Types of Irrigation Brenton Bartelt

History Flood irrigation: Egyptians and Mesopotamians Asia and Europe 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 In-ground irrigation Localized Sprinkler 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