International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The report deals with the perspectives for developing ecologically based biological agriculture in Bulgaria, the European Union and the other countries. Innovative technology (for computerized monitoring the soil water deficit and scheduling the irrigation) replaces the periodical local (point) measurements of soil moisture. Its application helps to be realized appropriate energy level of soil moisture through ecologically accepted watering technique in each agricultural crop field. It ensures to be obtained the scientifically planned amount and quality of crop yield, saving over ten years on average 30 % of irrigation water and one third of nutrients added for plants.

The location of the Merawa dam is situated on the Cham I Daraban River, tributary of Qala Chuwalan River, which in its turn is tributary of the Lesser Zab River. From the administrative point of view, the dam site is located in Suleimaniyah Governorate, Sharbazer District, Iraq. The proposed works consist of a 38.50 meters high Dam and HPP which aims to provide a sturdy reserve of water for hydropower, irrigation and water supply for the residential areas in the downstream. Electric power is very important for the development of the area, as this war troubled zone laks entierely electricity, moreover it is considered to be a strategic area as the Iran-Iraq border is nearby. The Dam and micro-HPP will be able to provide the area with base energy, with a sturdiness granted by the volume of the reservoir, as now the only power sources are isolated fossil-fueled generators. The energy produced by the 150 kW turbines might seem small, but the community will be able to rely on this source as it’s primary supplier.

Systematic approach and sustainable use of water and energy is the key point for human existence. Irrigation systems are one of the main directions for the development of the economy. Renewable energy sources, especially solar photovoltaic (PV) energy are suitable as input energy for the irrigation systems. By using the original and innovative scientifically sizing method named Critical Period Method, the irrigation systems are sustainable, given the economic, environmental and social indicators. This method includes design elements of the solution by subsystems: Photovoltaic generator + invertor – PV, pump station – PS and water reservoir – WR based on the critical period of operation of each one. Critical Period Method is different from the usual sizing methods because instead of a single critical period, which relates to the maximum daily water consumption, this method considers three critical periods (for subsystems PV, PS, and WR) due to the different balancing days. Each of the critical periods is determined with regards to a certain balance period. Critical day/period for subsystem PV is determined by statistical minimization, with regards to the difference between over pumped and demand quantity of water. For the subsystem, WR critical day/period is the day with maximum water demand and the shortest duration of solar radiation suitable for the operation of the pump station. A critical day/period for the subsystem PS also coincides with this critical day. Pumps use electric energy produced by using solar photovoltaic energy and causing water pumping into the water reservoir, which with its usual hydraulic role of storing water also has the function of energy reservoir. This concept is adaptable and can be implemented in the previously constructed systems, as well as for the new ones. Application of Critical Period Method replaces the installation of long energy supply lines and associated energy losses, and additionally reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Application of Critical Period Method is suitable for rural areas because of locations where classical power network is not available or has limited availability, i.e. remote areas and on islands. In order to prove this innovative method, a practical application is predicted to perform in irrigation of agriculture field in Deçan, Kosovo.

Rice, as the main food produced in Asia, requires more water than the other cereals. Flooded irrigation, the most common method of irrigation in rice, results high water losses and emits more greenhouse gases. Changes in climate, decrease in water resources and arable lands, necessitates the water productivity increasing strategies for rice. Soil matric potential based irrigation is such a strategy to irrigate rice under these conditions. This paper presents an experiment carried out inside a climate chamber to assess the water productivity of Bg300 rice variety using above approach. Three irrigation treatments; flooded treatment with a ponding water depth of 3cm and treatments with soil matric potentials at -150mbar and -300mbar were imposed in three large containers. Soil matric potentials were maintained using tensiometers installed at a depth of 20cm. Treatment at -150mbar showed best performance in terms of yield, water productivity and water savings. This strategy is transferable to a wide range of locations under different climates and reduces time for many field experiments.

Irrigated agriculture plays an important role in agricultural production in Kazakhstan. In case of optimal use of land and water resources irrigated agriculture could become a significant driving force of agricultural production. Strategically important crop products such as cotton, rice, sugar beet, tobacco, vines, melons are grown only on irrigated lands of Kazakhstan.

Irrigated agriculture is the largest water consuming industry in agricultural sector of Kazakhstan consuming up to 70% of the total water resources consumed by all sectors of the economy. One of the methods for increasing the irrigation water efficiency is the construction of technically advanced irrigation systems, allowing use of water-saving irrigation technology: drip irrigation, enabling to save irrigation water by 20-30% and increase the productivity by 2.0-2.7 times.

The working members of the batch-combined machine for minimum tillage and crop tending are combined into two separate batches. By means of the first batch, there are performed simultaneously tilling and sowing operations, but the second is intended for surface tillage and crop tending. During just one field day, the machine is capable of performing 8…10 agricultural operations, and its working members can work in three modes: 1. Soil loosening without furrow slice overturning, when the main tillage unit (wedge) is in its working condition together with lateral knives (for the eroded soils); 2. Clod furrow slice pulverization and mixing, when the main tillage unit (wedge), lateral knives and rotary tiller are in their working conditions (for the non-eroded soils); 3. Cultivation of humid soils with a partial overturning of furrow slice, when the main tillage unit (wedge), lateral knives and rotary plough (instead of tiller) are in their working conditions. The cost of oil and lubricants and operating time are reduced by 2…2,5 times, and besides, the agrotechnical terms reduce considerably. The design formula for tillage output envisages both broken and unbroken soil strips. This formula can be also used for calculation of the machine output during cultivation, sowing, cutting the irrigation channels and so on. The proposed batch-combined machine can be also considered as energy-saving, resource-saving, environmental and advanced technology.

Examined and shown ways to improve water supply to agro-industrial complex consumers agribusiness in Kazakhstan to irrigate pastures and irrigation in market conditions. There are given the theoretical foundations of the most progressive method of restoring the production rate of underground water source – a well by the use of compressed air and airlift technology, which can be recommended for practical application. They are purpose for definition of the main parameters of the process: the need to over-pressure compressed air supply compressor, power consumption and efficiency.

This article presents a computer model for optimal planning of supply and distribution of water from open irrigation canal designed to support the manager of the irrigation system in decisions on the operational management. It optimizes the supply and distribution of water among users along the canal with a criterion minimum of operational water losses. The task of optimal operational planning of water allocation was solved using the method of integer linear programming. Computer application of the integer programming model was made using MS EXCEL. The use of the model is illustrated with an example of an irrigation canal with six lateral canals.