions.
  • The student is able to estimate the main irrigation variables

Unit 3 – Drainage (24 hours)

  • Relationship between water and drainage
  • Classification of drainage systems and their use

Skills acquired in unit 3

  • The student learns the functioning of both surface and subsurface drainage systems
  • The student is able to identify the most suitable setup of a drainage system.

Unit 4 – Externality (8 hours)

  • Non-commensurable effects related to irrigation and drainage
  • Case studies at different spatial scales

Skills acquired in unit 4

  • The student is able to identify the economic value of agricultural water management not only from a agricultural production point of view but more in general related to the environmental and agro-ecosystems.

Readings/Bibliography

-Lecture notes of the teacher on "Irrigation and Drainage" (in pdf format on the web or copied at the Central Library)

Texts for further information:
 -C.Costantinidis-General and Applied Hydraulics agrarian-Edagricole
 -Dissemination Center-Agricultural Irrigation Methods-Edagricole
 -Emilia-Romagna Microirrigazione-Department of Agriculture-Series Studies and Research
Louis-Gardens-underground drainage-tube Edagricole
-Angel-Trisoldi L'Irrigazione-Edagricole
-A.Capra, B.Scicolone: Design and Management of irrigation systems, Edagricole

Teaching methods

The course is divided in four didactic units. The first unit is a theoretical introduction to the main characteristic of the system and of the processes involved. The other units are organized in frontal lessons, discussion of case studies and practical exercises with the computer.

Assessment methods

This teaching is part of the Course INTEGRATED: AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY, IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE with the following other teaching: Technique of agricultural mechanization.
Therefore, the evaluation of the course takes into account jointly the level of knowledge and skills acquired by the student in relation to the contents of all of the above teachings. The knowledge and skills taught in this course are evaluated in the following way: the final exam which will test the student knowledge and skills acquired during the teaching is an oral exam (it will last about 30 minutes) during which the student has to explain some topics (freely chosen) among those listed in the program of the course. The exam could be conducted in English.

Teaching tools

Blackboard, overhead projector, computer, internet access. All the lessons are carried out with the help of Power Point presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Gabriele Baroni

SDGs

Clean water and sanitation

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.