SOME STUDY QUESTIONS WITH RESPECT TO IRRIGATION WATER QUALITY

By: Moses Mlahagwa (Subject Lecturer-ATC)

1.

What does the term, quality of irrigation water mean?

2.

How does the quality of irrigation water deteriorate?

3.

Classify the irrigation water based on the electrical conductivity and sodium
hazard and state the suitability of these classes with respect to soils and crops

4.

Define and explain the terms, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage
(SP) and Electrical conductivity (ECiw) of Irrigation water

5.

List (of common to Tanzania), about five tolerant field crops to salinity, five
sensitive field crops to salinity, five tolerant vegetable crops to salinity and five
sensitive vegetable crops to salinity

6.

Name the common fruits based on the degree of their tolerance to salinitty

7.

How do carbonates and bicarbonates ions present decide the quality of irrigation
water?

8.

Discuss the significance of the following factors in Irrigation water quality:

salinity
sodium
Carbonate and Bicarbonates concentration
Boron concentration
pH

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
9.

Discuss the possible changes in soil properties that may occur through a
continuous use of irrigation water containing salts of different proportion

10.

Express 6000 ppm of sodium salt concentration in mhos/cm, mmhos/cm,

mhos/cm and milliequivalents/litre

11.

Express 2300 ppm sodium chloride salt concentration in m.e/l of water

12.

Work out the equivalence of 2600 mhos/cm electrical conductivity in osmotic

pressure in Atmosphere and the equivalence of one atmosphere osmotic pressure
in mmhos/cm electrical conductivity

13.

Describe the Irrigation water qualities that cause normal soils to turn into:
a) Saline soils
b) Saline alkali soils
c) Sodic soils

Source ECiw
Concentration
Constituents (m.e. per liter)
SP
Sample
(mhos/cm)
(Sodium
%)
Total
Cations (bases)
Anions (Acids)
Dissolved
Ca
Mg
Na
K
HCO3 SO4
Cl
NO3
Solids (ppm)
A
85.0
81
0.56 0.27 0.30 0.14 0.70
0.32 0.12 0.04
B

870.0

641

3.76

9150.0

6198

1135.0

1740.0

1.34

4.03

0.14 2.97

4.69

1.53

SAR
(Sodium
Adsorbtion
Ratio)

Irrigation
Water
Quality
CLASS

0.04

30.62 17.19 53.62 0.14 3.28

44.52 54.00 0.04

795

5.08

2.21

4.54

0.14 2.56

6.97

2.31

0.04

910

2.14

0.08

12.67 0.14 1.02

1.80

12.04 0.14

Qn 14.
a) By Using the given Diagram illustrating the classification system based on research conducted by the USDA Salinity
Laboratory, the values in the table above and the values as per your calculations(assuming there was no precipitation of Ca and
Mg due to presence of Bicabornates), Determine the Irrigation Water Quality Class for Irrigation Water Samples A, B, C, D and
E. (Fill your answers in their respective columns in the Table above), but show all your calculations
b) Suggest Crop Characteristics and Soil Characteristics for each of the Irrigation Water Sources above (i.e. comment/remark on
each Irrigation Water Quality Class)

By: Moses Mlahagwa

Subject Lecturer-ATC