Water Application Methods - Practices of Irrigation and On-farm Water Management - page 35

Chapter 2
Water Application Methods

Contents

2.1 General Perspectives of Water Application .................. 36

Classification of Water Application Methods .................

2.2 36

2.3 Description of Common Methods of Irrigation .................

38

Border Irrigation .......................... 2.3.1 38

Basin Irrigation .......................... 2.3.2 40

Furrow Irrigation ......................... 2.3.3 43

Sprinkler Irrigation Systems .................... 2.3.4 46

Drip Irrigation ........................... 2.3.5 52

Other Forms of Irrigation ......................

2.3.6 54

Selection of Irrigation Method ........................ 2.4 56

2.4.1 Factors Affecting Selection of an Irrigation

Method .............................. 56

Selection Procedure ........................ 2.4.2 63

Relevant Journals ................................

63

Questions ....................................

63

The application of water to soils for crop use is referred to as irrigation. Irrigation
systems differ greatly depending on what they are going to be used for. They range
from the simple hand watering method used in most home gardens and many nurs-
eries to the huge flood and furrow irrigation systems found in large-scale production.
Surface (gravity-driven surface irrigation), sprinkler, drip/micro, and subsurface are
types of irrigation methods that are used by growers to irrigate various crops. Each
system has its advantages and disadvantages. But with good design, they can be very
successful for appropriate cases. Water losses from irrigation vary with the type of
irrigation method. The water management decisions strongly influence how uni-
form water can be applied through different irrigation methods to provide optimal
soil water conditions for crop growth and marketable yields. The most appropriate
irrigation method for an area depends upon physical site conditions, the crops being
grown, amount of water available, and management skill. This chapter gives some
very broad guidance and indicates several important criteria in the selection of a
suitable irrigation method.