ASM/SWES 404/504

Irrigation Principles and Management

Syllabus

Course Description & Objectives	Grading Policies
Meeting Times & Places Textbook & Course References	Attendance In-Class Writing Assignments Homework Rules Homework Format	Exams & Final Graduate Credit Grade Evaluation Grading Schedule
ADA & Other University of Arizona Class Policies	Typical Schedule Summary

Course Description & Objectives

General Cataloge, Fall 2002, Course Description

ASM 404 (3) I Principles of operating farm irrigation systems, evaluation of systems, selection of systems, basic irrigation scheduling, measurements of water flow, soil moisture, pump and system efficiencies.

Prerequisites

Math 110, SWES 200

Objectives

To learn basic principles of irrigation management. Included in these basics are fundamentals of soil-water relations; pumps, pipes, and channels; evapotranspiration and irrigation scheduling; economics and irrigation efficiency; landscape irrigation; agricultural surface, sprinkler, and drip irrigation; chemigation; and water quality.

Instructor

Peter Waller, Ph.D.

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department
University of Arizona
Voice: (520)
Fax: (928) 782-1940
Email: pwaller@ag.arizona.edu

Office Hours

TBA

Meeting Times & Places

Yuma

Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Tucson

Marley 203 (ITV), 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Textbook & Course References

Text

Schwab, G.O., D.D. Fangmeier, W.J. Elliot and R.K. Frevert. 1996. Soil and Water Management Systems. Wiley.

Reference Materials

(Other texts that may be helpful but are not used in class)

Books:

1. Cuenca, R.H. 1989. Irrigation system design - an engineering approach. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
2. ASAE. 1988. Standards 2988, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan. 32nd Edition. A more recent edition is available at the science reference desk. S671 A32 SciRef.
3. Keller, J. 1990. Sprinkle and Trickle Irrigation. The Irrigation Association.
4. Natural Resource Conservation Service. National Engineering Handbook. Section 15. Chapter 1 Soil-Plant-Water Relationships; Chapter 2 Irrigation Water Requirements; Chapter 4 Border Irrigation; Chapter 5 Furrow Irrigation; Chapter 7 Trickle Irrigation; Chapter 11 Sprinkle Irrigation. United States Department of Agriculture.

Study Guides & Publications:

(Produced by California Polytechnic State University (ITRC) in San Luis Obispo, they are excellent reference materials for irrigation system designers and farm managers). Copies of these study guides and publications, as well as a list of other materials, may be purchased from ITRC.

Pump Fundamentals	Study Guide	$35.00
Basic Hydraulics	Study Guide	$25.00
Agricultural Sprinklers	Study Guide	$25.00
Landscape Sprinkler Design	Study Guide	$25.00
Drip/Microirrigation	Publication	$34.95
Microirrigation for Landscape	Study Guide	$25.00
Fertigation	Publication	$34.95
Surface Irrigation Manual	Publication	$49.50
Ag-Irrigation Management	Study Guide	$35.00

Grading Policies

Attendance

Although lecture attendance will not be recorded, students are responsible for all material covered or announced during lectures.

In-Class Writing Assignments

Possible writing assignments are listed for every class in the syllabus, and you should be prepared to answer all questions that are listed for each day. The assigned reading has the answer to the assigned essay questions. One or more of the listed questions will be assigned as an in-class writing assignment during the specified class period. In order to accommodate sickness and emergencies, the lowest score will be dropped.

The In-Class Writing Assignments are closed-book and closed-notes, but you can prepare for the essay question before class. Each In-Class Writing Assignment is worth 10 points. The following is a break down of the points:

• Grammar will receive a score ranging from 0-3. Grammar includes punctuation, spelling, and sentence construction.
• Organization will receive a score ranging from 0-2. Organization includes sequence, transitions, brevity, and lack of fluff.
• Content will receive a score ranging from 0-5; high content scores will be given for essays that include necessary facts and intelligent analysis.

Homework Rules

1. Homework is assigned weekly and can be found in the course schedule or homepage.
2. Students may work together on design projects, but everyone will be required to turn in their own work.
3. Any work resulting from a cooperative effort MUST BE CLEARLY DESIGNATED as such, and not represented as an individual's work on design projects turned in for grade. Cooperative work represented as a student's own individual work will be considered cheating.
4. Turning in homework:
   1. submitting via email: please email me the homework by the start of the class in which it is due.
   2. submitting via fax:
      1. Yuma students - you can fax the homework to me (928-782-1940) by the start of the class in which it is due.
      2. Tucson students - you can fax the homework to me (928-782-1940) from the ABE department by the start of the class in which it is due.
   3. submitting in class:
      1. Yuma students - homework will be collected at the beginning of the class in which it is due.
      2. Tuscon students - a teaching assistant will collect the homework at the beginning of class in which it is due to send to me.
   4. Any homework turned in after the start of the class in which it is due will receive a grade of zero unless prior written arrangements have been made. An executed copy of the Request for Late Homework form (HTML, WPD, RTF) constitues prior written arrangements.
5. Solutions will be posted on the web.

Format for Homework Problems

1. Front page should contain: a) problem assignment number, b) your name, c) course identification number, and d) date assignment is due -- OR -- you may have a title page for each assignment containing the same information.
2. Each problem needs the original problem number (you may want to include the original problem statement to assist you in preparing for your exams).
3. Your solution - be sure to show all your work to receive partial credit for incorrect answers.

Exams and Final

All exams are closed-book and closed-notes. Necessary equations will be provided. Most exam questions will be similar to homework problems and the In-Class Writing Assignments, only slightly modified. Therefore, if you finished the homework problems and prepared for the essay questions, you should have success on exams. The first two exams will cover about one-third each of the course and the final will be comprehensive but will emphasize the last third of the course. Exams will be one hour long and the final will be two hours long.

Graduate Credit

Students enrolled for ASM/SWES 504 will be required to do an additional project to receive graduate credit. Please see me for more details.

Grade Evaluation

The final grade will be based on the following point totals:

	ASM/SWES 404	ASM/SWES 504
Homework	360	360
In-Class Writing Assignments (12, drop lowest one)	110	110
Additional Graduate Project	0	50
Exam 1	100	100
Exam 2	100	100
Final Exam	200	200
TOTAL	870	920

Grading Schedule

To earn the grade of your choice, you will need to obtain the following total points. PLEASE NOTE that I may lower the total points needed for a grade at my discretion.

	ASM/SWES 404	ASM/SWES 504
A	780-870	825-920
B	690-779	735-824
C	600-689	640-734
D	520-599	550-639
F	0-519	0-549

ADA & Other University of Arizona Class Policies

Student Code of Academic Integrity

All students are expected to accomplish and perform their own work individually unless expressed specifically by me to perform otherwise (homework). Students are encouraged to review academic policies regarding conduct, honesty, rights, and privileges stated at: http://w3.arizona.edu/~dos/standards/standarsindex.html.

Confidentiality of Student Records

Grades will be posted through the course home page using a Personal Identification Number selected by you, the student; therefore, protect your login and password and change your password frequently. If you have any questions regarding your student record confidentiality rights, please refer to: http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/ferpa/ferpa.htm

Special Needs and Accommodations

Students who need special accommodation or services should contact:
SALT (Strategic Alternatives Learning Techniques) Center for Learning Disabilities
Old Main, P.O. Box 210021
Tucson, AZ 85721-0021
Telephone: 520-621-1242
FAX: 520-521-9448
TTY: 520-626-6072
http://www.salt.arizona.edu/

and/or

Disability Resources Center
1540 E. 2nd Street, P.O. Box 210064
Tucson, AZ 85721-0064
Telephone: 520-621-3268
FAX: 520-621-9423
http://drc.arizona.edu/

The need for accommodation must be documented by the appropriate office.

Typical Schedule

Return to ASM/SWES 404/504 Home Page

Material last reviewed: September 15, 2003

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