114
L. Łab˛ edzki et al.
of drainage/irrigation facility (INOMEL)”. The aim of the project is to develop
and prepare for implementation a system of operational planning of controlled
drainage and irrigation, including monitoring, forecasting and remote sensing. Irrigation/drainage facilities will be equipped with innovative devices designed for
regulating (braking) the outflow of water from the facility and for regulation and
measuring the water flow rate for irrigation. The products of the project may increase
the efficiency of managing “own” water in drainage systems maintained in working
order (drain systems and ditch system), and “foreign” water in subirrigation systems
maintained in working order (two-way action). This means a radical improvement in
planning the times and intensity of drainage and irrigation, as well as the amount of
water removed from the system and taken up for irrigation. Firstly, systems should be
equipped with these devices following their rebuilding and modernization. The rate
of such reconstructions ought to increase. The medium and long term programmes for
the development of water drainage and irrigation on the scale of the country and individual provinces, drainage and irrigation devices on a surfaces area of 8.8 thousand
hectares of arable land in 2020 and 18.9 thousand hectares in 2030 will be subjected
to rebuilding. In the case of permanent grasslands and pastures, these areas will be
10.6 thousand hectares and 22.4 thousand hectares in 2020 and 2030, respectively.
The need for developing drainage and irrigation is indicated in provincial development strategies [15, 21]. Issues connected with agriculture, agro-food industry, and
thus factors determining the development of water management and drainage and
irrigation, are highlighted in provincial development strategies for Central Poland,
have relatively high importance in provincial strategies in the east and west, and low
in the development strategies of the provinces in Southern Poland.
The project products can improve water management on irrigation/drainage facilities and lead to a significant increase in the profitability and competitiveness of Polish
agriculture, especially in years of high water shortages (occurring, on average, every
3–4 years). Years with high shortages are characterized by decreased crop yields or
even their complete loss. Advantages stemming from the realization of the project
will also have a social effect.
As a result of implementing the project, an increase in the efficiency (productivity)
of water use will follow. Operational planning of regulated drainage and irrigation
and decreased useless outflow of water from the system may lead to decreasing
the outflow of biogenic compounds to rivers, especially nitrogen compounds from
drained areas. This is especially important in areas at particular risk of contamination with nitrogen compounds from agricultural sources (NVZs). The results of the
project can be particularly beneficial to irrigated (equipped with irrigation devices)
permanent grasslands on hydrogenic soils, especially peat soils. As a result of maintaining moisture content at an adequate level, their degradation will be prevented,
and the emissions of CO 2 to the atmosphere as a consequence of their mineralization
reduced, thus contributing to a reduction in the emission of harmful gasses into the
atmosphere.
It should be added here that production-oriented drainage and irrigation companies, as well as related companies, are interested in applying the project results in
business activities. These are small and medium companies (SMEs), which number
L. Łab˛ edzki et al.
of drainage/irrigation facility (INOMEL)”. The aim of the project is to develop
and prepare for implementation a system of operational planning of controlled
drainage and irrigation, including monitoring, forecasting and remote sensing. Irrigation/drainage facilities will be equipped with innovative devices designed for
regulating (braking) the outflow of water from the facility and for regulation and
measuring the water flow rate for irrigation. The products of the project may increase
the efficiency of managing “own” water in drainage systems maintained in working
order (drain systems and ditch system), and “foreign” water in subirrigation systems
maintained in working order (two-way action). This means a radical improvement in
planning the times and intensity of drainage and irrigation, as well as the amount of
water removed from the system and taken up for irrigation. Firstly, systems should be
equipped with these devices following their rebuilding and modernization. The rate
of such reconstructions ought to increase. The medium and long term programmes for
the development of water drainage and irrigation on the scale of the country and individual provinces, drainage and irrigation devices on a surfaces area of 8.8 thousand
hectares of arable land in 2020 and 18.9 thousand hectares in 2030 will be subjected
to rebuilding. In the case of permanent grasslands and pastures, these areas will be
10.6 thousand hectares and 22.4 thousand hectares in 2020 and 2030, respectively.
The need for developing drainage and irrigation is indicated in provincial development strategies [15, 21]. Issues connected with agriculture, agro-food industry, and
thus factors determining the development of water management and drainage and
irrigation, are highlighted in provincial development strategies for Central Poland,
have relatively high importance in provincial strategies in the east and west, and low
in the development strategies of the provinces in Southern Poland.
The project products can improve water management on irrigation/drainage facilities and lead to a significant increase in the profitability and competitiveness of Polish
agriculture, especially in years of high water shortages (occurring, on average, every
3–4 years). Years with high shortages are characterized by decreased crop yields or
even their complete loss. Advantages stemming from the realization of the project
will also have a social effect.
As a result of implementing the project, an increase in the efficiency (productivity)
of water use will follow. Operational planning of regulated drainage and irrigation
and decreased useless outflow of water from the system may lead to decreasing
the outflow of biogenic compounds to rivers, especially nitrogen compounds from
drained areas. This is especially important in areas at particular risk of contamination with nitrogen compounds from agricultural sources (NVZs). The results of the
project can be particularly beneficial to irrigated (equipped with irrigation devices)
permanent grasslands on hydrogenic soils, especially peat soils. As a result of maintaining moisture content at an adequate level, their degradation will be prevented,
and the emissions of CO 2 to the atmosphere as a consequence of their mineralization
reduced, thus contributing to a reduction in the emission of harmful gasses into the
atmosphere.
It should be added here that production-oriented drainage and irrigation companies, as well as related companies, are interested in applying the project results in
business activities. These are small and medium companies (SMEs), which number