{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T02:44:51Z","timestamp":1774925091104,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,23]],"date-time":"2021-01-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1611360000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sustainability"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The new technologies of surface irrigation require the adoption of effective Laser-controlled precision land levelling (PLL) to reach the high irrigation performance standards, with significant benefits on water saving, salinity control, crop productivity, and farmer\u2019s income. This study aimed to assess the performance and the impacts of PLL on surface irrigation systems, focusing the maize crop on the irrigation districts Hetao (China) and Lower-Mondego (Portugal). The experimental study at field scale assessed the PLL and evaluated the on-farm irrigation under precise levelled fields and well management practices. PLL operators have been inquired to improve the knowledge about hiring services. The design of surface irrigation scenarios allowed to explain the effects of field size and slope on irrigation and land levelling performance. The best practice to manage the PLL maintenance is an important issue to guarantee a high effectiveness of irrigation performance. The optimization of PLL appeals the application of best soil tillage practices and the monitoring of soil surface elevations with newest information technologies. Efficient operational guidelines to support the PLL planning, schedule, and operation, well trained operators and carefully adjusted equipment, are key factors to the improvement.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/su13031191","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,25]],"date-time":"2021-01-25T12:28:31Z","timestamp":1611577711000},"page":"1191","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["Assessment of Precise Land Levelling on Surface Irrigation Development. Impacts on Maize Water Productivity and Economics"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8646-7880","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Qingfeng","family":"Miao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2584-6833","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 M.","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Coimbra, Escola Superior Agr\u00e1ria de Coimbra, Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food\u2014LEAF, 3045-601 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ruiping","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China"}]},{"given":"Diana","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Researcher, S. Martinho do Bispo, 3045-017 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Tiago","family":"Levita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Researcher, S. Martinho do Bispo, 3045-017 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Haibin","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.13031\/2013.27824","article-title":"Effect of furrow elevation differences on level-basin performance","volume":"38","author":"Clemmens","year":"1995","journal-title":"Trans. Am. Soc. Agric. 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