5. Conclusions

The fuzzy control system for irrigation developed is original and ground breaking, and there is no literature about a rotation speed control map for center pivot in the same approach presented in this work. In addition, there is no available information that commercial systems can build this type of map autonomously.

The experiments point to the efficiency result for pivot operation, since it is possible to note differences between the speeds per management zone that could be employed in the pivot. The system follows the definition of variable rate irrigation, since when changing the speed, the amount of water applied also changes.

In this context, it was observed that the fuzzy logic can be widely used in farming, and it is feasible to aggregate precision irrigation knowledge with the formulation of a decision support system. The implementation was successful for the application of variable rate water to central pivots. However, a broader commercial application depends on the integration of data collection systems, management strategies, and hardware control.

These studies were motivated by a broader research effort on the applications of fuzzy systems in agriculture. In addition, fuzzy control applied in variable rate irrigation (VRI) was explored in this domain in order to provide a better understanding of the relation between agricultural factors involving complexity and uncertainty and solutions with A.I. technologies. Future development and application of these methodologies in agricultural engineering are required especially in the context of decision support in precision irrigation. The results are favorable to the continuity of the studies on precision irrigation and application of the fuzzy logic for the development of control maps for central pivots irrigation systems.
