Types of Irrigation BRENTON BARTELT

History

Flood irrigation: Channels dug in fields, inefficient

Egyptians and Mesopotamians Surface irrigation based off of flooding of Nile River

Asia and Europe Diverted water from rivers and streams to fields

Common precipitation used to be a sufficient source of irrigation for crops

Irrigation Methods

Surface Flood irrigation

Localized Water distributed at low pressure

Sprinkler Water distributed through pipes,

distributed over field Sub-Irrigation

Water directed towards root zone

In-ground irrigation Everything buried underground,

more presentable

Surface Irrigation

Historically most common form Water controlled by dikes,

plugged by soil Commonly used in rice fields

Split up into section The field water efficiency is 20 to

50 percent.

Localized Irrigation

Known as drip irrigation Drips on individual plants Positioned to drip on roots Used in produce production 80 to 60 percent water efficiency

Sprinkler Irrigation

water is piped to one or more central locations

Sprinklers, spray, guns are permanently mounted

Center Pivot or Lateral Move Low Energy Precision Application

better applies water Hydraulic or electric powered with GPS guidance

Sub-Irrigation

Used on crops in high water tables

Water comes up from below root zone

Used in grasslands or river valleys

Combined with drainage infrastructure

Used in commercial greenhouse production

Ran for 10-2- minutes, water absorbed excess is recycled

In-ground irrigation

Commercial and residential systems

Divided into zones because of lack of pressure and water

Irrigation controller sends signal to turn on or off

Smart controller- decides when to water

Sprinkler head extends/retracts based on pressure

Water Sources

Drawn from rivers or streams Drawn from underground wells Treated waste water Recycled drain water Floodwater harvesting

Diverting flood water

Measuring Efficiency

Irrigation methods are efficient enough to spread water to an entire field uniformly

Field Water Efficiency (%) = (Water Transpired by Crop ÷ Water Applied to Field) x 100