IRRIGATION

HYDROLOGY
BY: ENGR. TRISHA L. PAULE
 What is Irrigation?
Irrigation is the process of applying water to the crops artificially to fulfil their
water requirements. Nutrients may also be provided to the crops through
irrigation. The various sources of water for irrigation are wells, ponds, lakes,
canals, tube-wells and even dams. Irrigation offers moisture required for growth
and development, germination and other related functions.
The frequency, rate, amount and time of irrigation are different for different
crops and also vary according to the types of soil and seasons. For example,
summer crops require a higher amount of water as compared to winter crops.
 Types of Irrigation
There are different types of irrigation practiced for improving crop yield. These types of
irrigation systems are practiced based on the different types of soils, climates, crops and
resources. The main types of irrigation followed by farmers include:
◦ Surface Irrigation
◦ Localized Irrigation
◦ Sprinkler Irrigation
◦ Drip Irrigation
◦ Centre Pivot Irrigation
◦ Sub Irrigation
◦ Manual Irrigation
 Surface Irrigation
In this system, no irrigation pump is involved. Here, water is distributed across the land by gravity.
 Localized Irrigation
In this system, water is applied to each plant through a network of pipes under low pressure.
 Sprinkler Irrigation
Water is distributed from a central location by overhead high-pressure sprinklers or from sprinklers from
the moving platform.
 Drip Irrigation
In this type, drops of water are delivered near the roots of the plants. This type of irrigation is rarely used
as it requires more maintenance.
 Centre Pivot Irrigation
In this, the water is distributed by a sprinkler system moving in a circular pattern.
 Sub Irrigation
Water is distributed through a system of pumping stations gates, ditches and canals by raising the water
table.
 Manual Irrigation
This a labour intensive and time-consuming system of irrigation. Here, the water is distributed through
watering cans by manual labour.
 Methods of Irrigation
Irrigation can be carried out by two different methods:

1. Traditional Methods
2. Modern Methods
Traditional Methods of Irrigation
◦ In this method, irrigation is done manually. Here, a farmer pulls out water from wells or canals by
himself or using cattle and carries to farming fields. This method can vary in different regions.

◦ The main advantage of this method is that it is cheap. But its efficiency is poor because of the uneven
distribution of water. Also, the chances of water loss are very high.

◦ Some examples of the traditional system are pulley system, lever system, chain pump. Among these, the
pump system is the most common and used widely.
Modern Methods of Irrigation
The modern method compensates the disadvantages of traditional methods and thus helps in the proper
way of water usage.

The modern method involves two systems:

1. Sprinkler system
2. Drip system
 Sprinkler System
A sprinkler system, as its name suggests, sprinkles water over the crop and helps in an even distribution of
water. This method is much advisable in areas facing water scarcity. Here a pump is connected to pipes
which generate pressure and water is sprinkled through nozzles of pipes.
 Drip System
In the drip system, water supply is done drop by drop exactly at roots using a hose or pipe. This method
can also be used in regions where water availability is less.
 Importance of Irrigation
The importance of irrigation can be explained in the following points:

◦ Insufficient and uncertain rainfall adversely affects agriculture. Droughts and famines are caused due to
low rainfall. Irrigation helps to increase productivity even in low rainfall.
◦ The productivity on irrigated land is higher as compared to the un-irrigated land.
◦ Multiple cropping is not possible in India because the rainy season is specific in most of the regions.
However, the climate supports cultivation throughout the year. Irrigation facilities make it possible to
grow more than one crop in most of the areas of the country.
◦ Irrigation has helped to bring most of the fallow land under cultivation.
◦ Irrigation has stabilized the output and yield levels.
◦ Irrigation increases the availability of water supply, which in turn increases the income of the farmers.

Irrigation should be optimum because even over-irrigation can spoil the crop production. Excess water
leads to waterlogging, hinder germination, increased salt concentration and uprooting because roots can’t
withstand standing water. Thus the proper method is to be used for the best cultivation.
 Soil and Water Relationships
◦ Soil moisture limits forage production potential the most in semiarid regions. Estimated water use
efficiency for irrigated and dry-land crop production systems is 50 percent, and available soil water has a
large impact on management decisions producers make throughout the year. Soil moisture available for
plant growth makes up approximately 0.01 percent of the world's stored water.

◦ By understanding a little about the soil's physical properties and its relationship to soil moisture, you can
make better soil-management decisions. Soil texture and structure greatly influence water infiltration,
permeability, and water-holding capacity.
◦ Soil texture refers to the composition of the soil in terms of the proportion of small, medium, and large
particles (clay, silt, and sand, respectively) in a specific soil mass. For example, a coarse soil is a sand or
loamy sand, a medium soil is a loam, silt loam, or silt, and a fine soil is a sandy clay, silty clay, or clay.

◦ Soil structure refers to the arrangement of soil particles (sand, silt, and clay) into stable units called
aggregates, which give soil its structure. Aggregates can be loose and friable, or they can form distinct,
uniform patterns. For example, granular structure is loose and friable, blocky structure is six-sided and
can have angled or rounded sides, and platelike structure is layered and may indicate compaction
problems.
◦ Soil porosity refers to the space between
soil particles, which consists of various
amounts of water and air. Porosity
depends on both soil texture and
structure. For example, a fine soil has
smaller but more numerous pores than a
coarse soil. A coarse soil has bigger
particles than a fine soil, but it has less
porosity, or overall pore space. Water
can be held tighter in small pores than in
large ones, so fine soils can hold more
water than coarse soils.
◦ Water infiltration is the movement of water from the soil surface into the soil profile. Soil texture, soil
structure, and slope have the largest impact on infiltration rate. Water moves by gravity into the open
pore spaces in the soil, and the size of the soil particles and their spacing determines how much water can
flow in. Wide pore spacing at the soil surface increases the rate of water infiltration, so coarse soils have
a higher infiltration rate than fine soils.

◦ Permeability refers to the movement of air and water through the soil, which is important because it
affects the supply of root-zone air, moisture, and nutrients available for plant uptake. A soil's
permeability is determined by the relative rate of moisture and air movement through the most restrictive
layer within the upper 40 inches of the effective root zone. Water and air rapidly permeate coarse soils
with granular subsoils, which tend to be loose when moist and don't restrict water or air movement. Slow
permeability is characteristic of a moderately fine subsoil with angular to subangular blocky structure. It
is firm when moist and hard when dry.
◦ Water-holding capacity is controlled primarily by soil texture and organic matter. Soils with smaller
particles (silt and clay) have a larger surface area than those with larger sand particles, and a large
surface area allows a soil to hold more water. In other words, a soil with a high percentage of silt and
clay particles, which describes fine soil, has a higher water-holding capacity. The table illustrates water-
holding-capacity differences as influenced by texture. Organic matter percentage also influences water-
holding capacity. As the percentage increases, the water-holding capacity increases because of the
affinity organic matter has for water.
Soil is a valuable resource that supports plant life, and
water is an essential component of this system.
Management decisions concerning types of crops to
plant, plant populations, irrigation scheduling, and the
amount of nitrogen fertilizer to apply depend on the
amount of moisture that is available to the crop
throughout the growing season. By understanding
some physical characteristics of the soil, you can better
define the strengths and weaknesses of different soil
types.
 Water Quality
Water quality describes the condition of the water, including chemical, physical, and biological
characteristics, usually with respect to its suitability for a particular purpose such as drinking or swimming,
 IRRIGATION SYSTEM
The irrigation system consists of a (main) intake structure or (main) pumping station, a conveyance system,
a distribution system, a field application system, and a drainage system
◦ The (main) intake structure, or (main) pumping station, directs water from the source of supply, such as a
reservoir or a river, into the irrigation system.
◦ The conveyance system assures the transport of water from the main intake structure or main pumping
station up to the field ditches.
◦ The distribution system assures the transport of water through field ditches to the irrigated fields.
◦ The field application system assures the transport of water within the fields.
◦ The drainage system removes the excess water (caused by rainfall and/or irrigation) from the fields.
 Main intake structure and pumping
station
◦ Main intake structure
The intake structure is built at the entry to the irrigation system . Its purpose is to direct water from the
original source of supply (lake, river, reservoir etc.) into the irrigation system.
 Pumping station
◦ In some cases, the irrigation water source lies below the level of the irrigated fields. Then a pump must
be used to supply water to the irrigation system
◦ There are several types of pumps, but the most
commonly used in irrigation is the centrifugal
pump.
◦ The centrifugal pump consists of a case in which
an element, called an impeller, rotates driven by a
motor. Water enters the case at the center, through
the suction pipe. The water is immediately caught
by the rapidly rotating impeller and expelled
through the discharge pipe.
◦ The centrifugal pump will only operate when the
case is completely filled with water.
Conveyance and distribution system
◦ The conveyance and distribution systems consist of canals transporting the water through the whole
irrigation system. Canal structures are required for the control and measurement of the water flow.
 Open canals
◦ An open canal, channel, or ditch, is an open waterway whose purpose is to carry water from one place to
another. Channels and canals refer to main waterways supplying water to one or more farms. Field
ditches have smaller dimensions and convey water from the farm entrance to the irrigated fields.

Canal characteristics

◦ According to the shape of their cross-section, canals are called rectangular (a), triangular (b), trapezoidal
(c), circular (d), parabolic (e), and irregular or natural
 A trapezoidal canal cross-section
The most commonly used canal cross-
section in irrigation and drainage, is the
trapezoidal cross-section. For the purposes
of this publication, only this type of canal
will be considered.

The freeboard of the canal is the height of

the bank above the highest water level
anticipated. It is required to guard against
overtopping by waves or unexpected rises
in the water level.
A side slope of 1:2 (one to two)
The side slope of the canal is
expressed as ratio, namely the
vertical distance or height to the
horizontal distance or width. For
example, if the side slope of the
canal has a ratio of 1:2 (one to
two), this means that the
horizontal distance (w) is two
times the vertical distance (h)
 A bottom slope of a canal
◦ The bottom slope of the canal
does not appear on the drawing of
the cross-section but on the
longitudinal section. It is
commonly expressed in percent
or per mil.
STATUS OF IRRIGATION
DEVELOPMENT
◦ The Philippines has about 10.3 million ha agricultural lands. Out of this, around 3.1 million ha are
considered irrigable, with up to 3 percent slope, and primarily devoted to rice and corn. A study by the
World Bank, however, identified more than 6.1 M ha as irrigable, including areas that are relatively more
difficult to irrigate and up to 8 percent slope.

◦ As of December 2015, about 1.731 million ha or 57.33 percent of the 3.1 million ha have been developed
for irrigation. Of the total area under irrigation, about 754,665 ha are under NIS; 615,797 ha under CIS
that are farmer-managed; and 187,766 ha under privately owned systems that are constructed through
private initiatives.
END OF PRESENTATION 