@article{Dennis:7023,
      recid = {7023},
      author = {Dennis, H.J. and Nell, Wilhelm T.},
      title = {Precision Irrigation in South Africa},
      address = {2002},
      number = {1026-2016-81967},
      series = {Conference Papers},
      pages = {18},
      year = {2002},
      abstract = {The Republic of South Africa covers an area of 122 million  hectare of which 18 million hectare is potential land for  cultivation. Eight percent of the potential arable land are  under irrigation, which accounts for nearly half of the  water requirement in South Africa. With a population of 42  million and an estimated annual population growth of 1,7%,  urbanisation and industrialisation will increase the  pressure on the availability of water resources and the  allocation thereof in South Africa. The purpose of the  National Water Act, Act 36 of 1998, is to ensure that the  nation's water resources are protected, developed,  conserved, managed and controlled. Agricultural production  under irrigation in South Africa retrieves water from water  resources such as groundwater which irrigates 24% of the  irrigable area, while surface water irrigates 76% of the  irrigable area in South Africa. Farmers using groundwater  for irrigation is currently subjected to a water resource  management charge of 0,54 c/m3. Users of surface water buy  a water-right and pay an annual water levy, and groundwater  belongs to the owner of the farm who can use it at no cost.  Precision irrigation as an aspect of precision agriculture,  is a relatively new concept in irrigation farming  worldwide. It involves the application of irrigation water  in optimum quantities over an area of land which are not  uniform and has variations in soil type, soil water  capacity, potential yield and topography. Precision  irrigation provides a sustainable agricultural system which  uses resources efficiently
and develops and maintains the  actual water demands. Precision agriculture is a  knowledge-based technical management system which should  optimise farm profit and minimise the impact of agriculture  on the environment.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/7023},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.7023},
}