Summary

Excellent on-farm irrigation management and design have traditionally been promoted for reasons of improved yields and farm input costs.  More recently, external pressures require even more detail to on-farm irrigation.  These external pressures include competition for water by urban and environmental interests, plus degradation of aquifers and rivers.  As irrigation progresses from an art to a science, new concepts must be adopted.  Key points made in the paper relate to flexible water deliveries to farms, improved fertigation practices, the importance of on-farm irrigation evaluations, the use of an Irrigation Consumer Bill of Rights by dealers and farmers, and irrigation system hardware improvements.