I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Irrigation Water Management

2. Course Prefix & Number:
AGRO 1122

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

4. Course Description:

This course introduces students to the concept of irrigation water management. Through this course students will understand different irrigation systems, soil and crop relationships, sensor technologies, and scheduling irrigation events.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

PS483 Irrigation – Crop and Soil Practices – 3 Credits – South Dakota State University, AGRO452 Irrigation System Management – 3 Credits – University of Nebraska-Lincoln

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Agronomy Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Review article on sensors technology and write a report on the sensor.
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Develop a written plan for scheduling irrigation events.
Utilize appropriate technology	Identify technology available in the irrigation industry and how the technology affects profitability.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Identify different types of irrigation systems;
• Identify the purpose for irrigation water management;
• Describe the types of soil moisture sensor technologies;
• Compare irrigation scheduling strategies;
• Document the soil water holding capacities for different types of soil;
• Identify different soil profiles and their relationship to IWM;
• Demonstrate understanding of evapotranspiration;
• Document how to perform a pivot uniformity test; and
• Analyze energy sources of irrigation systems.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. History of Irrigation Systems
   • Advances made in the development of irrigation systems
   • Different types of irrigations systems
   • Different types of irrigation systems ajnd their appropriate use
2. Purpose of Irrigation Scheduling
   • Need for proper IWM
   • Affects of IWM on profitability
   • IWM affects on natural resources
3. Soil Water Relations
   • Physical soil properties
   • Typical soil profile
   • Different soil water holding capacities to varying soil types
   • Infiltration rates and water movement in soil are related
4. Crop Water Use
   • Components of evapotranspiration (ET)
   • Crop water use varies throughout the season
   • Different characteristics of crops and how they affect IWM
   • Critical periods of stress in crops
5. Scheduling Irrigation Application
   • Soil water balance calculations
   • Different methods used for scheduling irrigation
   • IWM plan
6. Sprinkler Irrigation Systems
   • Components of sprinkler irrigation systems
   • System requirements
   • Application of different irrigation packages
7. Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI)
   • Different types of VRI
   • VRI affects on efficiencies
   • VRI correlations to soils and nutrient applications
8. Sensor Technologies
   • Sensors utilization with IWM
   • Pros and cons of available sensors
   • Installation methods of different sensors
9. Irrigation Efficiencies and Energy Sources
   • Water application efficiency
   • Perform a pivot uniformity test
   • Different types of energy sources