IRRIGATION EFFICIENCIES AND

METHODS OF IRRIGATION

CATLI, KYLE C.
CHAN, DONABEL EDEN A.
CULI, MARY FRANZ T.
MAGUATE, MATTHEW I.
PITALLAR, JOHN ANTHONY C.
ZAMORA, JUNE REY N.
 CONTENTS

IRRIGATION EFFICIENCIES AND METHODS OF IRRIGATION

1. Irrigation Efficiencies
2. Water Application Efficiency
3. Methods of Irrigation
4. Surface Irrigation
5. Sprinkler or Spray Irrigation
6. Drip or Trickler Irrigation
7. Automated Irrigation Systems
8. New Methods of Irrigation
 IRRIGATION EFFICIENCIES AND METHODS OF IRRIGATION

1. IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY
Irrigation efficiency is defined as the ratio between the amount of water used to meet
the consumptive use requirement of crop plus that necessary to maintain a favorable salt
balance in the crop root zone to the total volume of water diverted, stored or pumped for
irrigation.

Project Efficiency Conveyance Efficiency

𝑊𝑒 𝑊𝑑
𝐸𝑖 = 𝐸=
𝑊𝑟 𝑊𝑟
Where: Where:
We = Irrigation water evapotranspired by the crop Wd = Irrigation water supplied at outlets to the fields

Wr = Irrigation water supplied at the diversion point Wr = Irrigation water supplied at the diversion point

2. WATER APPLICATION EFFICIENCY

Water application efficiency is a measurement of how effective the irrigation system is
in storing water in the crop root zone.
𝑊𝑒
𝐸𝑎 =
𝑊𝑑
Where:
We = Irrigation water evapotranspired by the crops

Wd = Irrigation water supplied to fields

Application losses include evaporation, deep percolation and surface runoff. The extent
of such losses will depend on several factors such as:

a) Intake characteristics of soils – considerable loss of water due to deep percolation

may be expected when coarse-textured soils with high intake rates are irrigated by
surface runoffs.
b) Topography – It is more difficult to control the flow of water on sloping land than it
is on level or near-level land.
c) Climate – In arid and semi-arid areas where temperatures and wind velocities are
high, appreciable losses may be expected from the resulting evaporation.
d) Depth of Irrigation – The depth and frequency of water should be controlled
according to water holding capacity and evapotranspiration rate of crop to obtain
maximum efficiency.
3. METHODS OF IRRIGATION
1) Surface Irrigation
2) Sprinkler or Spray Irrigation
3) Drip or Trickler Irrigation
4. SURFACE IRRIGATION
Classification:
a. Flooding
i. Free irrigation or uncontrolled or “wild”
- When water is applied from field ditches without any levees to guide
its flow, or otherwise restrict its movement and spread over rather flat
land.
ii. Border Method or Border-strip flooding
- Dividing the farm into a number of strips, preferably not over 9 to 18
m wide and 100 to 400 m long separated by love levees or borders.
Water is turned from the supply ditch into these strips along which it
flows slowly towards the lower end, wetting the soil as it advances.
iii. Check Method
- Consists of running comparatively large streams into relatively level
plots surrounded by levees exceeding 30 cm in height. The method is
suitable for very permeable soils, wherein percolation losses may be
high, by spreading the water quickly and also for fine textured soils with
low percolation rates so that the water is held on the surface for
assuring adequate penetration.
iv. Basin Method
- The method specially adopted for orchards. Usually there is one tree
to a basin, but there may be several trees to a basin wherever
conditions of soil and surface slope are suitable. The water may be
turned directly from the supply ditch into the basin or from one basin to
another.
b. Furrow Irrigation
i. Deep-furrow method
- Part of the surface (one half to one fifth) is wetted, thus reducing
evaporation losses, and lessening the puddling of heavy soils. The
essential primary feature of a furrow system of irrigation is the head
ditch, from which the water may be diverted into the furrows.
ii. Corrugation method
- A modified form of the furrow method having the same principle. The
water is, however, not permitted to flow directly into the corrugations
from the head ditch but is first diverted into distributing basins along
the lower side of the ditch, about 2.63 m wide and 6 to 18 m long.
5. SPRINKLER OF SPRAY IRRIGATION
Conditions that favours sprinkler irrigation:
i. Soils too porous for good distribution of water by surface irrigation.
ii. Shallow soils where proper land levelling is not possible for surface irrigation.
 iii. Steep slopes and easily erodible soils.
iv. Source of water too small for efficient distribution by surface irrigation.
v. Undulating land where grading may be too expensive for surface irrigation.
vi. Available labour may not be suitable for surface irrigation.
vii. Crop production may be called forth quickly.
Type of Sprinklers
i. Fixed Nozzle Pipe
- Parallel pipes are installed about 16 m apart and supported on rows of
posts.
ii. Perforated Sprinkler Lines
- Used more extensively in orchards and nurseries.
iii. Eyelet Hose System
- A canvas hose is used for the sprinkler lines instead of thin walled
metal pipe. The sprinkler outlets are eyelets, or small grommet, placed
at frequent interval.
iv. High Pressure Sprinkler Systems
a. Oscillating Sprinkler (Skinner system of Irrigation)
- Well suited to all forms of truck crops and small vine and bush
fruits from which returns are high, as it generally gives a
reasonably uniform and economical distribution of water. In this
system, the distribution pipes are suspended horizontally, at
right angles to the main, by either wooden or iron posts spaced
about 5 m apart.
b. Rotary Sprinkler (Circular-Sprinkler)
- More suitable for areas larger than 1 hectare. There is a main
line running across the end of the area to the irrigated. The
distribution lines run perpendicular to the main, spaced 12 to 30
m apart, depending upon the particular system.
6. DRIP OR TRICKLER IRRIGATION
Designed to supply water directly into the root zone of plants. Irrigation water is
distributed through pipe system and emitters.
A Drip Irrigation System consists of:
i. Headworks
- Includes pressure control devices, filter, fertilizer injection tank, valves
and taps, and a pump.
ii. Mainline and Submains
- Conveys water to the laterals along the rows, which are maintained
either at the pressure required at the dripper or have pressure control
devices fitted where necessary.
iii. Laterals
- Carries water to the drippers.
iv. Tricklet Outlets (Drippers)
- Water flows to keep the soil surface around the plants constantly wet.
 Design of a drop irrigation system:
i. Calculation of daily water use by individual plants
ii. Calculations of the number of outlets required per plant
iii. Calculating the flow of each outlet
iv. Placement of outlets
v. Outlets and laterals
vi. Installation of microtube type outlets
vii. Installation of laterals
viii. Mains and sub-mains
ix. Head-works
a. Pump and motors
b. Filters
7. AUTOMATED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
The use of mechanical gates, structures, valves, and other devices and systems to
automatically divert water from one portion of an agricultural field or farm to another in
the desired amount and sequence. This enhances the use of tail water return or reuse
systems and can reduce overall energy costs by making surface irrigation more
attractive compared to alternative systems that use more energy.

Automation Principles
i. Fields prepared for controller irrigation water flow;
ii. A suitable water supply including structures, valves, or other components that
automatically control the farm delivery;
iii. Controlled water distribution to a field with outlets that deliver the desired flow
into each segment of the field to be irrigated;
iv. Activating mechanisms or timing devices which open and close gates or valves
automatically in a selected sequence.
Design Considerations
i. Farm of System Field Layout
ii. Water Supply Factors
iii. Tail Water Recovery, Reuse and Storage Reservoirs
iv. Flow Measurement
v. Trash and Debris
Water Distribution to the Field
All outlets are controlled such that irrigation is automatically sequenced from
one field segment, or set, to another.
Timers and Controllers
These provide the timing and control functions for irrigation initiation and
duration.
i. Mechanical Clocks
ii. Centrally Located Multi-station Controllers
Portable Controllers
i. Radio
ii. Infrared
 iii. Portable Programmers
iv. Gate Actuators
v. Open Channel Distribution System
vi. Drop-Closed Gates
vii. Drop-Open Gates
viii. Center-of Pressure Gates
ix. Lift or Slide Gates
x. Dual Function Gates
Pneumatically operated Gates and Valves
These valves are closed by a flat disc or plate which is forced against a seat on
the end of the outlet by an inflated air pillow. They are used mostly on pipe outlets into
borders or levels.
Central System Operation
Water is checked consecutively in the head ditch at the next upstream turnouts
by the drop-closed gates and diverted to the field through drop-open gates in the side
of the ditch.
8. NEW METHODS OF IRRIGATION
i. Cablegation Systems
- A new automated system developed in the United States which uses a
single pipeline as both a supply and distribution line at the head of a
field. The pipe is laid on a precise grade and is oversized at least 15% so
that water can flow as open channel flow below the pipe outlets.
ii. Surge Flow Irrigation
- The intermittent application of irrigation water in a series of on-off
cycles to the field. Cycles of 30 to 120 minutes periods allow the water
to travel only part away down a furrow during the first “on” period.

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