Group 4

IRRIGATION METHODS
1. SPRINKLER IRRIGATION
- method that applies water to soil by spraying or sprinkling water through the air on to the soil
surface.
- A sprinkler “throws” water through the air to simulate rainfall.
- Water is pressurized and delivered to the irrigation system by a mainline pipe w/c is often
buried so it does not interfere w/ farming operations.
- Sprinkler systems are also installed for applying wastewater, protecting plants from frost, and
dust control in confined animal operations. There are three main categories of sprinkler
irrigation system.
- Sprinklers can be used on all soil types of any topography.

SPRINKLER IRRIGATION SYSTEM

1. Solid-set
Solid-set system may be installed for a single season for certain field crops or permanently for
turf, orchards or permanent crops. It is typically designed to apply frequent, small amounts of
water to meet plant water needs every 1 to 5 days.
2. Set-move
Set-move are manually or mechanically moved to another part of the field after the irrigation
set is complete in the present location.
It is designed to slowly apply water during the irrigation set, which often lasts 8 to 24 hrs.
After completing the irrigation set, the sprinkler system is moved to an adjacent area for the
next set. Adequate water should be applied during an irrigation set to meet crop water needs
until the system is moved back to the area, often in 7 to 10 days
The common types of set-move irrigation systems are hand-move and side-roll systems.
3. Moving
Apply water as the system slowly travels through the field and includes center pivot, lateral
move and traveling gun systems.

When selecting a sprinkler system, the most important physical parameters to consider are:

 The shape and size (acres) of the field

 The topography of the field
 The amount of time and labor required to operate the system throughout the growing season

SPRINKLER SYSTEM COMPONENTS

A typical sprinkler irrigation system consists of the following components:

 Pump unit
The pump unit is usually a centrifugal pump which takes water from the source and
provides adequate pressure for delivery into the pipe system.
 Mainline and sub-mainlines
Pipes which deliver water from the pump to the laterals. In some cases, these pipelines
are permanent and are laid on the soil surface or buried below ground. In other cases,
they are temporary, and can be moved from field to field.
The main pipe materials used include asbestos cement, plastic or aluminum alloy.
  Laterals
Deliver water from
the mainlines or
sub mainlines to
the sprinklers.
They can be
permanent but
more often they
are portable and
made of
aluminum alloy or
plastic so that they
can be moved
easily.
 Sprinklers
Sprinklers distribute water uniformly over the field without runoff or excessive loss due
to deep percolation. Different types of sprinklers are available. They are either rotating or
fixed type.

When to use sprinkle irrigation:

Suitable crops
Sprinkler irrigation is suited for most row, field and tree crops and water can be sprayed over
or under the crop canopy. However, large sprinklers are not recommended for irrigation of
delicate crops such as lettuce because the large water drops produced by the sprinklers may
damage the crop.
Suitable slopes
Sprinkler irrigation is adaptable to any farmable slope, whether uniform or undulating. The
lateral pipes supplying water to the sprinklers should always be laid out along the land contour
whenever possible. This will minimize the pressure changes at the sprinklers and provide a
uniform irrigation.
Suitable soils
Sprinklers are best suited to sandy soils with high infiltration rates although they are adaptable
to most soils. The average application rate from the sprinklers (in mm/hour) is always chosen
to be less than the basic infiltration rate of the soil so that surface ponding and runoff can be
avoided. Sprinklers are not suitable for soils which easily form a crust. If sprinkler irrigation is
the only method available, then light fine sprays should be used. The larger sprinklers
producing larger water droplets are to be avoided.
Suitable Irrigation Water
A good clean supply of water, free of suspended sediments, is required to avoid problems of
sprinkler nozzle blockage and spoiling the crop by coating it with sediment.

Sprinkler irrigation is often more efficient because water application is more controlled. In hot and/or
windy areas, sprinkler irrigation can have significant water losses to evaporation and wind drift.
Maintenance is also important for efficient sprinkler irrigation; worn nozzles and leaking pipe
connections reduce application uniformity and system efficiency.

2. TRICKLE IRRIGATION
- method of irrigation in which water are continuously applied at the base of each plant through
small plastic tubes.
- Sometimes called drip irrigation and involves dripping water onto the soil at very low rates (2-
20 liters/hour) from a system of small diameter plastic pipes fitted with outlets called emitters
or drippers.
- Water is applied close to plants so that only part of the soil in which the roots grow is wetted,
unlike surface and sprinkler irrigation, which involves wetting the whole soil profile.
- Drip irrigation may be the most expensive method of irrigation, it is also the most advanced
and efficient method in respect to effective water use.
- It virtually eliminates all evaporation from soil, deep percolation, and runoff, and leads to very
high efficiency in the use of water.
- Because of low water use, soil salinity problems are reduced.
- The technique of trickle irrigation was developed in Israel.
- With drip irrigation water, applications are more frequent (usually every 1-3 days) than with
other methods and this provides a very favorable high moisture level in the soil in which plants
can flourish.

TRICKLE SYSTEM COMPONENTS

 Pump unit
Takes water from the source and provides the right pressure for delivery into the pipe
system.
 Control head
Consists of valves to control the discharge and pressure In the entire system. It may also
have filters to clear the water. Common types of filter include screen filters and graded
sand filters which remove fine material suspended in the water. Some control head units
contain a fertilizer or nutrient tank. These slowly add a measured dose of fertilizer into
the water during irrigation. This is one of the major advantages of drip irrigation over
other methods.
 Main, sub-mainlines & Laterals
Supply water from the control head into the fields. They are usually made from PVC or
polyethylene hose and should be buried below ground because they easily degrade when
exposed to direct solar radiation. Lateral pipes are usually 13-32 mm diameter.
 Emitters or drippers
 Devices used to control the discharge of water from the lateral to the plants. They are
usually spaced more than 1 meter apart with one or more emitters used for a single plant
such as a tree. For row crops more closely spaced emitters may be used to wet a strip of
soil. Many different emitter designs have been produced in recent years. The basis of
design is to produce an emitter which will provide a specified constant discharge which
does not vary much with pressure changes, and does not block easily.

When to use Trickle Irrigation:

Suitable crops
Drip irrigation is most suitable for row crops (vegetables, soft fruit), tree and vine crops where
one or more emitters can be provided for each plant. Generally, only high value crops are
considered because of the high capital costs of installing a drip system.
Suitable slopes
Drip irrigation is adaptable to any farmable slope. Normally the crop would be planted along
contour lines and the water supply pipes (laterals) would be laid along the contour also. This
is done to minimize changes in emitter discharge as a result of land elevation changes.
Suitable soils
Drip irrigation is suitable for most soils. On clay soils water must be applied slowly to avoid
surface water ponding and runoff. On sandy soils higher emitter discharge rates will be
needed to ensure adequate lateral wetting of the soil.
Suitable irrigation water
One of the main problems with drip irrigation is blockage of the emitters. All emitters have
very small waterways ranging from 0.2-2.0 mm in diameter and these can become blocked if
the water is not clean. Thus it is essential for irrigation water to be free of sediments. If this is
not so then filtration of the irrigation water will be needed.
Blockage may also occur if the water contains algae, fertilizer deposits and dissolved chemicals
which precipitate such as calcium and iron. Filtration may remove some of the materials but
the problem may be complex to solve and requires an experienced engineer or consultation
with the equipment dealer.

A drip system is usually permanent. When remaining in place during more than one season, a system
is considered permanent. Thus, it can easily be automated. This is very useful when labor is scarce or
expensive to hire. However, automation requires specialist skills and so this approach is unsuitable if
such skills are not available.

3. SURFACE IRRIGATION
- water is applied directly to the soil from a channel located at the upper reach of the field.
- most commonly used type of irrigation process
- There is a misconception that surface Irrigation process is sometimes considered as Flood
Irrigation because of uncontrolled water distribution. But if applied correctly, Surface
Irrigation can be your best irrigation process to water your plants.
- Surface Irrigation is an unchanged process and it is older than its recognition.
- For thousands of years, people are practicing this irrigation process.

Following are the general requirements of prime importance to obtain high efficiency in surface
methods of irrigation:

 Properly constructed water distribution systems to provide adequate control of water to the
field.
 Proper land preparation to permit uniform distribution of water to over the field.
 The land should be levelled well to achieve higher water application efficiency.
TYPES OF SURFACE IRRIGATION

 Basin Irrigation
- most common form of surface irrigation, particularly in regions with layouts of small
fields.
- typically, square in shape but exists in all sorts of irregular and rectangular
configurations.
Size:
BASINS SHOULD BE SMALL IF THE:
1. slope of the land is steep
2. soil is sandy
3. stream size to the basin is small
4. required depth of the irrigation application is small
5. field preparation is done by hand or animal traction.
BASINS CAN BE LARGE IF THE:
1. slope of the land is gentle or flat
2. soil is clay
3. stream size to the basin is large
4. required depth of the irrigation application is large
5. field preparation is mechanized.

WHEN TO USE BASIN IRRIGATION:

Suitable crops
Basin irrigation is suitable for many field crops. Paddy rice grows best when its roots are
submerged in water and so basin irrigation is the best method to use for this crop.
Basin irrigation is generally not suited to crops which cannot stand in wet or waterlogged
conditions for periods longer than 24 hours. These are usually root and tuber crops such
as potatoes, cassava, beet and carrots which require loose, well-drained soils.
Suitable land slopes
The flatter the land surface, the easier it is to construct basins. On flat land only minor
levelling may be required to obtain level basins.
It is also possible to construct basins on sloping land, even when the slope is quite steep.
Level basins can be constructed like the steps of a staircase and these are called terraces.
Suitable soils
Which soils are suitable for basin irrigation depends on the crop grown. A distinction has
to be made between rice and non-rice or other crops.
Paddy rice is best grown on clayey soils which are almost impermeable as percolation
losses are low. Rice could also be grown on sandy soils but percolation losses will be high
unless a high water table can be maintained. Such conditions sometimes occur in valley
bottoms.

 Border Irrigation
- type of surface irrigation where the field is divided into strips separated by border
ridges running down the gradient of the field
- mostly known as Border Strip, Border Check or Bay Irrigation
- The area between the ridges is flooded during irrigation. It can be viewed as an
extension of basin irrigation to include long rectangular or contoured field shapes,
longitudinal but no lateral slope, and free draining or blocked conditions at the lower
end. In contrast to basin irrigation bunds are not to contain the water for ponding but
to guide it as it flows down the field.
 WHEN TO USE BORDER IRRIGATION:
Suitable slopes
Border slopes should be uniform, with a minimum slope of 0.05% to provide adequate
drainage and a maximum slope of 2% to limit problems of soil erosion.
Suitable soils
Deep homogenous loam or clay soils with medium infiltration rates are preferred. Heavy,
clay soils can be difficult to irrigate with border irrigation because of the time needed to
infiltrate sufficient water into the soil. Basin irrigation is preferable in such circumstances.
Suitable crops
Close growing crops such as pasture or alfalfa are preferred.

In this system, the field is divided into a number of bays or strips. Most importantly, every
bay is separated by raised earth check banks. Usually, bays are long and narrow in
comparison to Basin Irrigation.
Bay dimension is kept between 10-70 m wide and 100-700 m long. Water is usually
supplied to the top end of the bay. It is usually used to plant pasture for dairy production.

 Furrow Irrigation
- type of surface irrigation in which trenches or “furrows” are dug between crop rows
in a field.
- Furrows are small, parallel channels, made to carry water in order to irrigate the crop.
The crop is usually grown on the ridges between the furrows

WHEN TO USE FURROW IRRIGATION:

Suitable Crops
Furrow irrigation is suitable for many crops, especially row crops. Crops that would be
damaged if water covered their stem or crown should be irrigated by furrows.
Suitable slopes
Uniform flat or gentle slopes are preferred for furrow irrigation. These should not exceed
0.5%. Usually a gentle furrow slope is provided up to 0.05% to assist drainage following
irrigation or excessive rainfall with high intensity.
Suitable soils
Furrows can be used on most soil types. However, as with all surface irrigation methods,
very coarse sands are not recommended as percolation losses can be high. Soils that crust
easily are especially suited to furrow irrigation because the water does not flow over the
ridge, and so the soil in which the plants grow remains friable.

A lot of factors need to be kept in mind while implementing the furrow irrigation design.
The crucial factors at play and important notes to keep in mind during the furrow planning
design are – Shape, length and space.
Shape
Soil Type - If the soil is sandy, the furrows should be rather deep and narrow.
- If the soil is clay-like, then the furrows should be shallow and wide.
Water Stream Flow - If the water flow is more, the furrows should be bigger and deeper
in size for increased holding capacity of water.
Length
Slope – A maximum and minimum of 0.5 to 0.05% slope range of the soil will
determine the length of the slope. The steeper a slope is, the longer a furrow can be.
Soil Type – The sandier a field is, the shorter the furrow will be. A vice-versa situation
applies to clay-like soil.
 Stream Size – To avoid soil erosion, it is advised to keep the water flow not more than
3 liters/sec and not less than 0.5 liters/sec. (Subject to changes based on soil)
Irrigation Depth – The deeper a furrow, the more it can contain water and hence, the
longer it can be.
Cultivation Practice – If you require cultivation frequently, try shorter furrows.
Field Length – The ideal size can be overlooked and can be adjusted to the length of
the field. You may find this contradictory but this a choice between optimization of
space and more yield rather and an ideal length where the prior is suggested.

Clay:

300 – 400 m

Sand:

60 – 300 m

Spacing
Soil types
Sandy (30-60 cm) – 30 cm for coarse and 60 cm for sand
Clay (75-150 cm)

Normally 1m- 2m is provided.

4. SUB-SURFACE IRRIGATION
- a series of pipes and drip emitters buried beneath a plant's growing medium, and water is
pumped to the bottom of the container, where roots find it and uptake it.
- Subsurface irrigation requires less maintenance than surface irrigation, and there is also less
chance of surface saturation and effluent runoff.
- By reducing the chance of human contact, it also significantly reduces the public health risks.

BASIC TYPES:
 Ebb-and-flow
bench-mounted enclosures holding pots are filled and then drained.

 Trough
water is flowed through bench-mounted, slightly sloping enclosures containing pots

 Flooded floor
special sloped concrete flooring is flooded and drained

Advantages are water and nutrient conservation, and labor-saving. The outfitting cost is relatively
high. Potential problems, such as the possibility of increased presence of disease in recycle water,
have only begun to be investigated.

One of the disadvantages of sub-irrigated closed systems, such like Earth Boxes and sub-irrigated
planters, is that soluble salts cannot be flushed into the lower soil profile and build up over time.
 Group 4
Leader: MERCURIO, MARCYL ANE JULS
Members:
 ASAS, ROSSIL VER
 DACALLOS, NEIL
 TANAID, NORMAN

Web References:

“Irrigation Water Management: Irrigation Methods” [web readings] by C. Brouwer. International

Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement retrieved from www.fao.org

“Methods of Irrigation – A Complete Guide.” [blog post] published by Alvin on June 10, 2019.
Retrieved from www.civilseek.com

“Classification of irrigation methods” [web reading] published by Krishi Shiksha on January 3, 2012.
Retrieved from
www.ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in