24 Irrigation Water Resources and Water Power Engineering

irrigation stream is to be increased. However, smaller size of plots will involve more ridges and
channels resulting in wastage of land. On the other hand larger stream size may cause the
erosion of soil. Thus, a compromise between the area of land occupied by the ridges and
channels and soil erosion has to be made to obtain the most suitable design.
Further knowing the percolation losses (or water application efficiency), size of plot and
depth of water to be applied, the total volume of water to be applied can be calculated and
knowing the stream size the total time of irrigation can be calculated as expressed below.
Volume of water to be applied
d L B
= ...(2.13)
a

Time of irrigation
d L B
= ...(2.14)
a Q

where d = depth of water to be applied

L = length of the basin
B = width of the basin
ηa = water application efficiency; and
Q = flow rate (or size) of irrigation stream.

2.3.7 Ring Basin Method

The ring basin method of irrigation is a special form of check basin method of irrigation, which
is used for the irrigation of orchards (enclosures with fruit trees). In this method generally for
each tree a separate basin is made which is usually circular in shape and hence it is known as

ne l
c h an
ply
Su p

Fig. 2.6 Ring basin method

ring basin (Fig. 2.6). However, in some cases basins of larger size are made to include two to five
or more trees in one basin, water is supplied to the basins from a supply channel through small
field channels connecting the basins with the supply channel. In most of the cases each basin is