HuraGIS
Extension of ArcGIS for the agronomic and hydraulic management of irrigation in communities of pressure irrigation registers
Description
HuraGIS is a tool that arises from the current need to save water in agriculture, focusing on the management of Irrigation Communities with localized irrigation implantation, a highly implemented modernization measure, since it allows to increase the efficiency of irrigation, provided that rational use of water is made. It is necessary to monitor and control all the processes involved in irrigation management.
The information required is of a very diverse nature, and part of it of a spatial nature. This fact determines that the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are the ideal support to carry out the management of an Irrigation Community. Based on the agro-climatic information, captured and updated daily through the Internet, the needs of the crops are determined taking into account their phenological status, the soil’s edaphological characteristics, the agronomic of the plantation and the management of the plots, in order to precisely adjust the water required to them.
Once the needs of each of the plots have been determined, it is possible to carry out the irrigation calendar and schedule the operation of the distribution network, adopting the most convenient solution in each case, taking into account the costs and limitations (still under development). HuraGIS has been designed as an extension of ArcGIS 8.x / 9 (ArcVIew license), through the ArcObjects development platform.
Characteristics
Information support
HuraGIS manages and stores the information using the ESRI format known as Personal Geodatabase, which can be manipulated from Microsoft Access. The way to present this information at any time is stored in the “mxd” files.
Introduction of a community of irrigators
The application allows to enter the data of a Community of Irrigators from the cadastral information supplied by the Ministry of Finance (shp format), or available in DXF format. The captured information is integrated into the data model and complemented with other data required by the application.
Import and update agroclimatic information
The agroclimatic information provided through the Internet is stored periodically, updating the records automatically and calculating monthly and annual averages.
Land management
It allows the introduction, updating and maintenance of the agronomic database of each plot, with the option of applying default values. Through the graphical interface, it is possible to consult the available information at any time.
Determination of water needs
From the agroclimatic information and the characteristics of the crops, plantation frame, cup diameter, number and flow of the emitters, etc., the gross, real and irrigation times of each plot are calculated. These needs are then assigned to each of the hydrants in the network. You can change the frequency of irrigation.
Generation of result maps
The results generated by the models can be shown through thematic maps, through which management can be monitored.