ABSTRACT Optimal management of surface irrigation systems is a vital necessity for production sustainability and water resource conservation, yet complex numerical models often hinder practical application. This study developed simplified, accurate computational methods for managing open‐ended border irrigation by modelling optimal inflow discharge and cutoff time using dimensional analysis and the Buckingham π theorem. Reference data were generated from 5352 WinSRFR (v5.1.1) simulations, with dimensionless groups calibrated via the gradient descent algorithm. In the testing phase, the models demonstrated high accuracy, yielding R 2 values of 0.93 and 0.96 and NRMSE values of 2.3% and 3.9% for the optimal inflow discharge and cutoff time, respectively. The testing phase error for the inflow model ranged from −0.14 to 0.13 L/s/m. The optimal inflow discharge model is primarily influenced by the interaction effects of the Kostiakov–Lewis exponent and intake family (total‐order indices of 2.385 and 1.269). In contrast, the optimal cutoff time is mainly influenced by the intake family, explaining over 66% of the total variance. Overall, these models provide a dynamic, self‐regulating tool with high generalization ability for rapid, accurate application in variable field conditions.
Tavanaei et al. (Fri,) studied this question.