CHUA, Chelsie Nars T.

Activity # 7
October 18, 2021 Prof. Elvira Abines

3 definitions of water management from different authors

Water management is the control and movement of water resources to minimize damage to life and
property and to maximize efficient beneficial use. Good water management of dams and levees reduces
the risk of harm due to flooding. Irrigation water management systems make the most efficient use of
limited water supplies for agriculture (United States Department of Agriculture, n.d.).

Water management is the management of water resources for the coming generations. Water is one
the most crucial natural resource for the existence of the human beings (Singh, 2019)

Agricultural water management (AWM) seeks to use water in a way that provides crops and animals the
amount of water they need, enhances productivity, and conserves natural resources for the benefit of
downstream users and ecosystem services (United States Agency for International Development, n. d.).

Water requirements of different plant growth stages

Crops are different in their response to water stress at a given growth stage. Crops summarized
according to their sensitivity to water stress at various growth stages (Tables 1 and 2) reveal the
importance of these stages in making the irrigation decision.

Crops that are in the sensitive stage of growth should be irrigated at a lower soil water depletion level
than those that can withstand water stress. If a crop is last in the irrigation rotation and is at a sensitive
stage of growth, the recommended strategy may be to apply partial or lighter irrigations in order to
reach the end of the field before the sensitive crop is subjected to water stress.

Such a strategy can be used with sprinkler systems, but this may lead to unfavorable soil moisture
conditions at the lower soil depths. When soil is repeatedly watered to only shallow depths, the lower
soil depths tend to develop a soil moisture deficit that exceeds the allowable soil moisture depletion
level at that particular growth stage. Therefore, quick soil moisture assessment at various soil depths to
determine the actual water use is essential in irrigation scheduling as related to growth stages.

Crop appearance is considered one of many field indicators that can be used in irrigation scheduling. A
crop suffering from water stress tends to have a darker color and exhibits curling or wilting. This is a
physiological defense mechanism of the crop that is evident on hot, windy afternoons when the crop
cannot transpire fast enough, even if the water is readily available in the soil. If the crop does not
recover from these symptoms overnight, the crop is suffering from water stress. Any changes in crop
appearance due to water stress may mean a reduction in yield. However, using this indicator alone for
irrigation scheduling is not recommended if a maximum yield is desired.

This indicator is inferior for modern agriculture due to the inability to determine the actual crop water
use. However, ignoring it at the critical growth stages may lead to yield reduction. Using the growth
stage as a field indicator in irrigation scheduling should be coupled with more sensitive and accurate
methods of determining the crop water use such as soil moisture measurements and ET data. The main
advantage of this indicator is to provide direct and visual feedback from the crop.

Different crops have different water requirements and respond differently to water stress. Crop
sensitivity to water stress varies from one growth stage to another. Table 1 is a summary of critical
growth stages during which major crops in Colorado are especially sensitive to water stress.

A good irrigation scheduling scheme should consider sensitivity of the crop to water stress at different
growth stages. This is accomplished by using a coefficient termed the Management Allowable Depletion
(MAD), which is the amount of water allowed to be depleted from the root zone before irrigation is
scheduled. The MAD is usually given as a percentage of maximum water-holding capacity of the soil. At
the time of irrigation, the soil water deficit should be less than or equal to the MAD.

The goal of any irrigation scheduling scheme is to keep the water content in the root zone above this
allowable depletion level. This ensures that the crop will not suffer from water stress and will produce
maximum potential yield. In Table 2, suggested MADs for selected crops are given for different growth
stages. This information can be used in an irrigation scheduling scheme by using the appropriate MAD
for each growth stage to trigger irrigation.
*M.M. Al-Kaisi, former Colorado State University Extension regional water management specialist,
Akron, Colorado, and I. Broner, former Extension irrigation specialist and associate professor, chemical
and bioresource engineering.

Methods of water application

An adequate water supply is important for plant growth. When rainfall is not sufficient, the plants must
receive additional water from irrigation. Various methods can be used to supply irrigation water to the
plants. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. These should be taken into account when
choosing the method which is best suited to the local circumstances.

1. Surface Irrigation

Surface irrigation is the application of water by gravity flow to the surface of the field. Either the
entire field is flooded (basin irrigation) or the water is fed into small channels (furrows) or strips of land
(borders).

BASIN IRRIGATION

Basins are flat areas of land, surrounded by low bunds. The bunds prevent the water
from flowing to the adjacent fields. Basin irrigation is commonly used for rice grown on flat
lands or in terraces on hillsides. Trees can also be grown in basins, where one tree is usually
located in the middle of a small basin. In general, the basin method is suitable for crops that are
unaffected by standing in water for long periods (e.g. 12-24 hours).

FURROW IRRIGATION

Furrows are small channels, which carry water down the land slope between the crop
rows. Water infiltrates into the soil as it moves along the slope. The crop is usually grown on the
ridges between the furrows. This method is suitable for all row crops and for crops that cannot
stand in water for long periods (e.g. 12-24 hours).

BORDER IRRIGATION

Borders are long, sloping strips of land separated by bunds. They are sometimes called
border strips. Irrigation water can be fed to the border in several ways: opening up the channel
 bank, using small outlets or gates or by means of siphons or spiles. A sheet of water flows down
the slope of the border, guided by the bunds on either side.

2. Sprinkler Irrigation
Sprinkler irrigation is similar to natural rainfall. Water is pumped through a pipe system and
then sprayed onto the crops through rotating sprinkler heads.

3. Drip Irrigation
With drip irrigation, water is conveyed under pressure through a pipe system to the fields,
where it drips slowly onto the soil through emitters or drippers which are located close to the
plants. Only the immediate root zone of each plant is wetted. Therefore this can be a very
efficient method of irrigation (Figure 6). Drip irrigation is sometimes called trickle irrigation.

*(Food and Agriculture Organization, n.d.)

Sources of water
The source of water for most land plants is precipitation that infiltrates or soaks into the soil, but
precipitation varies dramatically geographically. Climate, including the temperature of a region and the
amount of precipitation, plays an important role in determining what types of plants can grow in a
particular area. A low resource region with respect to water receives lower precipitation, so would have
desert-like vegetation, whereas a higher resource region for water would have lusher native vegetation

In regions where precipitation is insufficient to grow crops, farmers turn to other sources of water to
irrigate their crops. Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil to assist in growing of
agricultural crops and other vegetation in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall. These
sources of water can be from either surface or groundwater. Surface water sources include rivers and
lakes, and diversion of water from surface water sources often requires dams and networks of irrigation
canals, ditches, and pipelines. These diversions structures and the resulting depletions in river flow can
have significant impacts on our rivers systems (Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College,
2018).

References:

United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Natural Resources Conservation Service.

NRCS. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/water/manage/.

Singh, H. (2019, September 7). Water management: Meaning, statistics and solutions.
Jagranjosh.com. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-
knowledge/watermanagement-1440753457-1.

USAID. (n.d.). Agricultural Water Management. Agricultural Water Management |

Globalwaters.org. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from
https://www.globalwaters.org/resources/agricultural-water-management.
Al-Kaisi, M. M., & Brone, I. (2016, March 7). Crop water use and growth stages - 4.715.
Colorado State University Extension. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/agriculture/crop-water-use-and-growth-stages-4-
715/.

Food and Agriculture Organization. (n.d.). CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION. Methods of Water

Application. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from
https://www.fao.org/3/s8684e/s8684e02.htm.

Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College. (2018, May 22). Water sources for
crops. Student Materials. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from
https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/food_supply/student_materials/1093.