Mejora de la gestión del agua de riego mediante el uso de indicadores de riego.

Irrigation water management in the Genil-Cabra irrigation district, located in the province of Cordoba, Southern Spain, was studied using three irrigation performance indicators: relative irrigation supply (RIS); relative water supply (RWS) and relative rainfall supply (RRS). All indicators have been calculated as in a global way as grouping data according to crop type, irrigation method, soil texture, and size irrigation plots. All information of agronomic and hydraulic variables was incorporated in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to ease its management. Results show that applied irrigations are deficit irrigations because RIS values are relatively low. However, RWS values are greater and evaporative demand may be satisfied along crop development cycle. RRS indicator varies less that the other two and, together with RWS, permits to know the evapotranspiration fraction covers by rain water. The mean values of performance indicators we have calculated are very useful to know farmer's behaviour and the general trend, although the used sample is not significant to characterize the global irrigation district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]