Evaluating performances of the first automatic system for paddy irrigation in Europe

Italy is the leading rice producer in Europe, accounting for more than half of the total high-quality production of this crop. Rice is traditionally grown in fields that remain flooded starting with crop establishment until close to harvest. The water management in rice areas requires a high level of labor because it is based on maintaining a predetermined water height in paddy fields and because the regulation of input and output flow is typically operated manually by the farmers. This study aims to evaluate the hydraulic, control and economical performances of the first automatic and remote-controlled system applied for traditional rice irrigation in Europe and tested in Italy during 2016 agricultural season. In particular, (i) the effects of automation on the water balance; (ii) the reliability of the irrigation system for a real-time control of flow regulation and water level management in the field and (iii) the economic viability of the investment are investigated. The results show that, despite the automatic system has not proven a decrease of water consumptions (ranging from 2000 to 3700 mm) or a significant increase of rice yield (of about 8 ton hectare(-1)), it has not revealed any mechanical malfunctioning during the irrigation season and it allows to drastically reduce the time spent by workers for water level control and flow regulation. Lastly, the price of the automatic irrigation system (ranging from 638 to 689(sic) hectare(-1)) appears to be in good agreement with respect to the willingness of farmers for innovation. (C) 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.