Global identification of surface irrigation parameters

A numerical method is developed for the identification of bed resistance and infiltration parameters in surface irrigation based on global procedures. The method is characterized by global convergence - a unique solution from any feasible set of initial parameter estimates, which is not possible for standard variable metric methods. The algorithm is applied to border irrigation described by the zero-inertia model and is used to produce three-dimensional maps of the convergence history of some well-known field observations. Additional enhancements regarding parameter scaling, gradient modification, and combination with a Gauss-Newton method yield a robust and efficient algorithm that cn be applied to a variety of practical problems.