Geography
Irrigation
Irrigation is the artificial application of water to land for the purpose of agricultural production. It involves the use of various techniques, such as canals, pipes, and sprinklers, to deliver water to crops. Irrigation is essential in arid and semi-arid regions where natural water sources are insufficient for sustaining agriculture.
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11 Key excerpts on "Irrigation"
eBook - PDF- Bansil, P C(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Daya Publishing House(Publisher)
7: Irrigation Simply, Irrigation can be stated as application of water to the soil for crop growth and development. The application of water to plants is made naturally through rainfall and artificially through Irrigation. Irrigation is defined as the artificial application of water to the soil for the purpose of crop growth or crop production in supplement to rainfall and Groundwater contribution. Agricultural growth is a pre-requisite for the economic and social development of the country. Agriculture contributes 28 per cent of GNP, about 60 per cent of employment and is the primary source of livelihood in rural areas which account for 72 per cent of India’s population and 80 per cent of its poor. Irrigated agriculture, contributes nearly 56 per cent of agricultural output. Addressing the Irrigation sector’s current performance problems will thus be a central element of future strategy for agricultural development. India has now reached nearly the ceiling of available land suitable for cultivation. Between 1970-71 to 1999-2000, net sown area remained virtually unchanged (from 140.27 to 142.10 m.ha.). The increase in Irrigation intensity has contributed to the growth in the overall cropping intensity (including rained crops) which increased from 111.07 per cent in 1950-51 to 132.7 in 1996-97. The nature of Irrigation development in north-west areas has had much to do with its impact on cropping intensity. Expansion of tube wells and availability of surface water from storage type Irrigation projects has enabled the production of rabi and summer crops. Supplemental Irrigation is available via run-of-the river Irrigation schemes as the snow melts. In the 1950s and 1960s, extension in cultivated area contributed substantially to increase in our foodgrain production. From mid-sixties onwards, expansion of Irrigation as well as introduction of high yielding varieties of rice, wheat and other crops brought the country’s foodgrain production to a satisfactory level.
eBook - PDF- Elisa Gomez Gonzalez(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Delve Publishing(Publisher)
Irrigation in such places is only supplemental to natural precipitation. Therefore Irrigation is no longer a regional practice of arid and teal-arid zones but has become a basic necessity of a well-developed agriculture. In many countries, the development of agriculture is dependent on Irrigation. In others, Irrigation is a prerequisite to higher productivity of limited land resources, production of high-value cash crops, and diversification and intensification of agriculture. Irrigation development can have a considerable impact on the overall economic development in terms of increased employment, increased rural incomes, and hence increased living standards which in turn stimulate the development of the internal market for industrial products. Maximum agricultural production cannot be achieved without adopting modern techniques and services such as Irrigation. Even on land which has been farmed for centuries the introduction or improvement of Irrigation practices can provide the exciting promise of higher yields and better living conditions for families (Esteve, Brebbia, & Rico, 2008). Irrigation has converted deserts into productive agricultural lands thus attracting large populations and new centers of life and civilization. For example, Irrigation from the Nile is a source of food, life and prosperity in Egypt, those entire cultivated areas are dependent on the water supply provided by Irrigation (OECD, 2006) (Figure 3.1). Figure 3.1. Illustrating Irrigation canal systems along the Nile River in Egypt ( Source: http://iteachteched.net/Riemer/Shaikh212.html). Agricultural Sustainability 50 Three-quarters of the cultivated area in Japan is irrigated and the main crop is rice. Other countries which have a high proportion (about two-thirds) of irrigated farming area are Afghanistan, Guyana, and Taiwan.
eBook - PDF- Reddy, R N(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Genetech(Publisher)
1 Importance of Irrigation Engineering Irrigation involves artificially providing crops with water. This technique is used in farming to enable plants to grow when there is not enough rain, particularly in arid areas. It is also used in less arid regions to provide plants with the water they need when seed setting. About 66% of the world’s water catchment is used in farming, which continues to make increasing use of Irrigation. But in most Irrigation systems 50 to 60% of the water used does not benefit the plants. It is therefore necessary to set up more carefully designed Irrigation schemes that ensure optimum agricultural production while preserving this resource. The choice of Irrigation method depends on the type of crop and economic context. For small areas a network of open channels providing water by gravity remains the least costly and simplest solution. More sophisticated modern techniques can reduce water consumption: drip Irrigation delivers the water at the plants’ roots and sprinkler Irrigation sprays it over the crop. For the survival of the country, there is an urgent need to implement and plan Irrigation strategies for now, and in future, as the population continues to grow. But that should not be at the cost of degradation of the present available resources of land and water, which means the natural resources that we have, should more or less remain the same after 50 or 100 years and beyond. In many regions of India, there has been alarming withdrawal of This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed. ground water for meeting demands of Irrigation and drinking water demand than that which can be naturally recharged. This has led to rise of further problems like arsenic and fluoride contamination. Since ground water recharge by natural means takes a long time, perhaps years and even decades, there is little hope of regaining the depleted table near future.
eBook - PDFLandscape Archaeology between Art and Science
From a Multi- to an Interdisciplinary Approach
- Sjoerd J. Kluiving, Erika Guttmann-Bond, Sjoerd J. Kluiving, Erika Guttmann-Bond(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- Amsterdam University Press(Publisher)
45 1.2 Irrigation and landscape: An interdisciplinary approach Author Maurits Ertsen Department of Water Resources Management, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands Contact: [email protected] abstract Studying Irrigation history is studying the history of civilisation in dry areas where the natural environ-ment and water infrastructure are closely connected. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the ways ir-rigation provided the material base for civilisations to prosper. Our knowledge how Irrigation developed as interplay between hydraulic and humans is limited, presumably because that kind of knowledge is highly interdisciplinary in nature. Several aspects of water use in Irrigation systems need to be explored, including timing and distribution, in order to study how water fluxes on different time scales could be in-corporated in archaeological research. This paper discusses Irrigation in the Zerqa triangle in the Jordan Valley where water tapped from the Zerqa River was transported to the fields through open canals under gravity. The settlement patterns found in the valley suggest close connections to the canal system from the Iron Age onwards. Physical aspects of the irrigated landscape will be explored by basic hydrological and hydraulic modelling. keywords Irrigation, Jordan, explorative modelling, water management 46 · LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY BETWEEN ART AND SCIENCE introduction A most fascinating aspect of Irrigation is the close connection between civilisation and the natural envi-ronment in which water infrastructure acts as interplay. Many civilisations of the past have used irriga-tion to feed their population. Intensified production provided a relatively secure food source for a larger population as it enabled the peasant population to produce a surplus to support the non-peasant popu-lation.
- Neil S. Grigg(Author)
- 2010(Publication Date)
- IWA Publishing(Publisher)
For example, there is a large hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico that is caused by Mississippi River discharges that carry farm runoff from fertile lands in the nation’s mid-section. CONCLUSIONS Irrigation is the dominating water use globally and in regions that are dependent on it. In the U.S., Irrigation practices are well-established, and changes are likely to be incremental. As urbanization continues, new subdivisions move into farm regions and urban farming is on the rise. There will be opposition to new large projects, but reallocation of Irrigation water and increased uses for urban farming and recreational uses is evident. In many developing countries, particularly in the 20–40 window, Irrigation is an important farm input and is connected to the social fabric of local societies in the same way as banking, schools, and other core services. Irrigation may have been practiced for millennia, but population growth and the need for increased food security may continue to drive new Irrigation projects. Whereas governance of water and wastewater organizations is facilitated by their identification as utility enterprises, Irrigation organizations are more diverse and more like mutual organizations among users. Even the large organizations exist to serve networks of politically-connected users. Ideally, Irrigation user organizations could govern themselves and comply with environmental regulations but the incentive structure is to take all water available and not to pass along essential supplies to downstream users. This problem is normally handled in the same water as that for other withdrawals. The economics of Irrigation water governance are problematic. Farmers are often not able to pay the cost of Irrigation water and in many cases farm prices are not high enough anyway. Subsidies in food policy can work against good water management. If policies can serve to raise farm income, they can promote the reallocation of water toward higher value uses.
- Manish Kumar(Author)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- IntechOpen(Publisher)
As an undertaking which ensures optimal water supply for demands of agricultural production, the Irrigation might have significant impacts on environment, which should be foreseen and targeted by use of economically acceptable activities in order to eliminate or lower those potentially negative impacts to the acceptable levels. The aim of every project of the hydro-melioration system, including Irrigation is to ensure positive long-term effects of the implemented system which is achieved by: anticipation of potential problems, defining the means of monitoring, finding the ways to avoid or reduce problems and promotion of positive effects (Tadi ć , Baši ć , 2007). It can be said that importance of Irrigation grows every year, even in the countries which are not located in arid or semi-arid regions. General objectives of Irrigation implementation in any given area are: • Increasing of agricultural production and stability of production during dry years, • Introduction of new more profitable crops on the market, • Reduction of food import and stimulation of domestic agricultural production, • Reduction of climate change impacts, first of all frequent drought periods, • Reduction of agricultural land, • Negative water balance during the vegetation period, • Increase the interest for farming and employment in the agriculture ( Romi ć , Maruši ć , 2005) Problems, Perspectives and Challenges of Agricultural Water Management 312 Irrigation systems should be based upon principles of integrated water resources management and sustainable management taking under consideration potentials and restrictions of specific river basin. Several levels of data evaluation are needed: • Physical plans give basic information of agricultural areas, present state and future development, possible increase or decrease of the area.
- Narayan, Mukund(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Biotech(Publisher)
It is expressed as , in which V is flow velocity (mean) g is acceleration due to gravity and d is diameter of pipe. Furrow Irrigation: A method of applying Irrigation water to fields or orchards by small ditches or furrows which lead from the supply ditch. Gamma rays: Electromagnetic radiation having its origin in an atomic nucleus. Geological erosion: It is a type of erosion in which soil loss is balanced by soil formation. Geomorphology: The study of and interpretation of land forms. Genesis of soil structure: The causes and method of formation of the structural units or aggregates of soil. Glacial drift: A general term for the rock debris that has been transported by glaciers and deposited either directly from the ice or from the melt water with the melting of the glacier. Graded terrace: A terrace having a constant or variable grade along its length. Grass: Botanically any part of the family gramineae is called grass. The term ‘grass’ in the context of feeding livestock and grassland agriculture is not limited to the narrow botanical sense alone, but also includes their common associates of the legume family. However the term does not include cereals when grown for grain. Grassland: the land on which graminaceous species represent the dominant This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed. if not the exclusive vegetation. Grassland is intermediate in status between forest or woodland on one hand and the desert on the other. Grassland ecosystem: It pertains to the ecosystem of grasslands and pastures. Grassland farming: Farming system that emphasis the importance of grasses and legumes in livestock and land management in which the legumes are the keystones and grasses form the backbone of the grassland farming. Grassed water way: A natural or constructed water way, usually broad and shallow, covered with erosion-resistant grasses used to conduct surface water from crop land.
- Suren Kulshreshtha, Amin Elshorbagy, Suren Kulshreshtha, Amin Elshorbagy(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- IntechOpen(Publisher)
Artificial drainage is always needed, except in cases with deep groundwater levels. In most river delta regions, drainage is a must to avoid water logging. This is not the only reason, because avoiding salinization is a recognized aim of drainage, as is illustrated in this chapter. Research on Irrigation and drainage has been considerable and this is not surprising as irrigated agriculture has been practiced during the past 5000 years, e.g,. in Mesopotamia. Due to long-term changes, water availability for Irrigation could decline or salinity problems could develop. The underlying cause for agricultural yield depressions upon salinization is that most terrestrial plants tolerate only a limited salinity of soil water. The term salinity is usually associated with concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl), but may be interpreted more broadly as the presence of ions in water. Rainfall usually contains few ions, but agricultural fields are often irrigated with groundwater or surface water, where this is different. The salts that may give problems in agriculture may be derived from different sources: (i) water in contact with soil material induces physical and chemical weathering, which is associated with release of ions, of which the concentrations may be increased due to evapotranspiration; (ii) groundwater may be brackish or saline due to different geohydrological causes such as sea Figure 1. Distribution of dryland regions (from: Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, Chapter 22, 2005). Current Perspective on Irrigation and Drainage 2 water intrusion and the presence of old marine sediments; and (iii) use of river water with some level of salinity, originating from groundwater, sea, or industry. Salinity is often expressed as concentration (mass per volume of water), electrical conductivity (EC), or total dissolved solids (TDS).
eBook - PDFIrrigation Engineering
Principles, Processes, Procedures, Design, and Management
- Vijay P. Singh, Qiong Su(Authors)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- Cambridge University Press(Publisher)
It is commonly practiced around the world, more so in developing countries. Over 90% of the irrigated land in the world, which is about 16% of the total cultivable land, is irrigated by surface Irrigation. In the United States, about 40% of all the irrigated land is irrigated by surface Irrigation, whereas in India it is over 90%. In California, nearly 57% of all irrigated land is irrigated by gravity methods (Dillon et al., 1999), and in Texas 78% of all irrigated land is watered by surface Irrigation systems (Bloodworth and Gillett, 2010). The advantages of surface Irrigation methods are low expenditure in energy, minimum capital investment, and simple equipment. Properly designed and managed sur- face Irrigation systems can have application efficiencies comparable to other Irrigation systems (e.g., pressurized Irrigation systems). The disadvantages include large labor input, large stream size, land leveling, and often low efficiency. Surface Irrigation entails a broad class of Irrigation methods in which water is applied at the head of the field and flows freely as overland flow over the land surface under gravity. The purpose is to allow water to infiltrate as much as possible to refill the crop root zone. There are different methods by which the water is applied to the field. These methods can be broadly classified into five types: (1) border Irrigation, (2) basin Irrigation, (3) water spreading or wild flooding, (4) furrow Irrigation, and (5) contour ditch irriga- tion. One can also add sub-Irrigation and subsurface irriga- tion methods. Before discussing these methods, it is pertinent to briefly discuss the total Irrigation system, often 299 called the physical system, of which farm Irrigation is one component. The system supplies water for Irrigation. Selection of a particular method depends on a number of factors, including climate, soil, crop, water availability, land- scape, availability of labor, energy, costs and benefits, and traditions.
eBook - PDF- Rattan Lal, B.A. Stewart, Rattan Lal, B.A. Stewart(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
187 8 Water Management for Crop Production in Arid Lands A.J. Clemmens, K.F. Bronson, D.J. Hunsaker, and E. Bautista 8.1 INTRODUCTION Food.security.is.a.pressing.issue.for.the.international.community.(Clothier.et.al . .2010) . .Rockström. et.al . .(2010).discuss.the.need.for.changes.in.the.management.of.water.in.rainfed.systems.to.address. food.security . .They.highlight.the.need.for.more.effective.management.of.water.at.river-basin.scales . . Molle. et. al . . (2010). discuss. the. impact. that. human. water. uses. have. made. on. the. environment. of. rivers. .Turral.et.al . .(2010).discuss.the.need.for.greater.investment.in.Irrigation.schemes,.not.new. schemes.but.better.management.of.existing.schemes . .To.summarize.their.work,.water.is.in.short. supply;.human.uses.of.water.harm.the.environment;.without.better.management.of.water,.we.will.be. faced.with.both.inadequate.food.and.further.environmental.degradation . .Making.effective.changes. in.water.management.is.a.slow.process . .As.Turral.et.al . .(2010).point.out,.there.is.no.silver.bullet . .It. is.a.large-scale.problem.that.has.to.be.solved.locally—for.each.farm,.project,.and.watershed . .Too. often,.watershed-scale.solutions.are.needed,.yet.farmers.make.individual.decisions.based.on.their. individual.constraints . .These.are.often.in.conflict . Irrigation.has.a.significant.impact.on.world.food.supplies . .In.the.United.States,.irrigated.cropland. produced.roughly.53%.of.the.market.value.of.crops.harvested.on.17%.of.the.harvested.cropland,. while.fully.irrigated.farms.produced.roughly.40%.of.the.value.on.9%.of.the.land . .This.increased. value.is.the.result.of.both.improved.crop.yield.and.quality.and.the.use.of.Irrigation.on.high-value. crops.(Clemmens.et.al . .2008;.National.Agricultural.Statistics.Service.2002) . .Worldwide,.roughly. 40%.of.the.world’s.food.supply.comes.from.Irrigation.on.less.than.20%.of.its.land.(Turral.et.al . . 2010;.FAO.2003) .
- Christopher Ward, Raphael Torquebiau, Hua Xie(Authors)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- World Bank(Publisher)
The approach is based on case studies. Section “Improved Water Control in a Rainfed Environment” discusses agricultural water management in rainfed areas; private Irrigation is the subject of section “Small-Scale Irrigation”; and section “Publicly Developed Large-Scale Irrigation” reviews experience with publicly developed large-scale Irrigation and public-private partnerships (PPPs). Improved Water Control in a Rainfed Environment This section looks at ways in which agricultural water management has been and can be improved upon in rainfed areas in dryland zones of SSA. The analysis is divided into two parts. Section “Managing Soil and Water in Drylands Rainfed Agriculture” looks at techniques and experiences in managing soil and water in drylands rainfed agriculture where no water resource is available other than the rain that falls onto the field. Section “Improved Rainfed Agriculture: Water Harvesting and Watershed Management” assesses systems in rainfed areas that harness extra water for dryland farming from outside the field, essentially through supplementary Irrigation. Managing Soil and Water in Drylands Rainfed Agriculture Where no water resource is available other than the rain that falls onto the field, sensitivity to drought can be reduced and productivity improved by reducing unproductive evaporation and run-off while at the same time concentrating moisture around plant roots. These measures, combined with improvements in soil texture and fertility and introduction of more effective crop management practices, can maximize water available to plants during dry spells, lessening the impacts of drought stress and boosting crop water productivity. A series of techniques exists for concentrating moisture around plant roots, including planting pits, the use of which is common throughout the drylands of SSA. On slopes, vegetative and structural techniques can be used to retain mois-ture and prevent erosion.
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