Irrigation efficiency and uniformity

The increase in human population and its shift toward urban areas has increased water demand for urban purposes. Crop production is a major goal of agriculture, so crop yield is often a component of the ratio. The ratio evapotranspiration/applied water is often reported and its numerical value is highly dependent on the amount of runoff. At the farmer level, economic irrigation efficiency is the irrigation management that maximizes profit. The increased costs incurred to achieve more uniform irrigation must be offset by increased benefits associated with the improved irrigation uniformity to justify the investment. Establishing economically efficient irrigation management requires knowledge of the crop-water production function. Implementation of an ideal irrigation management practice requires a proper assessment of economic externalities and an institutional framework to impose the external costs or benefits on the farmer.