LAWI301221 Irrigation design

Type
Lecture and exercise
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Nolz, Reinhard
Organisation
Soil Physics and Rural Water Management
Offered in
Wintersemester 2026/27
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

The course covers the principles and methods of planning, technical design, and water-law permitting of irrigation systems. It is intended for prospective planners, agricultural farm managers, and professionals working in public authorities, water management, funding schemes, and technical assessment.
Based on a specific site, students develop a technically sound irrigation project. They conduct site, field, and crop analyses; determine crop water requirements and irrigation demand; assess water availability; and select appropriate irrigation systems. Building on this analysis, they prepare the technical design of the system and develop an irrigation plan at system level, including a coordinated irrigation schedule. Agronomic, hydraulic, environmental, economic, and water-law requirements are considered throughout.
Students prepare the technical planning and application documents required for water-law permitting and acquire the ability to professionally assess comparable irrigation projects.
Previous knowledge expected

Soil–water–plant relations: soil water storage and movement, evapotranspiration, crop water requirements, and the basic principles of irrigation scheduling.
Hydraulics: basic concepts of flow in pipes and open channels, pressure losses, and pump operation.
Water availability: interpretation of local groundwater levels, simple water balances, and basic principles of water abstraction.
Technical planning: ability to read and prepare simple technical drawings, site plans, and schematic system diagrams.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- assess site, field, and crop characteristics as a basis for irrigation planning;
quantitatively determine site- and crop-specific crop water requirements and irrigation requirements, and prepare a seasonal irrigation schedule;
- assess the quantitative, spatial, and technical availability of water, including local groundwater levels and potential abstraction points;
select appropriate irrigation methods and evaluate their application efficiency and distribution uniformity;
- carry out hydraulic calculations and dimension irrigation systems, including pumps, pipelines, sprinklers, and drip irrigation lines;
- develop a seasonal water allocation and distribution strategy at farm or system level and coordinate it with irrigation schedules for individual fields;
- prepare technical drawings, hydraulic schematics, and the required technical documentation for an irrigation project;
- address the main requirements of a water-law permitting procedure and prepare structured documentation for the permit application of an irrigation project.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.