Department of plant science

. Learning Outcomes
Lo1. Determine irrigation shifts
Lo2. Check water supply and availability 
Lo3. Apply a measured amount of water as per irrigation
Competence :- Perform irrigation schedules
shifts
Lo4. Evaluate effectiveness of irrigation activities
Lo5. Monitor irrigation system process
Lo6. Record irrigation scheduling parameters
Lo7. Plan for extremes of weather
Set BY Seid Mohammed
2013 E.C
 Lo1- Determine irrigation shifts
Introduction
Irrigation is
Irrigation the artificial application of water to the land
or soil to assist in the growing of agricultural crops,
maintenance of landscapes, to maintains moisture in
the soil and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas
and during periods of inadequate rainfall.
Irrigation scheduling - deciding when and how much
water to apply to a field.
Ø Irrigation scheduling aims at determining the exact
amount of water to irrigate and the exact timing for
application.
Ø Irrigation scheduling offers an opportunity for improving
water efficiency at a farm level.
 Irrigation scheduling aims at determining
the exact amount of water to irrigate and
1.1 Monitoring plant or crop environment
the exact timing for application
Environmental factors to be monitored
drainage, soil moisture, water table levels,
soil salinity, rainfall, air temperature,
frost risk, water quality, plant/crop and
soil nutrient deficiencies, and irrigation
system maintenance requirements.

 Conti..
1.2 inspecting plants or crops for signs of stress.
ØWater is present throughout the plant in all its organs and
tissues
ØH2o content varying, over 90% of fresh weight of young
actively growing plants to 5 % in air dry cells.
ØLife will be impossible in complete absence of water.
Øwhich leads to death of cells or plants.
ØWater content in a plant decreases due to soil, plant and
environmental factors.
Ø the main reason being the extent of transpiration
v which is controlled by

ü environmental factor
üsoil and plant conditions.
 Cont..
ØTranspiration (rate and quantity) depends on
v leaf size and composition
v size and distribution of stomata on leaf
v atmospheric humidity
v temperature
v wind speed and day time length.

The amount of water observed depends on

ü length of roots

ü Their(roots)volume per volume of soil

ü water use efficiency and soil moisture

content.
 Conti..
Signs of water stress include
ØDamage to the root system ØGraying
ØRed or purple leaf color leaves
ØWilting ØLoss of sheen
ØInsect
vYield may be reduced due to water stress
damage
vExtreme lack of water will cause permanent
wilting and death.
 Conti..
Critical Periods for Soil Water Stress by Crop
i. Flowering
ii. Yield formation/fruit set
iii. Early vegetative growth/seedling stage
iv. Fruit ripening
Methods for scheduling irrigation can
v observational (personal experience, plant and soil
condition)
vsoil moisture

vcalculating evapotranspiration losses.

§ ItGravimetric method
is the direct method of measuring the moisture content of soil.
§ Samples taken from the field, weighted, dried at 105°C for about
24 hours till constant weight is obtained and again weighed
after drying.
§ The difference in weight between the wet (WS1) and oven dry
(WS2) samples gives the moisture content (Pw) in percentage.


The method is simple and reliable, but, time consuming and

sampling is destructive.

Next Previous End
 Conti…
1.3 Recommended changes to irrigation shifts

Irrigation scheduling determining irrigation time it is

an important activity that should be carried out for
success of any irrigation project.

Based on the following environmental conditions and

stage of crop growth, crop water requirements will
be changed
Ø Rise in temperature
Ø Increase in wind speed
 Cont…
ØIncrease in sun shine intensity
ØIncrease in day time duration

ØFall in temperature

ØIncrease in humidity

ØUn usual rain fall etc

We have to recommend irrigation shifts according

to
v Environmental conditions and

v Crop water requirements


Importance of irrigation depends on the quantity, quality and
intensity of water supply from a given source.

Before starting or planning an irrigation work we have to

check water supply and availability.

This include

Economic,
Lo2-vCheck water supply and availability
v Social,
v Environmental and political considerations.
 Conti…
2.1 Determine water volume required to meet irrigation needs
Irrigation channel discharge
v Methods used to measure water discharge can be grouped in to:-
a. Direct method /volume method.
b. Velocity area method
c. Use of weirs and orifices
1. Direct method, in this method the water is collected in a container of
known volume for a definite period of time. Only a bucket of known
volume and a stop watch are required. 
Discharge = Volume of bucket(Lit)
time required to fill up the bucket(sec)
2. Velocity area method: - the rate of flow passing a point in a pipe, ad itch
or channel can be determined by multiplying the cross sectional area of
water flow section at right angle to the direction of flow by the average
velocity of water.
Then, discharge is calculated as Q=A.V
Where, Q = discharge in L/sec or m3/sec
A = cross sectional area of the channel in m2
V = Flow velocity in m/sec
 I. Area determination Cont.…
 in semi circular sectional canal (
 In trapezoidal cross sectional canal=Area =
 in a rectangular sectional canal=Area = width * Depth

Crop water requirement is the quantity of water required by the plant/crop in a

given period of time and is expressed in terms of mm/day, mm/season .

Amount of water needed to replace the transpiration and evaporation losses and it
is termed as consumptive use of crop.

Transpiration; is the process by which water enters to the atmosphere from the
crop in the form of water vapor.

Evaporation; is a process by which water enters to the atmosphere from the

evaporative surface in the form of water vapor.
Ø such as lakes, rivers, pavements, soil and wet vegetation
 Cont…
Evapotranspiration; is the total amount of water
losses due to combined effect of evaporation and
transpiration.

Reference Evapo-transpiration (ETo),

the evapotranspiration rate from a reference surface

is called the reference evapotranspiration and is
denoted by ETO..

 Cont…
Actual crop evapotranspiration (ETc), is the evapotranspiration
from disease-free, well-fertilized crops.
Crop water can be affected by;
v climate

v Crop type

v Soil type

v Growing stage ( less water at initial stage & highest demand at mid
season stage)

Crop Co-efficient (kc): The ratio of crop evapotranspiration (ETc)

to the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is called Crop
coefficient (kc).
kc = ETc/ETo
 Cont…
Pan evaporation (EP) is related with ETo by a coefficient called pan

coefficient, Kp and ETo is given by

ETo = Ep X Kp

Ø Ep is pan evaporation (mm/day) and represents the mean daily

value
Ø Kp is the pan coefficient and can be obtained from a table

ETc = ETO Kc

Ø ETc is crop water requirement or crop evapotranspiration

(mm/day)

Ø ETo is reference evapotranspiration

The Class A pan (Source: FAO, 1998a)
 Cont…
Kc value depends on different factors like time of planting or
sowing, stage of development and general climatic conditions.

Crop growing season is mostly divided in to four stages

Initial stage-

It may ranges in between 0.35-0.5

Crop development stage-

It may ranges between 0.6-0.8

Mid season stage –

It may ranges in between 0.9- 1.15

Late season stage- It may ranges in between 0.3-1.00

Kc value of crop in different stage
 Cont.…
Ø commonly used standard pan
v standard pan size
Ø US class A pan. 120cm diameter,
25cm depth and
made of galvanized
Soil water balance
iron.
Ø Evapotranspiration can also be measured by measuring the
various components of the soil water balance.
Ø Irrigation (I) and rain fall (P) add water to the root zone.

Ø lost by surface run off (Ro) and by deep percolation (Dp)

Ø ET =I+P-Ro-Dp
Example :
Cont…
1. Calculate seasonal crop water requirement of maize which have
25,35,45 and 30 days of initial, crop development, mid-season
and late season stages respectively and take Kcave = 0.65 and ETo
=7mm/day.

Solution,

ETc =Kc X ETo =0.65X 7 =4.55 mm/day

Seasonal cwr= ETc X growing period

=4.55mm/day(25+35+45+30)

=614.25mm/growing season.

 Cont…
2.Calculate daily, monthly and seasonal crop water
requirement/need of tomatoes which have 35, 40, 50 and 25 days
of initial, crop development, mid-season and late season stages
respectively. Use the following data accordingly.
 

Note all months assumed to be have 30 days

Planting date = 1February.
 Solution
Cont…
Step 1: Adjusting Kc factor for each of Months
vFebruary Kc Feb = 0.45

vMarch 5 days Kc = 0.45

v 25 days Kc = 0.75
vKc March, Kc=(5/30) X0.45 +(25/30)X 0.75 =0.69

vKc April, Kc= (15/30)X 0.75 + (15/30) X 1.15 = 0.95

vKc May, Kc= 1.15

vKc June,Kc= (5/30) x1.15 + (25/30)x 0.8 = 0.85

 Cont…
Step 2: Calculating the crop water need on a daily
basis
ETcrop = ETo × Kc (mm/day)
üFebruary: ET crop = 5.0 × 0.45 = 2.3 mm/day

üMarch: ET crop = 5.8 × 0.70 = 4.1 mm/day

üApril: ET crop = 6.3 × 0.95 = 6.0 mm/day

üMay: ET crop = 6.8 × 1.15 = 7.8 mm/day

üJune: ET crop = 7.1 × 0.85 = 6.0 mm/day

 Cont…
Step 3: Calculate the monthly and seasonal crop water needs
Note: all months are assumed to have 30 days
 February ET crop = 30 × 2.3 = 69 mm/month

March ET crop = 30 × 4.1 = 123 mm/month

April ET crop = 30 × 6.0 = 180 mm/month

May ET crop = 30 × 7.8 = 234 mm/month

June ET crop = 30 × 6.0 = 180 mm/month

The crop water need for the whole growing season of

tomatoes is 786 mm
 Conti…
How much water to apply? (Irrigation depth)
 Critical to any irrigation management approach is an accurate estimate of
the amount of water applied to a field.
 When growers do not take their system’s efficiency into account, they may
apply too little or too much water.
 Too little water causes unnecessary water stress and can result in yield
reductions. Too much water can cause water logging, leaching, and may
also result in loss of yield.
The Irrigator’s Equation, Q x t = d x A
Where
Q is the flow rate (fts) t is the set time or total time of irrigation
(hours); d is the depth(ft) of water applied and A is the area(acre)
irrigated
 Cont…
Irrigation is normally required to keep the soil water content between Fc
and өc.

This range is called Raw. In irrigation system design, net irrigation

requirement is interchangeably used with Raw.
It is calculated as

NIR = RAW = (Fc –өC ) * Dz = MAD *TAW = MAD* (Fc –PWP) *Dz

It is not only NIR that we should divert to the irrigable land, since there
are so many losses from diversion to application.

The relation between fc and pwp is given by linear expression

PWP =0.447 + 0.28FC

 Cont…
Where,
v NIR = Net irrigation requirement

v RAW=real available water

v Fc = Field capacity

v Өc = temporary wilting point

v Dz = effective root zone depth

v MAD= maximum allowable depletion = 0.5 for most soil crops

v TAW = total available water

v PWP = permanent wilting point


 Cont…
Management Allowed Depletion (MAD)
1. MAD is the maximum amount of Plant Available Water
(PAW) allowed to be removed from the soil before irrigation refill occurs
2. Increased surface evaporation of water and usually higher rates of
transpiration are associated with high frequency irrigation; It is best
to irrigate only when the root zone has reached MAD
3. For most landscape purposes, 50% MAD represents a reasonable
overall value; For sensitive, shallow rooted plants, or heavy compacted
soils, a smaller depletion should be considered (30-50% MAD)
4. For stress-tolerant plants, deep root zones or lighter soils, a larger
depletion can be used (50-70% MAD)
Plant Available Water (PAW): The total amount of water held in the
plant root zone based on:
v Soil Type
v Plant Root Depth
 Conti…
Irrigation efficiency (Ea) is the ratio of water used by the plant to water
diverted from the source.
Amount of water that we want to divert or the amount to be applied is
called Gross irrigation requirement (GIR)
GIR = NIR /Ea
Net irrigation requirement = (Water requirement–Effective
rainfall)/Irrigation efficiency
ü Irrigation efficiency depends on different efficiencies, these are
 Conveyance efficiency

 Field application efficiency

 Distribution efficiency

Therefore, irrigation efficiency is the sum of all the above efficiencies

 Cont…
Example. How much water must be added to a field of area 3 ha to increase
the volumetric water content of the top 40 cm from 16% to 28%? Assume
all water added to the field stays in the top 40 cm.

Given.

 Fc =28% =0.28 өc = 16 % = 0.16 Dz = 40cm = 0.4m Ea = 1

Required
 GIR =?

SOLUTION

 NIR = (Fc –өc ) * Dz = (0.28 – 0.16)* 0.4 = 0.048m

 GIR = NIR/Ea = 0.048m/1 = 0.048m

 Volumetric = Depth X area = 0.048m* 3 ha = 0.048m *30,000m2 =

1440m3.

 Cont…
Irrigation interval /frequency.

Irrigation interval is the number of days between

irrigation during periods without rain fall
II =(Available water to be used by the crop)/(CWR)

II =(Fc-PWP)*Rz*D/CWR

II=irrigation interval, Rz =depth of root zone (m)

D = depletion factor/ depletion moisture (%)

Fc & pwp = volumetric field capacity & permanent wilting point

CWR = crop water requirement (mm/day)

 Cont…
Irrigation period
Irrigation period is the time that can be allowed for applying
one irrigation to a given design area, it should not be
greater than irrigation interval.
IP
IP = irrigation period in hour
II = irrigation interval in days
Ig = gross irrigation requirement of crop in mm/day
A = area of irrigated field in ha
qm = manageable discharge in liter/second

 Example
Cont…
Calculate irrigation interval and irrigation period for a given conditions,
 ETc = 10mm/day, root depth = 1m, Fc = 24 %, PWP =8%, qm = 15L/sec, A
= 1 ha, Ig = 12mm/day, depletion = 50% 
Solution

II= = =8days


IP= = =17.78hr


 Cont…
Soil Moisture Measurement

methods of collecting soil moisture include

ü neutron probe,

ü time domain reflectometry (TDR),

ü gravimetric,

ü Soil auger
tensiometers
ü tensiometers
Auger
ü electrical resistance blocks and

ü the hand feel method.

 Example, Cont..
Suppose you irrigated a set 320 ft. wide (that’s 96 rows at 40 inches apart);
800 ft. long with a head of 6 cfs. Your set time was about 6.5 hours.
How much water have you applied?
First, calculate the area irrigated:
320 ft. × 800 ft. = 256,000 ft.2
There are 43,560 ft.2 in 1 acre, so:
256,000 ft. 2 / (43,560 ft.2/acre) = 5.9 acres
Now, using the Irrigator’s Equation we get:
6.0 (cfs) × 6.5 (hours) = d (inches) × 5.9 (acres)
Solving for d (depth of water applied) we get:
d (inches) = (6 × 6.5) / 5.9 = 6.6 inches
The total amount of water applied to the field was 6.6 inches in
depth.
 Cont..
How Long Should My Set Time Be?
The Irrigator’s Equation can also be used to estimate how
long you’re set times should be.
By choosing a target amount of water to apply, you can use
the same equation but solve for time instead of depth of
application.
For example, suppose you estimated that your soil water
deficit was 4.0 inches. You want to refill the soil and
apply the full 4.0 inches. Your set size is 150 feet wide
(that is 45 rows at 40 inches apart), 1100 feet long, and
you are running 5 cfs.
 Cont..
How long should your set time be?
v Again, first calculate the total area to be irrigated. In this case, we have:

v 150 ft. × 1100 ft. = 165,000 ft.2

v To convert to acres:

v 165,000 ft.2 /( 43,560 ft.2/acre) = 3.8 acres

v Now using the Irrigator’s Equation, we get:

v 5.0 (cfs) × t (hours) = 4 (in) × 3.8 (acres)

v Solving for t we get:

v t (hours) = (4 × 3.8)/5 = 3 hours

v The set time should be three hours to apply 4.0 inches of water.


 3. IMPLEMENTING IRRIGATION SHIFTS
Implementing Agreed irrigation schedule
ØWhen to irrigate, it depends on crop, Soil, climate, irrigation
system, water deliveries and Management objective and Economy.
• Coordinating and personnel briefing to deliver irrigation
requirements
ØIrrigation is a system
 extending across different technical and non-
technical disciplines,
 that require many professionals and
 may have so many components (water
management authority, scheme operators,
extension workers, farmers and other sectors)

Ø
4. EVALUATING EFFECTIVENESS OF IRRIGATION ACTIVITIES
Ø Irrigation system evaluation is the analysis of any irrigation system and management based on
measurements taken in the field under normal conditions and management.
Ø There are three levels of irrigation system evaluations that can be performed:
1. Simplified :
ü This type of evaluation provides enough information to the
landowner/operator to make management and operation
decisions.
ü This evaluation usually takes a few hours to complete.
2. Abbreviated :

ü This type of evaluation provides enough information for the

landowner/operator to make management and operation decisions
plus identifies any problems with the system.
üThis evaluation takes a half to full day to complete.
 Cont..
3. Detailed –:
üThis type of evaluation provides the landowner/ operator with
a report and a comprehensive irrigation system operation
and maintenance plan.
üThis evaluation can take up to one to five days to complete.
ØEvaluating for soil conditions of an irrigated field
ü soil moisture content,
ü level of ground water table,
ü salinity of soil,
ü water logging conditions, etc.

LO5: Monitor irrigation system process
Irrigation Water Management is the process of determining and
controlling the volume, frequency, and application rate of irrigation
water in a planned, efficient manner .
ØMonitoring irrigation system consists:-
• Monitoring frequency of irrigation
• Monitoring Water use efficiency
• Monitoring Water Quality
• Assessing plant growth
• Monitoring soil chemical characteristics
• Monitoring Weather conditions
ü
 The main water use efficiency indices generated by the project tools
include:
v Gross Production Water Use Index = Total product (kg)
5.2 Monitoring Water use efficiency
Total water applied (ML)

v Irrigation Water Use Index = Total product (kg)

Irrigation water applied (ML)

v Gross Production Economic Water Use Index = Gross production ($)

Total water applied (ML)

v Irrigation Economic Water Use Index= Gross production ($)

Irrigation water applied (ML)

v Field Application Efficiency (Ea) = Irrigation water available to the crop

(ML)
Water received at field inlet (ML)

v Crop Water Use Efficiency (%) = Simulated Crop Water Use (ml)
Water Applied (ML)

Cont…
6. RECORDING IRRIGATION SYSTEM DATA
Ø Every information which is relevant to irrigation should be recorded.
ü Crops to be Grown, Cropping Sequence and Soils
Information.
ü Volume of Water Needed per Irrigation and for the
season.
ü Application rate of irrigation water.
ü Records Showing Date and Amount of Water Applied.
ü Include type of irrigation scheduling technique used by the
client.
ü Evaluation of the Irrigation System
ü Environmental Considerations
 6.1.2. Water usage data
ü Crop evapotranspiration is influenced by several major factors: -
ü plant temperature,
ü ambient air temperature,
ü solar radiation (sunshine duration/intensity),
ü wind speed/ movement,
ü relative humidity/vapor pressure, and
ü soil water availability.
v Seasonal water requirements, in addition to crop water needs, may also
include:
ü water used for pre plant irrigation,
ü agricultural waste application,
ü leaching for salt control,
ü temperature control (for frost protection, bud delay, and cooling for
product quality),
ü chemigation,
ü facilitation of crop harvest,
ü seed germination, and
ü dust control.
 6.1.3. Irrigation shifts data
Ø Irrigation development in Ethiopia is classified in two ways:-
v The first classification uses the size of the command area as follows:
1. Small-scale irrigation systems (<200 hectares (ha))
2. Medium-scale irrigation systems (200-3,000 ha)
3. Large-scale irrigation systems (>3,000 ha)
v The second classification uses a mix of the history of establishment, time of
establishment, management system and nature of the structures as follows:
1. Traditional schemes: small-scale irrigation systems which usually use
diversion weirs made from local material and need annual reconstruction. The
canals are usually earthen and the schemes are managed by the community.
2. Modern schemes: small-scale irrigation systems with more permanent
diversion weirs made from concrete and, therefore, do not require annual
reconstruction. The primary and sometimes secondary canals are made of
concrete. They are community-managed and have recently been constructed by
the government.
3. Public: large-scale operations constructed and managed by the government.
Sometimes these schemes support out-growers (smallholder farmers who have
farms in the vicinity of the large–scale schemes).
4. Private: privately owned systems that are usually highly intensive operations.
 Thank you for
your attention!!