Research on Rational Use of Irrigation Water in the North Bărăgan Plain in the Context of Global Climatic Changes

Abstract:

In Romania, agriculture is traditionally one of the main branches of the national economy and it is also the basic occupation of a large part of the population. The importance of national agriculture is given by the agricultural tradition of Romania, the soil and a temperate continental climate favourable to agricultural crops, the three elements competing to obtain agricultural productions that potentially cover the food consumption of the population. The agricultural production, unlike the industrial one, has a high degree of risk depending largely on the climatic conditions. In the Bărăgan Plain, the continental climate determines large fluctuations of precipitations, which directly determine the increase or decrease of soil water reserves. In order to cope with current demands and to increase food production, the main concern of plant growers has always been to ensure water availability. Knowing the factors that influence the efficiency of water used in agricultures and hoping to increase this efficiency have continuously been the objective of many modern studies. The difference between the supply of irrigation and the demand is increasing every year as a result of the increase in the rate of the population growth and of the migration from one place to another. The present paper proposes an analysis of the need for irrigation in the North Bărăgan Plain, as well as an analysis of rainfall, of the irrigation facilities and of the irrigated surfaces. The results obtained are interesting and useful both for the Romanian farmers and for the business environment.