Development of Surface Irrigation Systems Design and Evaluation Software (SIDES)

A software for the design and evaluation of surface irrigation systems (furrow, border and basin) along with the design of water conveyance systems (open channel and pipe line) is developed to assist users in educational and research organizations. The software named as 'SIDES' is developed using Visual Basic 6 programming language. The developed software for the design of surface irrigation systems is based on the volume balance approach and is tested using the available published datasets. Results obtained using the SIDES matched well with the published datasets for all the designs. Besides the design parameters at maximum application efficiency, SIDES also provides detailed tabular and step wise design results. A comprehensive 'Help' menu is incorporated in the SIDES to facilitate a thorough understanding of the theory and methodology adopted for the design.