CET 3414 Irrigation And Drainage

- Pumping
- Control of seepage loss
- Recycling
2) By using proper quality of irrigation water
3) By leaching of the soil salt
4) By choosing salt tolerant crops and by adopting crop rotation
5) By using chemicals

(Certains chemicals like sulphur and sulphilic acid (H2SO4), gypsum, iron sulphate and limestone
neutralise harmfull salt present in soil)
1.4 BENEFIT OF DRAINAGE

1.4.1 Drainage requirement

The drainage requirement is the amount of water that must be removed from an area within a
certain period to avoid an uncceptable rise in the level of the ground water or surface water.

1.4.2 Main benefit of drainage

One of the benefit of installing a drainage system to remove the excess water is that the soil is
better aerated.
This leads to a higher productivity of crop land or grassland because:
a) The crops can root more deeply
b) The choice of crops to be grown is greater
c) There will be fewer weeds
d) Fertilizers will be used more efficiently
e) There will be less denitrification

1.4.3 Other benefits of a well-drained soil

1) The land is more easily accessible

2) The land has a greater bearing capacity
3) The soil has a better workability and tilth
4) The period in which tillage operation can take place is longer
5) The activity of micro-fauna (e.g earth worms) is increased, which improves permeability
6) The soil structure is better, which improves also permability
7) The soil temperatures are higher, so crops (particularly horticultural crops) can be grown
earlier.

1.4.4 Benefits of controlling water table

1) The root zone cannot become salinized by the capillary rise of saline ground water
2) Leaching is made possible

1.4.5 Benefits of leaching

Lecture notes by: Mr. Félicien MAJORO, January 2012   Page 11

 CET 3414 Irrigation And Drainage

1) It prevents inceases of soil saliniy in the root zone making them irrigated land use
sustainable in the long term
2) By removing salts, it allows salts-sensitive crops (i.e a wider range of crops) to be grown
3) It makes possible the reclamation of salt-affected soils, bringing then a new land into
cultivation.

1.5 PRINCIPALES METHODES DE DRAINAGE

1.5.1 Drainage par fossés (2.4)

1.5.2 Drainage par tuyaux enterrés (Ch. III)
1.5.3 Drainage par tranchées drainantes (5.4 & 5.5)
a) Drainage par captage de résurgence « les mouillère »
b) Drainage methods to control GW table
1.5.4 Non-conventional drainage methods(5.6)

1.6 CLASSIFICATION OF DRAINS

1.6.1 Natural drains vs Artificial drains

1) Natural drains
- These are the lowest velley line between 2 ridges
- The natural drainage should be improved by removing debris from the waterways
(waterway under the road bridges, culverts waterways, etc…)

2) Artificial drains

These are the constructed drains, generally alined along the drainage line.

1.6.2 Open drains vs closed drain

1) Open drains or surface drains

- Surface drains are normally used for the removal of ecxess surface irrigation
water or for the disposal of storm water
- They remove water before it has entered the soil

NOTE: Deep surface drains with bed level below water table also can be used to drain
surface water and seepage water.

2) Closed drains or subsurface drains

- Closed drains or field buried drains are known as tile drains. They remove water
which has entered the soil.
- They are usually laid 1 to 1.5m below the ground surface at a suitable spacing and
grade to lower down the GW table.

Lecture notes by: Mr. Félicien MAJORO, January 2012   Page 12