Module 1.

Over view of ASCOT’s Vision and Mission and Agricultural Engineering 101

ASCOT’s Vision

A Globally-recognized Scientific and Technological University by 2027

ASCOT’s Mission

ASCOT shall produce globally – competitive, ethically – upright and gender – responsive
graduates in the fields of arts and sciences, forestry, agriculture, education, information
technology, industrial technology, engineering, marine and environmental sciences by promoting
quality instruction, research, extension and production towards sustainable development.

OVERVIEW OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 101

The course code of your subject is Agricultural Engineering 101 w/ a descriptive title “Introduction to Water
Management & Irrigation”. The main objective of this subject is to develop an understanding of the problems
related to water management. Firstly, this course will define the resource of water. It will look at how water is used
and the activities associated with it as well as any potential conflicts. The course will look at water management in
detail through the analysis of the different types of rights and obligations associated with.
History
The first Major area of Agricultural Engineering was the introduction of irrigation in large scale agriculture
which was taught at Texas, USA as early as 1891. Then w/ the rise of tractors & machines in the
industrial revolution, a new age in Agricultural Engineering began, focusing on farm machineries. Now,
Agricultural Engineering combines the disciplines of mechanical, civil, electrical & chemical engineering principles
according to agricultural technological principles Over the course of the industrial revolution, mechanical harvesters
& planters would replace field hands in most of the food & cash crop industries.
In the 20th century, w/ the rise in reliable engines in airplanes, crop dusters were implemented to disperse
pesticides. The introduction of these engineering concepts into the field of agriculture allowed for an enormous
boost in the productivity of crops, dubbed a "second agricultural revolution". A key goal of this discipline is to
improve the efficacy & sustainability of agricultural practices.

Introduction to Water Management & Irrigation

This subject’s course description as defined by the CHED Memorandum Order (CMO 14) s. 2008 refers to
hydrology, irrigation & drainage, soil & water conservation engineering, weather elements and climate
classification. This field imparts education & training toward an understanding of the complexity of water
use & water resources management problems. It offers a balanced curriculum, w/c covers both the
engineering & management aspects of water resource development. Students are trained to acquire
knowledge & hands-on practice in tools & techniques to come up w/ viable & sustainable solutions w/in
the framework of the integrated water resources management at watershed scale.
Today's major challenges for water engineers include securing water for people & for food
production: protecting vital ecosystems: & dealing w/ variability & uncertainty of water in space & time.
The Agricultural Engineering field imparts education & training toward an understanding of the
complexity of water use & water resources management problems. It covers both the engineering &
management aspects of water resource development. Students are trained to acquire knowledge & hands-
on practice in tools & techniques to come up w/ viable & sustainable solutions w/in the framework of the
integrated water resources management at the river basin scale.
Water mngt and irrigation subject impart knowledge & skills necessary for the development &
management of water resources for agriculture. They address various issues in the planning,
implementation, operation & maintenance of irrigation & drainage projects & land & water conservation
programs addressing erosion & water quality problems, soil conservation & land-use, & watershed
management for the effective use of water resources. It includes the analysis of watersheds and, soil water
relations, water conservation, water cycle, water supply, flow in natural waterways & through reservoirs, wetland &
surface and groundwater hydrology, utilization & water quality.
Water is so important that March 22 is declared as the World Water Day celebrated every year since 1993.
Water day is an annual United Nations Observance w/c started in 1993. It
celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2,2 billion people currently
living without access to safe water. A core focus of World Water Day is to
inspire action towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and
sanitation for all by 2030.
Economic water scarcity is due to a lack of water infrastructure in general or to poor management
of water resources where infrastructure is in place. In the Philippines, every summer when scarcity of water is
felt all over the country, the Philippine Water Week is celebrated from March 15 to 22 to emphasize the
importance of water. During the life of a plant there is a continuous stream of water passing through it w/c enters
by the root hairs in the soil & after passing along the stem is given off from the stomata of the leaves into the open
air above ground. It has been estimated that an acre of cabbage will absorb from the land & transpire from its
leaves more than ten tons of water per day when the weather is fine. Likewise, water is important as part of our
body which is about 60% water, with our brains containing the most water.
Water management today is faced with new challenges such as the global warming which also affects of
human activity. Public and private stakeholders who are active in this field must develop new ways to better manage
the water cycle "as a whole". As a cycle, it has no beginning nor end, but drought and flooding is becoming more
frequent as a natural phenomenon & various human activities as well as climatic changes have
aggravated the problem causing economic losses. Students are exposed to an understanding of the
weather and climate for the effective management water resources. Urgent questions in relation to climate
change & increasing competition for water include water management policy, drinking-water supply, food & energy
production, soil & water pollution, waste management & the function of ecosystems.

As population increases, clean water is

becoming more valuable every day while
soil in the Philippines needs serious
concern as it is heavily degraded (Fig.1),
find out how engineers help conserve
these two essential resources as you study
the interactions between soils, plants, & Fig.1
water that influence the way these
resources are used in planning irrigation
systems, tillage & cultivation practices, soil
conservation & animal production
facilities. Apply engineering & design skills
to improve water quality & minimize
pollution from nonpoint sources (type of
water pollution which come from many
sources).

Hydrology: the study of water

Hydrology is a branch of Earth Science. All
questions & answers related to H2O have been
grouped together into a discipline. The name of
the discipline is hydrology & is formed by two
Greek words: "hydro" & "logos" meaning
"H2O" & "science". Hydrology is the science of H2O, & deals w/ the occurrence, distribution, movement &
properties of all H2Os of the Earth.
Hydrology is a long continuing hydroscience & much work done in this field in the past, particularly in the
Philippines, was of empirical nature related to development of empirical formulae, tables & curves for yield & flood
of river basins applicable to the particular region in w/c they were evolved. *
Hydrology is the science that encompasses the occurrence, distribution, movement and properties of the waters
of the earth and their relationship with the environment within each phase of the hydrologic cycle. Water is one of
our most precious natural resources. Without it, there would be no life on earth. Hydrology has evolved as a science
in response to the need to understand the complex water system of the earth and help solve water problems. This
module on hydrology gives you information about water on Earth and humans' involvement and use of water.
The supply of water available for our use is limited by nature. Although there is plenty of water on earth, it is not
always in the right place, at the right time and of the right quality. Adding to the problem is the increasing evidence
that chemical wastes improperly discarded yesterday are showing up in our water supplies today. Hydrology has
evolved as a science in response to the need to understand the complex water systems of the Earth and help solve
water problems. Hydrologists play a vital role in finding solutions to water problems.
Much of our water use is hidden. Think about what you had for lunch. A kilogram of rice, for
example, in conventional lowland rice production, it requires 5,000 litters of water to produce 1
kg of rice (How much water does rice use? - ResearchGate). . Water is required to grow forage to
feed the carabao. Water is required on the process of making the diesel and oil used for tractors. How
about your clothes? To grow cotton for a pair of jeans takes about 400 gallons. A shirt requires about
400 gallons. How do you get to school or to the store? To produce the amount of finished steel in a car
has in the past required about 32,000 gallons of water. This shows that industry must continue to strive
to reduce water use through manufacturing processes that use less water, & through recycling of water.
The water cycle, or hydrologic cycle, is a continuous process (no starting or end point) by which water is purified by
evaporation and transported from the earth's surface (including the oceans) to the atmosphere and back to the land
and oceans. All of the physical, chemical and biological processes involving water as it travels its various paths in
the atmosphere, over and beneath the earth's surface and through growing plants, are of interest to those who study
the agricultural engineering. There are many pathways the water may take in its continuous cycle of falling as
rainfall or snowfall and returning to the atmosphere. It may be captured for millions of years in polar ice caps. It
may flow to rivers and finally to the sea. It may soak into the soil to be evaporated directly from the soil surface as it
dries or be transpired by growing plants. It may percolate through the soil to ground water reservoirs (aquifers) to be
stored or it may flow to wells or springs or back to streams by seepage. The cycle for water may be short, or it may
take millions of years. People tap the water cycle for their own uses. Water is diverted temporarily from one part of
the cycle by pumping it from the ground or drawing it from a river or lake. It is used for a variety of activities such
as households, businesses and industries; for irrigation of farms and parklands; and for production of electric power.
After use, water is returned to another part of the cycle: perhaps discharged downstream or allowed to soak into
the ground. Used water normally is lower in quality, even after treatment, which often poses a problem for
downstream users. The hydrologist studies the fundamental transport processes to be able to describe the quantity
and quality of water as it moves through the cycle (evaporation, precipitation, streamflow, infiltration, ground water
flow, and other components). The agricultural engineer or water resources engineer, is involved in the planning,
analysis, design, construction and operation of projects for the control, utilization, and management of water
resources.
H2O is vital for all living organisms on Earth. Hydrology is the science concerned w/ the occurrence,
distribution, movement & properties of all the H2Os of the Earth. A good understanding of the
hydrologic processes is important for the assessment of the H2O resources, their management &
conservation on global & regional scales. The study of hydrology helps us to know
a. the maximum probable flood that may occur at a given site & its frequency; this is required for the safe design of
drains & culverts, dams & reservoirs, channels & other flood control structures.
b. the H2O yield from a basin—its occurence, quantity & frequency, etc; this is necessary for the design of dams,
municipal H2O supply, H2O power, river navigation, etc.
c. the ground H2O development for w/c a knowledge of the hydrogeology of the area, i.e., of the formation soil,
recharge facilities like streams & reservoirs, rainfall pattern, climate, cropping pattern, etc. are required.
d. the maximum intensity of storm & its frequency for the design of a drainage project in the area.

Agricultural engineers apply scientific knowledge and mathematical principles to solve water-related problems in
society: problems of quantity, quality and availability. They may be concerned with finding water supplies for
provinces or irrigated farms, or controlling river flooding or soil erosion. Or, they may work in environmental
protection: preventing or cleaning up pollution or locating sites for safe disposal of hazardous wastes. These
chemical wasts contaminates rainfall called as acid rain which causes damaged to plants, animals including humans.

1.1 WORLD’S WATER RESOURCES Approximately two thirds of the earth’s surface is covered with water. The
World’s total water resources are estimated at 1.36 × 108 Μ ha-m. Of these global water resources, about 97.2% is
salt water mainly in oceans, & only 2.8% is available as fresh water at any time on the planet earth. Out of this 2.8%
of fresh water, about 2.2% is available as surface water & 0.6% as ground water. Even out of this 2.2% of surface
water, 2.15% is fresh water is in glaciers & icecaps & only of the order of 0.01% is available in lakes & streams, the
remaining 0.04% being in other forms. Out of 0.6% of stored ground water, only about 0.25% can be economically
extracted w/ the present drilling technology (the remaining being at greater depths).

1.2 WATER RESOURCES OF THE PHILIPPINES

The important rivers of the Philippines are shown in Fig. 1.1 & their approximate water potentials are given below:
 Water potential
Rank River Length (km)
(M ha-m)
1 Cagayan River 505 35
2 Rio Grande de Mindanao 373 30
3 Agusan River 349 30
4 Pulangi River 320 25
5 Pampanga River 261 30
6 Agno River 206 35
7 Abra River 179 33
8 Abulog River 175 28
9 Chico River 175 30
10 Davao River 150 25

Distribution of water in the Philippines

no. Item Approx. Vol. (M ha-m)
1 Annual rainfall over the entire country. The average annual rainfall (a.a.r.) 3702
varies around 965 to 4,064 mm.
2 Evaporation loss @ 1/3 of item (1) above 1234
3 Runoff (from rainfall) in rivers 167
4 Seepage into subsoil by balance (1) - {(2) + (3)} 80
5 Water absorbed in top soil layers, i.e., contribution to soil moisture 43
6 Recharge into ground water (from rainfall) (4) - (5) 37
7 Annual ground water recharge from rainfall & seepage from canals & 45
irrigation systems (approx.)
8 Groundwater that can be economically extracted from the present drilling 27
technology @ 60% of item (7)
9 Present utilization of groundwater @ 50% of item (8) 13.5
10 Available GW for further exploitation & utilization 13.5
* M ha-m = million hectare meter
1 Hectare Meter: A volume of 10 000 cubic meters created by flooding an area of one hectare to
a depth of 1 meter, thus creating a volume 1 hectare by 1 meter. 1 ha m = 10 000 m3.
Due to limitations of terrain, non-availability of suitable storage sites, short period of occurrence of rains, etc. the
surface water resources that can be utilized has been estimated as only 7 M ha-m. The total arable land in the
Philippines is estimated to be 14 Mha w/c is 45% of the total geographical area
against 10% for USSR & 25% for USA.
The Philippines is also located in the water hemisphere. The water
hemisphere is the geographical hemisphere having a maximum surface of
water. The land hemisphere and water hemisphere are the hemispheres of Earth
containing the largest possible total areas of land and ocean, respectively. By
definition (assuming that the entire surface can be classed as either "land" or
"ocean"), the two hemispheres do not overlap. Most of the Pacific Ocean and
the Indian Ocean, and the whole Southern Ocean, are in the water hemisphere.
Proportionately, the water hemisphere is approximately 89 percent water
(almost all pertaining to the World Ocean), 6 percent dry land and 5 percent
polar ice cap.
. In 1970, the government announced impounding water from
Pampanga river and the submersion of the old Pantabangan town
to create one of the largest dams in Asia. The Nueva Ecija Pantabangan Dam has since supplied
hydroelectric power and water irrigation to farmlands of Central Luzon.  Pantabangan Dam is an
earth-fill embankment dam on the Pampanga River located in Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija province
of the Philippines. The multi-purpose dam provides water for irrigation and hydro energy power
generation while its reservoir, Pantabangan Lake, affords flood control. Along with the construction
of the Pantabangan Dam, the town of Pantabangan and seven other barangays were submerged.
Submitting to this development, thousands of residents were forced to relocate to higher ground. 
Let’s get first w/ the common terms used in Irrigation & Water management as these terms are usually
mentioned in all modules and it will be difficult to define all terms in all modules throughout the semester.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN IRRIGATION & WATER MANAGEMENT
•Absorption - The process by w/c substances in gaseous, liquid or solid form dissolve or mix w/ other substances.
Uptake of matter or energy by a substance
•Adsorption - Adherence of gas molecules, ions, or molecules in solution to the surface of solids. The process by
which atoms, molecules, or ions are taken up from the soil solution or soil atmosphere and retained on the surfaces
of solids by chemical or physical binding 3
•Advection - The process whereby solutes are transported by the bulk mass of flowing fluid
•Aquifer – (1) A formation, group of formations, or part of a formation that contains sufficient saturated permeable
material to yield significant quantities of water to wells & springs
•Aquifer system - A body of permeable & poorly permeable material that functions regionally as a water-yielding
unit; it comprises two or more permeable beds separated at least locally by confining beds that impede groundwater
movement but do not greatly affect the regional hydraulic continuity of the system; includes both saturated &
unsaturated parts of permeable material
•Artesian well - A well deriving its water from an artesian or confined aquifer.
•Base flow - That part of the stream discharge that is not attributable to direct runoff from precipitation or melting
snow; it is usually sustained by groundwater discharge.
•Capillary action - The movement of water in the interstices of a porous medium due to capillary forces.
Synonymous w/ capillarity, capillary flow, & capillary migration.
•Capillary conductivity - The property of an unsaturated porous medium to transmit liquid (AGI, 1980).
•Capillary fringe - The lower subdivision of the unsaturated zone immediately above the water table in w/c the
interstices are filled w/ water under pressure less than that of the atmosphere, being continuous w/ the water below
the water table but held above it by capillary forces.
•Capillary rise - The height above a free water surface to w/c water will rise by capillary action.
•Capillary water -Water held as a film around soil particles and in tiny spaces between particles. Surface tension is
the adhesive force that holds capillary water in the soil. (1) Water held in the soil above the phreatic surface by
capillary forces. (2) Soil water above hydroscopic moisture & below the field capacity.
•Confined aquifer - (1) An aquifer bounded above & below by confining units of distinctly lower permeability than
that of the aquifer itself. (2) An aquifer containing confined groundwater.
(3) An aquifer bounded above & below by impermeable beds or by beds of distinctly lower permeability than that of
the aquifer itself; an aquifer containing confined groundwater.
•Confining bed - A body of impermeable or distinctly less permeable material stratigraphically adjacent to one or
more aquifers. Also see confining unit.
•Conservation practice. A specific treatment, such as a structural or vegetative measure or management technique
commonly used to meet specific needs in planning & conservation, for w/c standards & specifications have been
developed.
•Contamination - The addition to water of any substance or property preventing the use or reducing the usability of
the water. Sometimes considered synonymous w/ pollution. Contaminant plume - An elongated body of
groundwater containing contaminants, emanating & migrating from a point source w/in a hydrogeologic unit(s).
•Convection - The process whereby heat is carried along w/ the flowing groundwater.
•Deep percolation - The drainage of soil water downward by gravity below the maximum effective depth of the root
zone toward storage in subsurface strata.
•Discharge area - An area in w/c groundwater is discharged to the land surface, surface water, or atmosphere.
reverse process of sorption. See also sorption.
•Diffusion - Process whereby ionic or molecular constituents move under the influence of their kinetic activity in the
direction of their concentration gradient.
•Drainage well (1) A well installed to drain surface water, storm water, or treated waste water into underground
strata. (2) A water well constructed to remove subsurface water or to reduce a hydrogeologic unit's potentiometric
surface.
•Drawdown (1) The vertical distance the water elevation is lowered or the reduction of the pressure head due to the
removal of water (after ASCE, 1985). (2) The decline in potentiometric surface at a point caused by the w/drawal of
water from a hydrogeologic unit.
•Evapotranspiration - The combined loss of water from a given area by evaporation from the land & transpiration
from plants.
Field capacity The moisture content of a soil, expressed as a percentage of the oven dry weight, after the
gravitational, or free, water has drained away; the field moisture content 2 or 3 days after a soaking rain; also called
normal field capacity, normal moisture capacity, or capillary capacity 1
•Fresh water - Water that contains less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved solids; generally more
than 500 mg/L is undesirable for drinking & many industrial uses (USGS, 1984).
•Gravitational water - Water w/c moves into, through, or out of the soil or rock mass under the influence of gravity
(SSSA, 1975).
•Groundwater (1) That part of the subsurface water that is in the saturated zone. (2) All water w/c occurs below the
land surface in a zone of saturation. It includes both water w/in the unsaturated & saturated zones (NRC, 1985). (4)
Means water below the land surface in a zone of saturation, groundwater is the water contained w/in an aquifer.
Subsurface water that fills available openings in rock or soil materials to the extent that they are considered water-
saturated.
•Groundwater discharge (1) The quantity of flow of water released from the zone of saturation; •Groundwater
flow - movement of water in the zone of saturation.
(2) Unconfined groundwater separated from an underlying body of ground water by an unsaturated zone. Its water
table is a perched water table. Perched groundwater is held up by a perching bed whose permeability is so low that
water percolating downward through it is not able to bring water in the underlying unsaturated zone above
atmospheric pressure.
•Groundwater recharge - The process of water addition to the saturated zone or the volume of water added by this
process.
•Groundwater, unconfined - Water in an aquifer that has a water table. Synonymous w/ phreatic groundwater.
•Head, total - The total head of a liquid at a given point is the sum of three components: (a) the elevation head, w/c
is equal to the elevation of the point above a datum, (b) the pressure head, w/c is the height of a column of static
water that can be supported by the static pressure at the point, & (c) the velocity head, w/c is the height to w/c the
kinetic energy of the liquid is capable of lifting the liquid.
•Hydraulic barrier - A general term referring to modifications of a groundwater flow system to restrict or impede
movement of contaminants.
•Hydraulic conductivity  A proportionality constant relating hydraulic gradient to specific discharge w/c for an
isotropic medium & homogeneous fluid, equals the volume of water at the existing kinematic viscosity that will
move in unit time under a unit hydraulic gradient through a unit area measured at right angles to the direction of
flow. (2) The volume of water that will move through a medium in a unit of time under a unit hydraulic gradient
through a unit area measured perpendicular to the direction of flow. (3) A change in the static pressure of
groundwater, expressed in terms of the height of water above a datum, per unit of distance in a given direction.
•Hydraulic head - The height above a datum plane (such as sea level) of the column of water that can be supported
by the hydraulic pressure at a given point in a ground water system. For a well, the hydraulic head is equal to the
distance between the water level in the well & the datum plane.
•Irrigated land. Land that shows evidence of being irrigated during the year of the inventory or of having been
irrigated during 2 or more of the last 4 years. Water is supplied to crops by ditches, pipes, or other conduits.
•Impermeable - A characteristic of some geologic material that limits its ability to transmit significant quantities of
water under the head differences ordinarily found in the subsurface.
•Infiltration - The downward entry of water into the soil or rock. Infiltration The downward entry of water into the
immediate surface of soil or other material, as contrasted with percolation, which is movement of water through soil
layers or material
•Infiltration capacity The maximum rate at which water can infiltrate into a soil under a given set of conditions. The
maximum rate at w/c a soil or rock is capable of absorbing water or limiting infiltration.
•Infiltration rate (1) The rate at w/c a soil or rock under specified conditions absorbs falling rain, melting snow, or
surface water expressed in depth of water per unit time. (2) A characteristic describing the maximum rate at w/c
water can enter the soil or rock, under specified conditions, including the presence of an excess of water. It has the
dimensions of velocity.
•Lake. A natural inland body of water, fresh or salt, extending over 40 acres or more & occupying a basin or hollow
on the earth’s surface, w/c may or may not have a current or single direction of flow.
•Leachate (1) Materials removed by the process of leaching. (2) A liquid that has percolated through soil, rock or
waste & has extracted dissolved or suspended materials.
•Leaching (1) The removal of materials in solution from soil, rock, or waste. (2) Separation or dissolving out of
soluble constituents from a porous medium by percolation of water.
Leakage (1) The flow of water from one hydrogeologic unit to another. The leakage may be natural, as through
semi-impervious confining layer, or human-made, as through an uncased well.
•Lysimeter - A device for measuring percolation & leaching losses from a column of soil under controlled
conditions.
•Moisture content - The ratio, expressed as a percentage, of either (a) the weight of water to the weight of solid
particles expressed as moisture weight percentage or (b) the volume of water to the volume of solid particles
expressed as moisture volume percentage in a given volume of porous medium ).
•Nonpoint source - (1) Any source, other than a point source, w/c discharges pollutants into air or water.
(2) Source originating over broad areas, such as areas of fertilizer & pesticide application & leaking sewer systems,
rather than from discrete points.
•Perched groundwater - (1) Groundwater separated from an underlying body of groundwater by an unsaturated zone.
(2) Unconfined groundwater separated from an underlying body of ground water by an unsaturated zone. Its water
table is a perched water table. Perched groundwater is held up by a perching bed whose permeability is so low that
water percolating downward through it is not able to bring water in the underlying unsaturated zone above
atmospheric pressure.
•Water of adhesion. Water that can be extracted by root absorption & evaporation but cannot be moved by gravity or
by the unbalanced film forces resulting from localized evaporation & transpiration.
•Percolation - (1) The downward movement of water through the soils unsaturated zone.
(2) The downward flow of water in saturated or nearly saturated porous medium at hydraulic gradients of the order
of 1.0 or less.
•Permeability - refers to the movement of air and water w/in the soil. It refers to the ease w/ w/c fluids can pass
through a body of soil or rock. Permeability rate is the rate at w/c a saturated soil transmits water, usually expressed
in inches per hour. Texture, structure, bulk density, and the type and connectivity of macropores influence
permeability. If water can’t pass through, the rock is impermeable (Example: Asphalt or concrete). The property of a
porous medium to transmit fluids under an hydraulic gradient.
•Point source - (1) Any discernible, confined, or discrete conveyance from w/c pollutants are or may be discharged,
including, but not limited to, any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, container, rolling stock, concentrated
animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft.
(2) Any discernible, confined & discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel,
conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other
floating craft, from w/c pollutants are or may be discharged. This term does not include agricultural stormwater
discharges & return flows from irrigated agriculture.
•Pollutant or contaminant - Shall include, but not be limited to, any element, substance, compound, or mixture,
including disease-causing agents, w/c after release into the environment & upon exposure, ingestion, inhalation, or
assimilation into any organism, either directly from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through food chains,
will or may reasonably be anticipated to cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutation,
physiological malfunctions (including malfunctions in reproduction) or physical deformations, in such organisms or
their offspring;
•Pore space - The total space not occupied by solid soil or rock particles
•Porosity: the space between solid particles of soil or rock that can be filled by fluids (air or water or a combination
both). It is a measure of the percentage pore spaces or voids between particles. the percentage of rock or sediment
that consists of voids or openings. Porosity is a measurement of a soil’s ability to hold water.
(1) The ratio, usually expressed as a percentage, of the total volume of voids of a given porous medium to the total
volume of the porous medium.
(2) The volume percentage of the total bulk not occupied by solid particles.
•Potable water - Water that is suitable for human consumption.
•Pressure head - Hydrostatic pressure expressed as the height of a column of water that the pressure can support at
the point of measurement. See also head, static, & pressure, hydrostatic.
•Recharge - The process of addition of water to the saturated zone; also the water added.
•Recharge area - An area in w/c water reaches the zone of saturation by surface infiltration.
•Recharge capacity - The ability of the soils & underlying materials to allow precipitation & runoff to infiltrate &
reach the zone of saturation.
•Reservoir. A pond, lake, basin, or other space, created in whole or in part by the building of engineering structures,
that is used for the storage, regulation, & control of water.
•Saline water - Water that generally is considered unsuitable for human consumption or for irrigation because of its
high content of dissolved solids. Commonly expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved solids, w/ 35,000
mg/L defined as equivalent to sea water, slightly saline as 1,000 - 3,000 mg/L, moderately saline as 3,000 - 10,000
mg/L, very saline as 10,000 - 35,000 mg/L, & brine has more than 35,000 mg/L (after USGS, 1984).
•Saltwater intrusion - The movement of salt water into fresh water aquifers (ASCE, 1985).
•Saturated zone (1) Those parts of the earth's crust in w/c all voids are filled w/ water under pressure greater than
atmospheric.4) Means that part of the earth's crust beneath the water table in w/c all voids, large or small, are ideally
filled w/ water under pressure greater than atmospheric.
•Seepage (1) The fluid discharged at a seep. 2) The amount of fluid discharged at a seep.
•Sheet & rill erosion. The removal of layers of soil from the land surface by the action of rainfall & runoff. It is the
first stage in water erosion.
•Slope. The inclination of the soil surface from the horizontal. Slope percent is the vertical distance divided by the
horizontal distance, then multiplied by 100.
•Slope length. The distance from the point of origin of overland flow to the point where either the slope gradient
decreases enough that deposition begins, or the runoff water enters a well-defined channel that may be part of a
drainage network or a constructed channel.
•Soil bulk density - The mass of dry soil per unit bulk soil. A measurement of the oven-dried weight of the less than
2 mm soil material per unit volume of soil. Common measurements are taken at a water tension of 1/10 bar; 1/3 bar;
or 15 bar. Bulk density influences plant growth and engineering applications. It is used to convert measurements
from a weight basis to a volume basis. Within a family particle size class, bulk density is an indicator of how well
plant roots are able to extend into the soil. Bulk density is used to calculate porosity.
•Soil moisture - Subsurface liquid water in the unsaturated zone expressed as a fraction of the total porous medium
volume occupied by water. It is less than or equal to the porosity.
•Solubility - The total amount of solute species that will remain indefinitely in a solution maintained at constant
temperature & pressure in contact w/ the solid crystals from w/c the solutes were derived.
•Solution - A homogeneous mixture of two or more components. In ideal solutions, the movement of molecules in
charged species are independent of each other. In aqueous solutions charged species interact even at very low
concentrations, decreasing the activity of the solutes.
•Sorption (1) A general term used to encompass the process of absorption & adsorption. 2) All processes w/c
remove solutes from the fluid phase & concentrate them on the solid phase of the medium.
•Spring - A discrete place where groundwater flows naturally from a rock or the soil onto the land surface or into a
body of surface water (ASCE, 1985). See also seep.
•Stemflow rainfall reaching the ground in a forest by draining down the trunks of trees, as distinguished from that
dripping from the canopy.
•Stream. A flow of water in a channel or bed, as a brook or small river.
•Subsurface water - All water that occurs below the land surface.
•Sub-irrigation (1) Irrigation of plants w/ water delivered to the roots from underneath. (2) W/ respect to alluvial
valley floors, the supplying of water to plants from underneath or from a semisaturated or saturated subsurface zone
where water is available for use by vegetation.
•Unconfined - A condition in w/c the upper surface of the zone of saturation forms a water table under atmospheric
pressure.
•Unconfined aquifer - An aquifer w/c has a water table.
•Unsaturated flow - The movement of water in a porous medium in w/c the pore spaces are not filled to capacity w/
water.
•Unsaturated zone (1) The zone between the land surface & the water table. (2) The zone between the land surface
& the deepest water table w/c includes the capillary fringe. Some of the voids may contain air or other gases at
atmospheric pressure. Beneath flooded areas or in perched water bodies the water pressure locally may be greater
than atmospheric.
•Vadose zone - Also called unsaturated zone.
•Water body. A type of (permanent open) water area that includes ponds, lakes, reservoirs, bays or gulfs, &
estuaries.
•Water content - The amount of water lost from the soil after drying it to constant weight at 1050C, expressed either
as the weight of water per unit weight of dry soil or as the volume of water per unit bulk volume of soil. See also
moisture content.
•Water table (1) The upper surface of a zone of saturation except where that surface is formed by a confining unit. 2)
The upper surface of the zone of saturation on w/c the water pressure in the porous medium equals atmospheric
pressure. 3) Means that surface in a groundwater body at w/c the water pressure is atmospheric. 4) That surface in a
body of groundwater at w/c the water pressure is atmospheric. 5) Upper surface of a zone of saturation, where the
body of ground water is not confined by an overlying impermeable zone.
•Well - A bored, drilled or driven shaft, or a dug hole, whose depth is greater than the largest surface dimension.

Post test
POST TEST: Multiple choice. Encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. The first major subject in Agricultural Engineering was about

A. Irrigation b. farm machinery c. crop processing d. bio-system mngt

2. During the industrial revolutionn, the major subject in Agricultural Engineering expanded to
B. Irrigation b. farm machinery c. crop processing d. bio-system mngt

3. World Water Day is celebrated every

A. April 22 b. March 22, c. May 22. d. June 22

4. There are roughly 7.8 billion people in the world today. How many people do not have access to clean
water?
A. 2.2 billion B. 3 billion C. 4 billion d. 1 billion

5. Our planet (Earth) is covered with____ % water

A. 35 b. 95 c. 75 d. 80
6. Our body is made up of how much water
A. 10% b. 30% c. 60% d. 90%
7. Which part of our body contains the most water?
A. Bones b. brain c. muscles d. skin
8. The core focus of World water day is towards Sustainable Devt Goals to..
A. End poverty b. End hunger c. ensure healthy lives d. ensure quality education e. ensure availability
of water

9. An increase in Earth’s temperature is called

A. Global Fever B. Summer C. Overheating D. Global Warming

10. Hydro Energy is the energy derived from

A. Hydrogen B. Petrol C. Running water D. wind

11. From the total water on the world (100%), how many percent is freash water which is available in
lakes and rivers for irrigation purposes and human consumption.
A. 2.8% b. 2.2% c. 2.25% d. 0.01%
12. An inland body of water, fresh or salt, w/ an area of at least 40 acres

A. Swamp b. sea c. lake d. river

13. The movement of water through soil layers or materials

A. Infiltration b. percolation c. seepage d. groundwater

12. the longest river in the Philippines is the ____ river

A. Angat b. cagayan c. agusan d. aguang
13. In conventional lowland rice production, how many liters of water are needed to produce one kg of
rice
A.500 B. 1000 C.1500 D. 2000
14. The starting point of the water cycle is
A. Rainfall b. evaporation c. storage in bodies of water d. no starting point
15. the science concerned w/ the occurrence, distribution, movement & properties of all the H2Os of
the Earth
A. Hydrology b. water cycle c. hydraulic d. waterology

16. The average annuan rainfall in the Philippines is around

965 - 4,064 mm b.96.5 - 406.4 cm c. 0,965 - 4.064 m d. AOTA (All of the above)
17.The polar cap w/c is ___ percent of the water hemisphere
A. 6 b. 89 c. 5 . 11

18. Water covers approximately ________ percent of Earth's surface.

a. 50 b. 90 c. 25 d. 71

19. Which of the following best describes the distribution of water on Earth?

A. Water is evenly distributed across Earth.

B. The Atlantic is the largest ocean basin on Earth.
C. Most of the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean comprise the so-called "water hemisphere."
D. Most of Earth's water is freshwater and is predominately stored in the many lakes around the world.

20. The greatest portion of fresh water is located in

A. Clouds b. groundwater c. ice caps/glaciers d. lakes/ rivers of the world.

21. Arable means area suited for

A. crop production b. agriculture c. tillage d. both a and c

22. The total arable land in the Philippines is ____ million hectares

A. 10 b. 12 c. 14 d. 16 e. NOTA (None of the above)

23. Which of the following is not an example of a potential surface water resource?

A. Dams b. ground waters c. rivers d. wetlands

24. Approximately what percent of the world's water is groundwater?

A. 0.6 percent b. 2.15% c. 0.25% d. 2.8%

25. What do you call the rain that contains chemical waste and causes damage to plants and animals?

A. Smog b. Acid rain c. Monsoon rain d. Seasonal rain

26 The hydrological cycle
a. has beginning but does not end b. has both beginning & end
c. occurs continuously in nature d. has three phases—precipitation, evaporation & runoff

27. In conventional lowland rice farming, how much water is needed to produce one kilogram of rice?
a) one liter b) 500 liters c) 1,000 liters d) 5,000 liters

28. The longest river in the Philippines is the…

a. Agno river b. Aguang river c. Cagayan river d. Agusan river

29. At present, approximately how much of the groundwater in the Philippines is used for irrigation?
a) 25% b) 30% c) 50% d) 70%

30. What is irrigation?

a. Plowing the fields b. The process of bringing water to an area for use in growing crops
c. Bringing groundwater to crops when they are dying
31. W/c of the ff best describes the distribution of water on earth?
a. water is evenly distributed across the earth b. The Atlantic is the biggest ocean on earth
c. most of the Pacific Ocean & Indian Ocean comprise the so-called “water hemisphere”.
d. most of the earth’s water is freshwater and is predominantly stored in many lakes around the world.

32. In the Philippines, most precipitation falls

a. in Luzon and Vizayas b. In Luzon and Mindanao c. in Vizayas and Mindanao d. in the pacific ocean

33. Evaporation loss in the Philippines is estimated to be ____ of the annual precipitation
a) ¼ b) 1/3 c) ½ d) ¾

34. In the Philippines, the present utilization of groundwater is ___ of the total groundwater that can be
economically extracted through drilling technology
a) ¼ b) 1/3 c) ½ d) ¾

35. In year 1990, soils in the Phillippines was descibed by the International Soil Reference and
Information Center as areas of
A. Serious concern b. Some concern c. Stable terrain d. Non-vegetated land

36. A harmful substance that pollutes something, especially water or the atmosphere.

A. Compound b. pollution c. Mixture d. Pollutant

37. Type of water pollution which come from many sources.

a. Point-source pollution b. Nonpoint source pollution

C. both of them

38. Pesticides runoff or fertilizer runoff is what type of pollution

point source b. Nonpoint source C. both d. NOTA (None of the above)

39. Water that is suitable for human consumption is called ______ water.

A. Drinking b. mineral c. potable d. palatable

40. W/c of these is an example of economic water scarcity

A. Leaching municipal pipes b. water pollution c. unregulated water use d. AOTA

ESSAY:

1. As an ASCOT student in agriculture, how could you contribute towards the attainment of ASCOT’s vision.
As an ASCOT student in agriculture, how could you contribute towards the attainment of ASCOT’s mission.