“Various methods of application

of irrigation water.”

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  What is irrigation?
 Irrigation is defined as the process of artificially
supplying water to soil for raising crops.

 A crop requires a certain amount of water at some

fixed time interval throughout its period of growth.

 If the water requirement of crop is met by natural

rainfall during the growth period, there is no need of
irrigation.

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  Necessity of irrigation.

 Inadequate rainfall.
 Non-uniform rainfall.
 Growing a number of crops during a year.
 Growing perennial crops.
 Growing superior crops.
 Increasing the yield of crops.
 Insurance against drought.

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 Irrigation Methods
Surface Sub-surface Sprinkler Drip
irrigation irrigation irrigation irrigation

Flooding Furrow Contour

method method farming

Wild Controlled
flooding flooding

Free Contour Border Check Basin Zig-zag

flooding laterals strips flooding flooding method

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4
  Factors affecting choice of
irrigation method.
 The selection of the irrigation method is based on the
following factors.

1. Soil characteristics of the land to be irrigated.

2. Topography of the area.
3. The available water supply.
4. Type of crop and its requirements.
5. Size of the stream supplying irrigation water.
6. Amount of water required in each irrigation.

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 Surface irrigation method.
Surface irrigation

Flooding Furrow Contour

method method method

Wild Controlled
flooding flooding

Free Contour Border Check Basin Zig-zag

flooding laterals strips flooding flooding method
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  Surface irrigation method.
 In surface irrigation methods, the irrigation water is
applied by spreading in the form of sheet or small
streams on the lands to be irrigated.
 The surface irrigation is further divided as follows:

1) Flooding method.

2) Furrow method .

3) Contour farming.

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  Surface irrigation methods.

 All the above methods of the surface irrigation are

adopted for the perennial irrigation system.

 The inundation irrigation system adopts only the wild or

uncontrolled flooding method of irrigation.

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  Wild flooding method.
 Wild flooding method is the earliest and the primitive
method of application of water to the land.

 In this method the water is applied by spreading it

over the land prior to the application of water, no land
preparations is done in the form of border or field
ditches.

 The water is allowed to flow the natural slope of the

land.

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  Controlled flooding.
 In controlled flooding methods irrigation water is
applied by spreading it over the land to be irrigated
with proper control on the flow of water as well as the
quantity of water applied.

 All the methods of control flooding require prior

preparation of the land.

 The land is properly graded & agricultural fields are

divided into small units by levees .

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  Controlled flooding.
 The various methods of controlled flooding are:

1. Free flooding.
2. Contour laterals.
3. Border strips.
4. Check basins.
5. Basin flooding.
6. Zig-zag method.

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  Free flooding.
 Free flooding consists of dividing the entire land to be
irrigated into small strips by a number of field
channels or levees known as laterals.

 These laterals may be either at right angles to the sides

of the field or at right angles to the contour lines .

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  Contour laterals
This is a special case of free flooding in which the field
channels or laterals are aligned approximately along the
contour lines.
In this method, irrigation is possible only on side of the
laterals.

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  Border strips
In this method, the agricultural area is divided into series
of long narrow strips known as border strips by levees, i.e.
small bunds.
This method is suitable when the area is at level with
gentle slope.

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  Check flooding
In check flooding the crop area is divided into some plots
which are relatively leveled by checks or bunds.
Water from field channels is allowed to enter to each plot
or check basin and the plots are flooded to the required
depth.

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  Basin flooding
This method is used frequently to irrigate the plantations. It
is a special type of check flooding method.
Each plant is enclosed by circular channels which is called
basin. Basins are connected to small field ditches.
Ditches are fed from the main supply channel.

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  Zig-zag method
In this method, the agricultural area is sub-divided into
small plots by low bunds in a zig-zag manner.
The water is supplied to the plots from the field channel
through the openings.
The water flows in a zig-zag way to cover the entire area.
When the desired depth is attained, the openings are closed.

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 Furrow method.
Furrow irrigation avoids flooding the entire field surface
by channeling the flow along the primary direction of the
field using ‘furrows,’ ‘grooves’, ‘lines’.

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 Furrow
method

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  Contour farming
Contour farming is practiced in hilly areas with slopes and
with falling contour.

The land is divided into series of horizontal strips called

terraces.

Small bunds are constructed at the end of each terrace to

hold water up to equal height.

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 Contour farming
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  Sub-Surface irrigation
method.
 Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is the irrigation of
crops through buried plastic tubes containing embedded
emitters located at regular spacings.

 The sub surface irrigation method consists of supplying

water directly to the root zone of the plants.

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  Sub-Surface irrigation
method.
 The favourable conditions for sub surface irrigation:

1. Moderate slope.
2. Uniform topographic condition.
3. Good quality of irrigation water .
4. Impervious sub-soil at reasonable depth. (i.e. 2-3 m
depth).

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  Sub-Surface irrigation
method.

 The subsurface irrigation methods can be classified as

follows:

1. Natural sub-surface irrigation .

2. Artificial sub-surface irrigation.

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  Sprinkler irrigation
Sprinkler irrigation is a method of applying irrigation
water which is similar to natural rainfall.

Water is distributed through a system of pipes usually by

pumping. It is then sprayed into the air through sprinklers
so that it breaks up into small water drops which fall to the
ground.

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 Sprinkler irrigation
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  Drip irrigation.
 Drip irrigation is also known as trickle irrigation .

 It is one of the latest developed methods of irrigation

which is more popular in the regions facing scarcity of
water.

 This method was first introduced in Israel.

 In India this method is more useful in areas in Gujarat,

Maharashtra, Kerala, & Karnataka.

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MALHAR SHAH 28
 Drip irrigation layout and its parts.
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 Thank you 

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