ABSTRACT
Irrigated agriculture has a significant impact on many developed and less developed countries, A review of yield differences between irrigated and dryland production suggests the difference is usually three to four times in favor of irrigation as a country or regional average. Systematic approaches to agricultural or irrigated agricultural development in the past have revolved around the concepts of specific project emphases or integrated rural development. The concept that a specific approach or strategy can be developed and applied to improve the performance of irrigated agriculture does not have widespread acceptance. The emphasis on developing an understanding of irrigated agriculture as practiced in the field--including the distribution of water, the farmer decision-making, organizational services, and the physical and biological conditions of the system--is an important aspect. Systematic approaches to improvement of irrigation water management can be implemented by currently available concepts, including a field-based action research program with computerized planning.
