Abstract
Field tests were conducted with inflow rates of 1.7–2.4 l s −1 to compare the advance rates both in continuous and surge‐irrigated furrows. The furrows were 149 m long, with 0.2–1.5% slopes. Water applied and rate of water advance were measured during five irrigation events. During the first irrigation, a reduction in applied water volume of 23–60% was observed in surge‐irrigated furrows compared with continuous irrigation. It was further noted during the course of the experiments that the surging effect was more pronounced during the first irrigation than in the subsequent irrigation events. However, it was noted that there would be hardly any benefit of the surge for smaller field lengths of 61 m, which are commonly used in Pakistan and many other developing countries. Results simulated by the SIRMOD model revealed that the water front advance curves matched closely with the observed ones in most surge treatments. The simulated performance efficiencies encourage the use and adaptation of surge irrigation in Pakistan, but more field studies are needed for its verification and for making concrete recommendations for its use in farmers' fields. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.