The aim of this book is quite ambitious: here, we attempt to bridge the
gap between soH physicists, agronomists, horticulturists, hydraulic
engineers, de- signers, manufacturers and users of drip irrigation
systems. We believe that progress in drip irrigation hinges on the
contributions of professionals made in all related disciplines and their
cooperation. The last decade has seen great development in the field of
drip irrigation, al- though the drip-irrigated area has not increased at
the same rate as in the pre- vious decade. However, our understanding of
the processes involved in water and solute distribution and in plant
response has increased vastly. The tools for op- timal design of drip
systems have improved tremendously. The main progress has been in the
development and in the manufacture of sophisticated equipment; not only
improved types of emitters and laterals, but also auxiliary equipment
such as new filtration systems, controllers and sensors. In this book we
highlight the need to maintain a proper balance between the hydraulic
design of drip systems and aspects of their management and maintenance.
Drip irrigation has a potential for high water use efficiency, but many
well-designed systems suffer from bad management. We are indebted to the
late Eshel Bresler for his contribution to our under- standing of water
and solute movement under drip irrigation and its appli- cation to
system design. Some parts of a previous publication entitled "Drip
irrigation manual" authored by S. Dasberg and E.