IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE Irrigation Irrigation generally is defined as the application of water to the soil for the purpose

of supplying moisture (water) which is essential for plant growth. Objectives of irrigation i. to supply water for the nutrition and growth of plant ii. to leach or wash out injurious salt from the soil iii. to remove the stress (moisture deficit) condition of plants iv. to release nutrients in soil solution for absorption by plants v. to control harmful soil insects vi. to create water stagnation for controlling dry land weeds vii. to create condition suitable for puddling Methods of irrigation Following are the four principal methods of irrigation 1. Surface irrigation 2. Sub-surface irrigation 3. Sprinkler irrigation 4. Drip or trickle irrigation 1. Surface Irrigation In surface method of irrigation, water is applied directly to the soil surface fro a channel located at the upper reach of the field. There are different methods of surface irrigation as follows: a) Free flooding method This is a common method of irrigation of wetland rice where water may be applied as a continuous flood or an intermittent flood. This is suitable for an area where cheap and abundant supply of water is available. Advantages i. It is an easy and widely used method ii. No other field layout becomes necessary except the leveling and preparation of impervious boundary bunds. iii. Labour requirement is minimum. Disadvantages i. It is the most inefficient methods of irrigation as only about 20 percent of water is actually used by plants and the rest is being lost as run off, seepage and evaporation. ii. This method is unsuitable for crops that are sensitive to water logging.

iii.

There is a possibility of soil erosion.

b) Furrow method This method is suitable for row crops like potato, cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, chilli, sugarcane, cotton etc. Water is applied in the furrows which are developed between crop rows in the planting and cultivating process. Advantages i. This method is suitable for crops which are sensitive to saturated soil condition in the root zone. ii. Water in the furrows contacts only one fifth to one half of the land surface, thereby reducing puddling, crusting of the soil and evaporation losses. iii. Water is applied uniformly by this method. Disadvantages i. Cost involved in this method is more. ii. Uniform distribution of water in all furrows is not possible. iii. This method is not suitable for all areas, especially cannel areas. c) Check and furrow method It is a modified form of furrow irrigation. This method is suitable for a land which is quite leveled. The water is lead in first furrow and the flow of water is continued to second furrow through a breach in the ridge at the terminal end of the run. Thus the water is moved to second furrow, third furrow and so on. Advantages i. ii. iii. iv.

Water is applied uniformly and the wastage of water is minimum. There is less evaporative loss from furrows. Soil gets sufficient time to absorb water. Soil erosion is checked It is very suitable for leveled land.

Disadvantages i. Uneven distribution of water in the different furrows. ii. The method is suitable only for row crops. iii. More time is required for irrigation. d) Border or check basin irrigation The field is divided into smaller unit areas or beds measuring 10 to 100 sq meter or even more. Bunds or ridges are constructed around the areas forming basin within which irrigation water may be controlled.

Advantages i. This method is especially suitable for irrigating grain and fodder crops in heavy soil where water is absorbed very slowly. ii. Wastage of water and soil erosion is reduced as thee is bund around the basin. iii. It is more efficient method of irrigation ensures uniform application of water. Disadvantages i. There are too many ridges which occupy the larger area of land. It involves the wastage of land. ii. Repairing of ridges and careful supervision during irrigation is needed. e) Border strip method of irrigation The field is divided into a number of long parallel strips which is called border. The border is separated with small parallel low ridges on the sides. The individual strips are irrigated independently by turning a stream of water at the upper elevation. Advantages i. It is the best method to irrigate close growing crops. ii. Operation of this system is simple and easy. iii. Excess rainwater is drained out if outlets are available. Disadvantages i. More labour is required for leveling of the field. ii. Ridges cut down the net cropped area. iii. Large irrigation streams are required. f) Ring method This method is especially suitable for vegetable and fruit crops. A basin is made around the stump of the plant at a distance of about 30-60 cm which may be square, rectangular or circular in shape. The basin is connected with irrigation channels for receiving water. Advantages i. It is a good method for irrigating orchard plants ii. It is an efficient method in the use of water Disadvantages i. Initial cost for preparing basin is high. ii. This method is not suitable for irrigating field crops like rice, wheat etc. 2. Subsurface irrigation In this system, perforated or porous pipes are laid underground below the root zone and water is led into the pipes by suitable means. This method is suitable where the soils have uniform texture and permeable enough for entering the water.

Advantages i. ii. iii. iv.

It is a permanent and efficient method of irrigation. Evaporation loss of irrigation water is minimum. No wastage of land. Loss of nutrient by leaching is minimum.

Disadvantages i. Initial cost is high. ii. The use of this method is very limited as it requires special soil condition. 3. Sprinkler or overhead irrigation This method of irrigation is generally adopted in an area having uneven topography and where erosion hazards are great and the surface irrigation is not congenial. In this system, water is conveyed under pressure through pipes to the area to be irrigated where it is passed out through nozzles or sprinklers. Advantages i. This is a very suitable method for irrigating shallow sandy soil of uneven topography where leveling is not practicable for surface irrigation. ii. Control of irrigation and water management is possible. iii. It is suitable where labour and water are scarce. iv. Water soluble fertilizers can be effectively applied through sprinklers. Disadvantages i. The original cost along with operation and management cost is high. ii. Application of water is affected if the wind velocity is high. 4. Drip or trickle irrigation This system involves slow and frequent application of water drop by drop to the root zone of a crop. Water is lifted and distributed through overhead pipelines which are fitted with nozzles to drop water in the desired site. Advantages i. Water is used very economically by this method. ii. This method is gaining popularity in arid regions of the world. iii. This system can be used for applying fertilizers in solution. Disadvantages i. The initial cost of equipment is high. ii. Maintenance cost is also high. Drainage Agricultural drainage is the removal of excess water fro the crop field so as to create favourable soil condition for plant growth. There are generally two methods of drainage such as 1. Open drainage

The open drains are easy to construct and maintain. The open drains are generally employed for drainage of surface water in our country. Advantages i. This method is very suitable for an area where rainfall is heavy. ii. The excess water is drained out within a short period of time. Disadvantages i. Wastage of land is the main disadvantage of this method as drains occupy considerable land. ii. Drains within the land hamper the cultivation practices. iii. Soil erosion is more. 2. Closed drains The closed drains are laid underground. The closed drains are desirable for a place where the land is costly. There are several methods of closed system among which some are described belowa) Tile drains b) Mole drains c) Pole drains and d) Stone drains a) Tile drains: In this system, tiles (which are made of concrete pipe or perforated steel pipes) are placed in underground soil by the following methods: i) Single main, ii) Double main, iii) Grid iron method iv) Herrington or fishbone method, v) Mixed system, vi) intercepting system and vii) Diagonal system In each and every cases tile is about 30 to 50 cm in length and 7 t o 12 cm in diameter. The tiles are installed end to end in the field after digging trenches with 2 to 3 mm spacing in the joint.