The Use of World Water Resources in the Irrigation of Field Cultivations

The paper concerns evaluation of the exploitation of the world’s water resources for irrigating field crops. It was determined that the volume of water used in 2020 in all sectors of the economy in relation to the world’s freshwater resources will amount to 31 to 38% of the available resources. It has been found that globally, in the period 1900–2100, the agricultural sector has the highest consumption of fresh water. Therefore, there is a need for rational use of water, especially when irrigating field crops. Hence, the paper describes the methods of evaluating the effectiveness of irrigation. The indicators from the Water use efficiency group, which consider the yield obtained from a given area and the sum of irrigation doses, were considered the most reliable form of evaluation. Determining the indicator should also be accompanied by a presentation of the scope of work related to irrigation, water quality, cultivation techniques, fertilization and environmental conditions of the growing season. The work characterizes the selected pressure irrigation systems, considering their advantages and disadvantages. On this basis, the paper presents the adaptation of the SWOT analysis for two irrigation systems: a reel sprinkler with a water cannon and a drip tape.