Demarcation of Levees in Irrigated Rice Fields: Laser Technology vs. GNSS-RTK

Levees are small land dikes made every rice-cultivation season that allow for flood irrigation in rice fields. Currently, levees are demarcated by utilizing a laser technology (LT) system. However, with current technological advances, the demarcation of levees with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and real-time kinematics (RTK) correction has been highlighted in rice production systems in southern Brazil. The objective of this study was to compare the performance between LT and GNSS-RTK systems applied in the demarcation of levees that are used in flooded rice fields. To this end, an experimental area of approximately 27 ha located in Jaguarão, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, was used. From a digital elevation model, the area was subdivided into three subareas according to the mean slope: flat (0.16%), intermediate (0.36%), and gently undulated (1.3%). The total length of the levees for the three subareas was 8 km. The relative performances of both demarcation systems were evaluated by analyzing the vertical and horizontal behavior of the levees and the water layer spatial distribution. The results indicated that the demarcation of levees by GNSS-RTK systems is more accurate than that by the LT system, especially in flat areas. In these areas, the GNSS-RTK demarcation system permits a reduction in the total number of levees, as well as an increase in the vertical equidistance between levees and/or an increase in the height of the levee itself. The length of the levee is shorter than in a demarcation using the GNSS-RTK system. Keywords: Contour line, Irrigation, Lowlands, Precision agriculture.