EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION ON SOCIETY 2019-2020

GURU NANAK DEV ENGINEERING COLLEGE,

BIDAR

HYDROLOGY AND IRRIGATION ENGINEERING ( 15CV73 )

CASE STUDY ON “EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION ON
SOCIETY- SURGE IRRIGATION”

Submitted By
MOHD UMER SADIQUDDIN.S –3GN15CV060
SYED NIZAM UDDIN- 3GN16CV114
MOHAMMED ASIF ALI- 3GN16CV059
MOHAMMED ISMAIL UL HAQ- 3GN16CV060

Under the guidance of

Prof. RAJANI S.S
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
GURU NANAK DEV ENGINEERING COLLEGE
BIDAR-585401
2019-2020

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 EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION ON SOCIETY 2019-2020

Table of Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION :- ............................................................................................................... 3
1.1 IMPORTANCE OF IRRIGATION:- ................................................................................ 3
2.0 TYPES OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM :- ................................................................................ 4
2.1 SURFACE IRRIGATION :- .............................................................................................. 4
3.0 SURGE IRRIGATION:- ........................................................................................................ 7
3.1 How Does Surge Work?...................................................................................................... 8
3.2 Design:-................................................................................................................................. 8
3.3 Advantages:- ...................................................................................................................... 11
3.4 Disadvantages:-.................................................................................................................. 11
4.0 CONCLUSION:- ................................................................................................................... 12
REFERENCES:- ......................................................................................................................... 12

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1.0 INTRODUCTION :-

Agriculture is the nerve of any country as it is needed for survival of living beings. For growing
crops, irrigation is major process. Irrigation is described as the artificial application of water to
the land or soil. It is the substitute or supplement of rainwater with another source of water. It is
used in dry areas and during periods of insufficient rainfall. It is considered as basic
infrastructure and vital input required for agricultural production . Major aim of irrigation
systems is to help out in the growing of agricultural crops and vegetation by maintaining with the
minimum amount of water required, maintenance of landscapes, and re-vegetation of disturbed
soils. Irrigation systems are also used for dust repression, removal of sewage, and in mining.
Irrigation is often studied together with drainage, which is the natural or artificial removal of
surface and sub-surface water from a given region. Agricultural scientists stated that irrigation
also has a few other uses in crop production, which include protecting plants against frost,
suppressing wild plant growing in grain fields and helping to avert soil consolidation. On the
contrary, agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-fed or dry-land
farming.

Irrigation is the application of controlled amounts of water to plants at needed intervals.

Irrigation helps to grow agricultural crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate disturbed soils in
dry areas and during periods of less than average rainfall. Irrigation also has other uses in crop
production, including frost protection, suppressing weed growth in grain fields and preventing
soil consolidation. In contrast, agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-
fed or dry land farming.

1.1 IMPORTANCE OF IRRIGATION:-

 Plants absorb minerals and nutrients from the soil via their roots. These minerals are
dissolved in the water present in the soil. Then the water transports these nutrients to all
parts of the plant, enabling growth and photosynthesis.
 Irrigation provides the moisture that is crucial during the germination phase of the plant’s
life cycle. Proper irrigation also increases yield from the farm
 Irrigation makes the soil more fertile (by adding moisture to it) and easier to plough.

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2.0 TYPES OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM :-

Irrigation system can be broadly classified into 3 major groups a) Surface irrigation.
b) Micro irrigation / Sub surface irrigation system.
c) Sprinkler irrigation system.

2.1 SURFACE IRRIGATION :-

Surface irrigation technique is broadly classified as basin irrigation; border irrigation; furrow
irrigation and uncontrolled flooding.

 Basin irrigation: - Basin irrigation is common practice of surface irrigation. This

method is employed for watering orchards .It is useful especially in regions with layouts
of small fields . If a field is level in all directions, is encompassed by a dyke to prevent
runoff, and provides an undirected flow of water onto the field, it is herein called a basin.
A basin is typically square in shape but exists in all sorts of irregular and rectangular
configurations. It may be furrowed or ridged, have raised beds for the benefit of certain
crops, but as long as the inflow is undirected and uncontrolled into these field
modifications, it remains a basin.

 Furrow irrigation :- In furrow irrigation technique, trenches or “furrows” are dug

between crop rows in a field. Farmers flow water down the furrows (often using only
gravity) and it seeps vertically and horizontally to refill the soil reservoir. Flow to each
furrow is individually controlled. Furrow irrigation is suitable for row crops, tree crops
and, because water does not directly contact the plants, crops that would be damaged by
direct inundation by water such as tomatoes, vegetables, potatoes and beans. It is one of
the oldest system of irrigation. It is economical and low-tech making it particularly
attractive in the developing world or places where mechanized spray irrigation is
unavailable or impractical

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Figure 1:- furrow irrigation

 Surge irrigation:- Surge irrigation can be classified as a type of furrow irrigation

with usage of well-planned pipeline network. Surge irrigation is the intermittent
application of water used to improve distribution uniformity along a furrow. It works on
the principle that dry soil infiltrates water faster than wet soil. When soil is wet it seals
because the soil particles at the surface consolidate. When water is re-introduced in a
furrow that has been wet, the wetting front moves quickly past the wetting zone to dry
soil. At the wetting interface, dry soil slows the advance. This phenomena allows for a
faster advance through the field with less deep percolation and better application
uniformity. The end result, therefore, is a more even distribution of water in the rooting
zone from the poly tubing to the tail ditch, and reduced nutrient loss from deep
percolation near the poly tubing.

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Figure 2 :- surge irrigation

 Sprinkler Irrigation: - In the sprinkler technique of irrigation, water is sprinkled

into the air and allowed to fall on the ground surface just like rainfall. The spray is done
by the flow of water under pressure through small orifices or nozzles. The pressure is
generally obtained by pumping. Through proper selection of nozzle sizes, operating
pressure and sprinkler spacing the amount of irrigation water required to refill the crop
root zone can be applied almost uniform at the rate to suit the infiltration rate of soil. In
agriculture, almost all crops are suitable for sprinkler irrigation system except crops such
as paddy and jute. The dry crops, vegetables, flowering crops, orchards, plantation crops
like tea, coffee are all suitable and can be irrigated through sprinklers techniques of
irrigation.. The sprinkler
irrigation system is
appropriate in rising and
falling land where land
shaping is expensive or
technically not practicable

Figure 3:- sprinkler system

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3.0 SURGE IRRIGATION:-

Surge irrigation is the intermittent application of water used to improve distribution uniformity
along a furrow. It works on the principle that dry soil infiltrates water faster than wet soil. When
soil is wet it seals because the soil particles at the surface consolidate. When water is re-
introduced in a furrow that has been wet, the wetting front moves quickly past the wetting zone
to dry soil. At the wetting interface, dry soil slows the advance. This phenomenon allows for a
faster advance through the field with less deep percolation and better application uniformity. The
end result, therefore, is a more even distribution of water in the rooting zone from the poly-
tubing to the tail ditch, and reduced nutrient loss from deep percolation near the poly- tubing.

Surge irrigation is performed through a program of cycle times that account for the advance of
the furrow, they must be set by the user. Some tail water is necessary with surge irrigation for it
to be effective. The intermittent application reduces the tail water volume because the water is
moving as a pulse over the sealed furrow to the end of the furrow. Its velocity decreases as it
moves along the furrow and has more time to infiltrate before it leaves the furrow

“Surge flow is not magic, and it is difficult to predict whether it will work for a particular
situation. However, where it does work, there are significant benefits. This paper provides
a brief overview of surge flow irrigation, and highlights important considerations if you are
planning on experimenting with surge flow”

Surge flow irrigation was first developed in the late 1970's and has the potential to increase
surface irrigation efficiencies to levels usually associated with sprinkler or drip irrigation
systems. Another advantage of surge flow is that it makes automation of furrow irrigation
possible. Twice the area can be irrigated with the same amount of water at the same time with an
automatic surge valve. Figure below shows a typical surge flow set-up. In surge, water is applied
in a series of on-off cycles or watering periods which, on most soils:

1) increases the rate of water advance down the furrow,

2) reduces deep percolation losses,

3) produces an even wetting front along the furrow, and

4) produces a more even depth of water penetration into the soil.

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Thus, higher irrigation efficiencies result which reduces the total amount of water applied. In
many situations, surge gives you the ability to apply more precise levels of water. Thus, instead
of applying 4-6 inches, for example as in conventional furrow irrigation, you can put out as little
as 1-2 inches. However, surge does not work on all soils and situations

Figure 4 :- valves

3.1 How Does Surge Work?

Why does alternating on-off cycles of water increase furrow irrigation efficiencies? The
prevailing view is that there are two factors involved: surface sealing and intake rate. Once
wetted, in many soils as they dry out, a surface seal forms. Soil intake rate or infiltration rate is
not constant but decreases as over time during irrigation as the soil moisture level increases. Soil
roughness is also a factor, as the largest benefits of surge are seen during the first few irrigations
when the soil is still rough.

3.2 Design:-
 Checking of soil :- Cycle times with surge irrigation vary, depending upon soil texture,
slope and furrow length. Fine-textured soils respond less to surge irrigation than course
soils which have higher intake rates.Surge works better on leveled fields and furrows

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with small slopes than on steep slopes. On soils with low intake rates such as heavy clays
or soils with compacted layers, surge is likely to be ineffective in reducing irrigation
advance times below those of continuous flow. However, surge may provide a more
uniform application of water.
 Accuracy of inflow and infiltration :- designing primarily depends on the accuracy
collected data of inflow and infiltration patterns . use of KOSTIAKOV EQUATION
Z= KT^2 (EQUATION 1)
OR
Z= KT^2 + CT (EQUATION 2)
Where Z= cumulative intake liter per meter of furrow length (L/m)
T= intake time in min
K= constant in (L/min^2/m)
C= basic furrow intake rate , liters per minute per meter (L/min/m)
Depending on this criteria three infiltration conditions have been identified “DRY ,WET
AND TRANSITION REGIME" where equation 1 holds good for dry regime and
equation 2 for wet and transition regime

 Cycle time:- Rather than turning the water on and off to achieve intermittent flow, an
irrigation surge valve is used to alternate flow between open gates on either side of the
surge valve. Cycle times used with surge irrigation vary with soil texture, slope and field
length. Fine-textured soils respond less to surge irrigation than do coarse-textured soils
that have higher initial intake rates. If field slope is so steep that it causes a rapid rate of
advance, the effects of surge irrigation will be reduced. If a soils intake rate is low due to
soil texture, tight soils or compacted layers, surge irrigation is likely to be ineffective in
reducing the irrigation advance times below those for continuous flow

 Size and cost of valve :- a surge valve with an automated controller will cost between $1,500
and $2,500 depending on the size of the valve and the controller options. Using a surge valve
often requires that somewhere in the system, pipe is used to convey water to the desired location
of the valve. Lay-flat or disposable plastic tubing may be a low cost alternative.

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Capacity Weight
Valve Pipe Size
gpm lbs

4”* 300 19

6“ 625 - 700 31 - 37

8” 1100 - 1200 44 - 46

10” 1700 - 2000 50 - 54

12” 2500 - 3000 67 - 90

Table 1 :- various valve sizes

Figure 5 :- plastic
adjustable valves

Figure 6:- automatic surge flow valve

Figure 7:- surge through furrows

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3.3 Advantages:-
 A more effective way to irrigate two blocks of land using surge compared to traditional
methods.
 Increased irrigation efficiency, yield maintenance while using less water.
 Reduced nitrogen leaching in some fields, and reduced sediment loss.
 Water savings is significant through surge irrigation.
 Time saving method thus resulting in high yield

3.4 Disadvantages:-
 There are two potential drawbacks associated with surge flow. First, surge flow may not
always reduce the advance time of water down the furrow. If it does not, there may still
be benefits of labor savings and runoff reduction. Because infiltration rates are often
lower with surge flow, a second concern is with net water application. If infiltration rates
are reduced with surge flow, less water may be stored in the root zone during an
irrigation set. If this occurs, the irrigator must compensate by irrigating more frequently
or increasing the set time to avoid under watering.
 Proper irrigation scheduling may become even more important when surge irrigation is
used. Proper field levelling is also important when surge irrigation is used. Many
irrigators that have low spots or reverse grades have observed water ponding and
infiltrating in these low areas to the extent that advance times are actually increased. This
has been observed more often on coarse textured soils than on fine textured soils. Some
touch-up grading to eliminate back slopes may be necessary in these situations.

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4.0 CONCLUSION:-
 Surge irrigation provides farmers that use furrow irrigation an opportunity to irrigate
more effectively. By reducing infiltration rates, surge irrigation allows smaller
applications which can improve irrigation performance. In addition, reducing deep
percolation may reduce the potential for chemical leaching to the groundwater. Surge
irrigation can help reduce runoff losses and can assist in labor management.
 The effects of surge irrigation are most prevalent during the first irrigation when the soil
intake rate is high. Although intake rates decrease as the season progresses, the
advantages of surge continue in the ability to manage water supplies by keeping water on
the field and minimizing the amount of runoff leaving the field.
 The application of surge irrigation will require a change in management strategy. Surge
irrigation often allows the irrigator to apply water more uniformly as well as more
effectively. As a result of improved irrigation performance with surge flow, soil water
monitoring will be more important in assuring that adequate water is applied and that
excessive irrigation is reduced.
 For the first few years, additional time may be required to fine-tune the surge system to
your particular operation. Once this is accomplished, surge irrigation can help achieve
more uniformly irrigated crops, water conservation, reduced pumping costs and improved
water quality by reducing deep percolation.

REFERENCES:-

1] Chris G Henry L Jason krutz Surge irrigation information [Report]. - Arkanas : university of arkanas
research division , 2017.
[2] El-Dine T.G. and M.M. Hosny Field evaluation of surge and continuous flow in furrow irrigation
systems. [Journal]. - 2000.
[3] Phillps Guy Guide to surge irrigation [Journal] // Texas A and M . - [s.l.] : oxford academy, 2008. - p.
15.
[4] W.H. Abou El-Hassan Yoshinobu Kitamura , F.S. Gamal and A. Egrinya Eneji Assessment of
Surge Irrigation Technique under Furrow Irrigation System [Journal]. - [s.l.] : International Journal of
agricultural research . - Vol. 1.
[5] Yonts C. Dean Fundamentals of Surge Irrigation [Journal]. - Lincoln-Nebraska : University of
Nebraska-Lincoln.

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