EXPERT-SYSTEM APPLICATIONS IN IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT - AN OVERVIEW

Due to the complexity of irrigation management problems, reliance on e xperience and experts is necessary for effective decision-making in th is domain. Expert systems (ES) are efficient means for providing decis ion support to tasks that primarily require experience-based knowledge . This paper reviews the adoptability and suitability of ES applicatio ns in the domain of irrigation management. Core concepts of ES are bri efly discussed. A detailed review of the existing applications of ES i s presented under three classes of ES applications: (a) expert systems proper, (b) intelligent front-ends, and (c) hybrid systems. This revi ew of literature shows that the ES approach is applied more recently t o broader domain areas in contrast to the earlier systems that were fo cused on narrower domain problems. Additional research on ES applicati on to domains such as real-time irrigation scheduling, reservoir opera tion involving stochastic nature of inflows and evapotranspiration dem and, and integrated operation of irrigation system components is neede d to evolve guidelines for optimal water use. The problem of handling multiple experts to evolve decisions that are less biased than an indi vidual expert needs to be addressed. A methodology that takes into acc ount the uncertainty of the ES decisions is also warranted. Further, t here is a need for practical evaluation of the quality of recommendati ons made by the ES which would result in the successful implementation of the ES. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.