A study on the estimation of groundwater recharge by agriculture irrigation

Abstract

Principal research emphasis to date has been on the productivity and ecology of paddy field agro-ecosystems. However, percolation from paddy fields over extended periods, with various ponding depths, can become a significant addition to a groundwater body. This paper discusses the results of a three-year programme to study groundwater recharge from agriculture irrigation. The physical and chemical properties of the hardpan layer, mechanisms of percolation losses in irrigated fields and an unsaturated/saturated zone three-dimensional model (FEMWATER) are used to analyse and simulate infiltration processes in paddy fields under varying dry/flooded conditions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.