A branch canal was selected in El Sefsaf canal command area which located in Sidi Salem district in Kafr El sheikh Governorate ( North Delta ) for using geography information system (GIS) for mapping cropping pattern and water requirements for winter and summer crops before irrigation improvement and after improving. El Sefsaf canal is an earth branch canal located at km 51.800 on the left side of Meet Yazied main canal ; a carrier canal located on the left side of Bahr Shebeen canal at Km 96.500, the 63.00 Km long canal feeds an area of about 210,000Fed.Distributed through 19 branch canals
The length of EL-Sefsaf canal that is about 3.400Km which served a command area of about 700 Fed . design of bed width vary between 2.5 m and 1.5 m , while the design maximum water level vary between 2.80 m and 2.50 m, while the actual maximum water level vary between 1.50 m and 1.60 m.
The study was carried out during four seasons started from Nov. 2003 and finished in the end of summer season 2008. This period covered two summer seasons ( summer 2004 and summer 2008 ) and two winter seasons ( winter 2003/2004 and winter 2007/2008 )
Total crop water requirements in EL Sefsaf canal command area could be summarized as follows:
Summer crops : The total water requirements of Rice were 1753213.59 and 1537013.18 m3 in 2004 and 2008 seasons respectively. While it were 1200734.54 and 549805.78 m3 in 2004 and 2008 respectively for cotton crop. Also the total water requirements of Maize crop were 111488.49 and 19168.44 m3 for the above mentioned seasons respectively. The highest water requirements as recorded with Rice crop. The peak demand were in July and August. Winter crops : The total water requirements of Barseem were 982490.09 and 516100.68 m3 in 2003/2004 and 2007/2008 seasons respectively. On the other hand the total water requirements of Wheat crop were 1056627.12 and 667397.01 m3 for the stated seasons respectively. Finally the total water requirements of Sugarbeet crop were 554260.24 m3 in 2003/2004 season , and 68416.21 m3 in 2007/2008 season. The peak demand were in Marsh and April.