A comparative assessment of trickle and spray irrigation: Science Report - SC040008/SR3, Environment Agency

Abstract

Recent research (Assessing optimum irrigation water use: additional agricultural and nonagricultural sectors SC040008/SR1) complements existing guidelines (W6- 056) for the Environment Agency to assess and set the ‘optimum’ or ‘reasonable’ irrigation needs for an abstraction licence, across a wide range of agricultural, horticultural, amenity and sports turf sectors. For those abstractors with time-limited licences, demonstrating efficient use of water is one of three tests required by the Environment Agency for successful licence renewal. However, the definition of efficiency under UK conditions of supplemental irrigation has been the subject of widespread debate between academics, the regulator, industry and individual abstractors. To improve our understanding of efficiency, and particularly the differences between overhead (spray) and micro (trickle) irrigation, this report offers a comparative study of the efficiency of water use with these contrasting irrigation