V.

SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT

Water management
- Involves proper diversion, conveyance, regulation, measurement, distribution and
application of water to the field.

Irrigation
- Application of enough water at the proper time to the soil to supplement crop growth

Drainage
- Removal of excess water from the soil to create better environment for plants

Major classification of water sources:

1. Atmospheric water
- Water intercepted directly by plants from precipitation
- precipitation/rainfall- most practical and dominant source of irrigation water;
ample supply but not often available at time and place of need
2. Surface water
- Water that remains or exist in natural basins and stream channels
3. Subsurface water
- Water that has reached the zone of saturation in the ground surface through
infiltration and deep percolation

Development of the major water sources

- Storage and conveyance of water from the time and place of natural occurrence to the
time and place of beneficial use

Development of atmospheric water

- By means of cropping pattern
- Adjust to what environment offers you
- By means of cloud seeding
- Two ways: silver iodide (temperate) and salt solution (tropical)

Development of surface water

- Run-off the river type
- Irrigation water is obtained by direct withdrawal from flowing streams or natural
basins
- Storage type
- Involves the construction of dams or reservoirs to hold flow during seasons of
high run-off for later release to beneficial use

Development of subsurface water

- Wells, springs, and dug-out reservoir
Water quality
- Refers to characteristics of a water supply that influences its suitability for a specific use
- Common water quality-related problems in agriculture
1. Salinity
- Refers to the total concentration of soluble salts in the water
- Indicated by electrical conductivity of water
- Unit of measurement is mho/cm or dS/m
2. Proportion of Na to other cations
- Indicated by the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR)
- SAR for irrigation: 8 to 18
- a high SAR will decrease the water infiltration rate
- Prolonged irrigation period may result to crusting of seedbeds, excessive weeds,
nutritional disorders, rotting of seed and potential to develop disease and
mosquito problems
3. Specific ion toxicity
- Chloride: causes leaf burns (drying from the tip to the edges)
- Sodium: yellowing of leaves and burning, symptoms and bad effects if greater
than 2.25 to 2.5 % ang sodium
- Boron: yellowing and burning from tip to base of leaves

Irrigation Methods

Classification:
1. Gravity systems
- Involves direct diversion from a stream and a conveyance of water in a system of
canals or channels down to the land to be irrigated
- Diversion usually requires:
- Checking of the stream flows
- Raising water level to force the desired flow through the headgates into
the head of a canal > obtained by construction of overflow dam or
diversion weirs across the stream

2. Pumping systems
- Obtain its supply by pumping from a stream or other surface body of water or
from underground source

Elements:
1. Source
2. Diversion canals or pumping devices
3. Distribution systems

Methods of Irrigation:
1. Surface methods
- Water is applied on the top of the soil
 I. Flooding
- Wetting all the land surface usually in an uncontrolled manner
II. Basin/Check
- Consists of applying sufficient depth of water to level plot surrounded by
levees or dikes
- Basins vary from 2-4m2 or more
- Adapted to nearly level land, usually those of fine textured and low
permeability
- Lowland rice, small grains, row crops, orchards
III. Border strip
- Area to be irrigated is divided into strips separated into strips, separated
by low dikes or border ridges, laid out on contour or running down the
slope
IV. Furrow
- Applying water on small, well defined, parallel channels constructed
between plant rows
- Suited in soils with low permeability
- Depth of furrows must be 20-30 cm
V. Corrugation
- Uses smaller and shallower channels (8-12 cm) than furrows. Usually rills
running down the slope of the field
2. Subsurface methods
- Water is applied below the soil surface
I. Perforated Irrigation Pipes
- Uses pipes (tiles, PVC) buried to apply water near the root zone
3. Overhead
- Water is applied on the top of the soil in the form of spray, mist, or drip
I. Sprinkler Irrigation
- Light application in the form of mist or spray
- For steep or rolling land
- For porous soil
- For wide variety of crops
- Initial cost is high
II. Drip/Trickle Irrigation
- Uses emitters or drippers
- Controlled rate and light application
- Reduces water loss due to evaporation
- Applicable to many crops
- Initial cost is high

Factors to consider in choosing irrigation method

1. Crop factors
2. Soil factors
3. Water source
 4. Topography
5. Economics

Drainage Methods

Fundamental concept of drainage

- Lowering the water table by natural or artificial means
a. Improve soil aeration for maximum root growth
b. Minimize runoff and soil erosion
c. Remove toxic salts and excess water
d. Improve soil tilth

Sources of Drainage Water

- Excess rainfall
- Overflow from rivers, canals, etc.
- Seepage losses from reservoirs and deep percolation losses from irrigated lands
- Upward artesian aquifer

Confined/Unconfined Aquifer

1. Perched aquifer
- Formation of impermeable water layer above water table
2. Unconfined aquifer
- No impermeable layer on top
3. Confined aquifer
- Pressurized water

General Methods of Drainage

1. Surface method
- For removal of excess surface water
- By open channel drains or open ditches and interceptor drains
A. Field drains
- Remove water in fields of flat slopes
- Usually used in orchards, passable by vehicles
- Adapted to side slope ranges of 8:1 (H:V) up to 10:1
B. Field ditches
- Remove water in fields
- Has deeper and steeper sides
C. Interceptor drains
- Intercept water before it enters project area

2. Subsurface methods
- For internal drainage or removal of water below the ground surface
- Usually employed when fields have impermeable layer below the rootzone
 - Can be done by use of tile drains, mole drains, and pumping out the groundwater
A. Field drains type
- Uses perforated pipes or mole drains in flat lands
I. Tile drains
- Gridiron: one main or sub-main canal serve many laterals or field
drains, connection is usually at 90 degree angle
- Herringbone: adapted to areas of concave surfaces, field drains or
laterals connect to main or sub-main canal at less than 90 degree
angle
- Random or targeted: used in rolling areas with scattered wet
areas, tile drains are laid out randomly, adapted to areas which do
not require complete drainage
II. Mole drains
- Clayey soils and dry season
B. Cut off or interceptor drains
- Uses tile drains in sloping lands

Advantages of open drains:

1. Serve to receive surface run-off as well as groundwater
2. Gradient required for water transport is much less than in tile drains (0.01% vs 0.1%)
3. Easy to inspect and repair
4. Usually cheaper than tile drains (wrt initial cost)

Disadvantages of open drains

1. Loss of arable land
2. Weed growth and erosion problems
3. Hampers farming operation (esp farm mechanization)
4. Requires parceling of area