Course Title: Irrigation and Drainage Practices

Course No.: ID-304

Credit hrs.: 2(1-1)

Dr Noman Ali Buttar

Department of Irrigation and drainage,

University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
Methods of
Irrigation
 Methods of
Irrigation
• Surface Irrigation
Flooding
 Boarder
 Basin
Furrow
• Sub Surface
 Methods of
Irrigation
• High Efficiency Irrigation Systems (HEIS)

 Drip
 Sprinkler
Bubbler
 Surface Irrigation
Water is applied to the field in either the controlled or uncontrolled manner.
Controlled:
Water is applied from the head ditch and guided by corrugations, furrows, borders, or
ridges.
Uncontrolled:
Wild flooding.
Surface irrigation is entirely practiced where water is abundant. The low initial cost of
development is later offset by high labor cost of applying water. There are deep
percolation, runoff and drainage problems.
 Selection of Irrigation
Each surface systemMethod
has unique advantages and disadvantages depending on such factors
as were listed earlier like:
1. Initial cost
2. Size and shape of fields
3. Soil characteristics
4. Nature and availability of the water supply
5. Climate
6. Cropping patterns
7. Social preferences and structures
8. Historical experiences
 Basin Irrigation

• Most simplest and oldest method of

controlled irrigation in Pakistan

• It involves dividing the field into smaller

unit areas with level surface

• Suitable for irrigating rice and ponding

water for leaching of salts
 Basin Irrigation

1. In basin irrigation, water is flooded in wider areas. It is ideal for

irrigating rice.
2. The area is normally flat.
3. In basin irrigation, a very high stream size is introduced into the basin so that
rapid movement of water is obtained.
4. Water does not infiltrate a lot initially.
 Basin Irrigation

Advantages
• Adequate control of water
• Uniform distribution
• High application efficiency
• Useful for leaching of salts
• Suited to small land holding and small flow
rated
 Basin Irrigation

Disadvantages
• Difficult to drain excess water on clayey soils
• Considerable land occupied by ditches
• Excess loss of water through addition watercourse system and over
irrigation
• Because of smaller units corners are left unplanted
• It utilize greater time and energy
 Border Irrigation

• This method make use of parallel

ridges to guide a sheet of
water as it moves the slope flowin
• It has g in
uniform gentle slope
the direction of flow
• Slope in transverse direction is zero
• Each strip is irrigated independently
 Border irrigation
• In a border irrigation, controlled surface flooding is practiced whereby the field
is divided up into strips by parallel ridges and each strip is irrigated separately by
introducing water upstream and it progressively covers the entire strip.
• Border irrigation is suited for crops that can withstand flooding for a short time
e.g. wheat.
• It can be used for all crops provided that the system is designated to provide the
needed water control for irrigation of crops.
• It is suited to soils between extremely high and very low infiltration rates.
Border
Irrigation
Border
Irrigation
 Border
Irrigation
1. In border irrigation, water is applied slowly.
2. Ideally, there is no runoff and deep percolation.
3. The problem is that the time to cut off the inflow is difficult to determine.
 Design Parameters of Border
Irrigation
Strip width:
1. Cross slopes must be eliminated by leveling.
2. Since there are no furrows to restrict lateral movement, any cross slope will
make water move down one side leading to poor application efficiency and
possibly erosion.
3. The size should be enough to allow complete lateral spreading throughout the
length of the strip.
4. The strip width should be at least bigger than the size of vehicle tract for
construction where applicable.
 Border Irrigation
Advantages
• Uniform distribution and high application efficiencies are possible
• Large irrigation streams can effectively used
• Operation of system is simple
• Adequate surface drainage can be provided at downstream
• Suitable for mechanized farming
• Saving of land and water due to reduction of water channels and permanent dikes
 Border Irrigation

Disadvantages
• This method requires proper land leveling and uniform gentle slope
in the direction of irrigation
• Usually, large irrigation streams are required
• Time take to irrigate increase with the length of border. Therefore, excessively
large borders cannot be accommodated for smaller stream flows
 Furrow Irrigation
• In furrow irrigation, only a part of the land surface (the furrow) is wetted
thus minimizing evaporation loss.

• Furrow irrigation is adapted for row crops

• Irrigation can be done using small irrigation streams.

• Furrow irrigation is adapted for irrigating on various slopes except on steep

ones because of erosion and bank overflow.
Furrow Irrigation with Siphons
Furrow Irrigation
 Design Parameters of Furrow Irrigation

Furrow Length
• Very long lengths lead to a lot of deep percolation involving over-irrigation
at the upper end of the furrow and under-irrigation at the lower end.

Field Widths
• Widths are flexible but should not be of a size to enclose variable soil types.
• The widths should depend on land grading permissible.
 High Efficiency Irrigation Systems (HEISs)

• Drip Irrigation
• Sprinkler Irrigation
• Rain Gun
• Linear Move
• Centre Pivot
 Drip or Trickle Irrigation

In this irrigation system:

• Water is applied directly to the crop i.e. entire field is not

wetted

• Water is conserved
• There is no need for a drainage system.
 Components of Drip Irrigation System

• The Major Components of a Drip Irrigation System include:

• Head unit
• Filters
• Water meter
• Pressure regulator
• Mainline
• Laterals
• Emitters
 Components of a Drip Irrigation
System
Control
Head Wetting Pattern
Unit

Mainline
Or
Manifol
d

Latera Emitter
l
Irrigation up to whole Canopy Loop Around the Plant
Wetting Pattern
 Sprinkler Irrigation

In Sprinkler irrigation:
1. Water is applied in form of sprays sometimes simulating natural rainfall.
2. The difference is that this rainfall can be controlled in duration and intensity.
3. If well planned, designed and operated, it can be used in sloping
land to reduce erosion where other systems are not possible.
 Types of Conventional Sprinkler Systems

Fully portable system:

1. The laterals, mains, sub-mains and the pumping plant are all portable.
2. The system is designed to be moved from one field to another or other pumping
sites that are in the same field.
Semi-portable system:
3. Water source and pumping plant are fixed in locations.
4. Other components can be moved.
5. The system cannot be moved from field to field or from farm to farm except when
more than one fixed pumping plant is used.
 Types of Conventional Sprinkler Systems

Fully permanent system:

1. Permanent laterals, mains, sub-mains as well as fixed pumping plant.
2. Sometimes laterals and mainlines may be buried.
3. The sprinkler may be permanently located or moved along the lateral.
4. It can be used on permanent irrigation fields and for relatively high value crops e.g.
Orchards and vineyards.
5. Labor savings throughout the life of the system may later offset high
installation
cost.
 Mobile Sprinklers
Rain Gun:
• A mobile machine with a big sprinkler.
• The speed of the machine determines the application rate.
• The sprinkler has a powerful jet system.
 Mobile Sprinklers
Linear Move:
• A mobile long boom with many sprinklers attached to them.
• As the machine moves, it collects water from a canal into the sprinklers connected to
the long boom.
 Mobile Sprinklers

Centre Pivot: The source of water is stationary e.g. a bore hole. The boom with
many sprinklers rotates about the water
source.
Pivot of a Centre Pivot
System