Irrigation Technologies.
Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the land or soil.
It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and re-vegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall.
Irrigation can also be used in protecting plants against frost, suppressing weed growth in grain fields and preventing soil consolidation, dust suppression, disposal of sewage, and in mining.
Drainage
Irrigation is concomitant with Drainage, which is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area.
Types of irrigation.
Various types of irrigation techniques differ in how the water obtained from the source is distributed within the field. In general, the goal is to supply the entire field uniformly with water, so that each plant has the amount of water it needs that is neither too much nor too little. The type of irrigation used can be inspired by many factors.
Drip/Localized irrigation
Water is distributed under low pressure through a piped network, in a pre-determined pattern, and applied as a small discharge to each plant or adjacent to it. This method can be the most water-efficient method of irrigation, if managed properly, since evaporation and runoff are minimized. The field water efficiency of drip irrigation is 80 to 90 percent.
You can combine drip irrigation with mulch, further reducing evaporation, and is also the means of delivery of fertilizer through a method known as fertigation.
Deep percolation, where water moves below the root zone, can occur if a drip system is operated for too long or if the delivery rate is too high. Our professional guidance will guide you against this. Drip irrigation methods range from very high-tech and computerized to low-tech and labor-intensive. Drip irrigation, spray or micro-sprinkler irrigation and bubbler irrigation belong to this category of irrigation methods.
Surface Irrigation
In surface (furrow, flood, or level basin) irrigation systems, water moves across the surface of agricultural lands, in order to wet it and infiltrate into the soil. Surface irrigation can be subdivided into furrow, borderstrip or basin irrigation. It is often called flood irrigation when the irrigation results in flooding or near flooding of the cultivated land. This is commonly used in rice farming.
Fixed Sprinkler (Solid-Set) Irrigation
In sprinkler or overhead irrigation, water is piped to one or more central locations within the field and distributed by overhead high-pressure sprinklers or guns. A system utilizing sprinklers, sprays, or guns mounted overhead on permanently installed risers is often referred to as a solid-set irrigation system. Sprinklers may run on pumps fulltime to provide for pressure required.
Movable Sprinkler Irrigation
This operates like the fixed sprinkler system, only that it can be moved from point to point called stations, enabling a system to irrigate a big expanse of area with les equipment. This however required more labour and time to cover an equivalent area.
Linear Move
Like Center pivots, they are a form of sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe (usually galvanized steel or aluminum) joined together and supported by trusses, mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length. The system moves in a parallel pattern and is fed with water from the water source through a drag hose. These systems are found and used in all parts of the world and allow irrigation of almost all types of terrain.
Center pivot
Like linear move, have drop sprinklers hanging from a u-shaped pipe attached at the top of the pipe with sprinkler head that are positioned a few feet (at most) above the crop, thus limiting evaporative losses. Drops can also be used with drag hoses or bubblers that deposit the water directly on the ground between crops. Crops are often planted in a circle to conform to the center pivot wetted area.
SOURCES OF IRRIGATION WATER
Ground water; Sources of irrigation water can be groundwater extracted from springs through boreholes or wells.
Surfacewater; withdrawn from rivers, lakes or reservoirs/dams or non-conventional sources like treated wastewater, desalinated water or drainage water.
Rainwater harvesting; for this particular site, it is the collection of runoff water from roofs to the storage facilities; normally for small-scale irrigation needs. I this case oval underground water tanks are applied.
Runoff farming; thiswater harvesting technique, is the diversion of rainwater (runoff) from an unused land to the concentration area then to the cropping area through irrigation, thereby increasing the quantity of water available for crop growth. This technique, applicable in various types, is regarded as necessary to secure and increase food production in semi-arid regions or areas with scarce water options. Simultaneously it minimizes water erosion risk where it is applied.
CAUTION: There can be significant health hazards related to using water loaded with pathogens in this way, especially if people eat raw vegetables that have been irrigated with the polluted water. Thus prior cleaning to the right standards is necessary.
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