Water Resources Engineering:

Irrigation
Submitted by:
Bautista, John Peter
Chavez, James Nicole
Magararo, Bien Rybb
Villas, Paul Vincent
Submitted to:
Engr. Merlin D. Herrera
Professor

Irrigation - 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 Methods
Surface Irrigation - Surface irrigation is an irrigation system in which gravity flow is applied to
move water across the land in order to infiltrate and wet it. Surface irrigation is further classified
as border strip, basin or furrow irrigation. Surface irrigation is the most commonly used method
of irrigation and represents as much as 95 percent of common irrigation activity today. Surface
irrigation is arguably the least complex form of irrigation. At its simplest, no attempt is made to
stop fields from naturally flooding. In general, this is only suitable in situations where the crop is
of little value, or where the field will be used only for grazing or even recreation. Of course,
while this method is simple and easy, it is totally dependent upon a suitable water source.
A more refined variation, though still reliant on a plentiful supply of water, is basin irrigation.
Closely-spaced crops with deep roots are particularly suited to this method, and the growing of
rice in paddy fields is an example familiar to most of us. The basin referred to is simply a field,
enclosed with a raised bank, or dike, to contain the water.
Advantages:
Most widely understood method of irrigation due to its popularity
Conserves water, as it applies water only down to the depths required to refill the root
zone
It is especially handy in cases where there are water shortages
Disadvantages:
It tends to lead to water logging and soil salinity if there are no provisions for adequate
drainage
Labor intensive
Sprinkler Irrigation - Sprinkler or overhead irrigation is an irrigation system in which water is
distributed throughout the field by the aid of high-pressure sprinklers. 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. The pump supply system,
sprinklers and operating conditions must be designed to enable a uniform application of water.
Advantages:
Even distribution of water when different soil types are found within one irrigation
scheme
Better than surface irrigation in leaching out salts from the soil
Not affected by uneven land distribution
Disadvantages:
Affected by windy conditions which disturb the even distribution of water from the
sprinklers

Drip Irrigation - Drip irrigation is an irrigation system in which water is delivered at the root of
the plant, drop by drop. It is also known as trickle irrigation. It uses a series of plastic tubes
systematically placed at the sides of each plant root. A drip irrigation system delivers water
directly to the root zone of a plant, where it seeps slowly into the soil one drop at a time. Almost
no water is lost through surface runoff or evaporation, and soil particles have plenty of
opportunity to absorb and hold water for plants. It also means very few nutrients leach down
beyond the reach of plant roots. Furthermore, since drip irrigation delivers water directly to the
plants you want to grow, less is wasted on weeds. The soil surface between the plants also
remains drier, which discourages weed seeds from sprouting.
Advantages:
Most water efficient method
It eliminates evaporation of water
Eliminates surface runoff
Discourages the growth of weeds
Very few nutrients leech down
Disadvantages:
Most expensive method
The least aesthetically pleasing method
Soil Water Relationship
By understanding a little about the soil's physical properties and its relationship to soil moisture,
you can make better soil-management decisions. Soil texture and structure greatly influence
water infiltration, permeability, and water-holding capacity.

Soil texture refers to the composition of the soil in terms of the proportion of small,
medium, and large particles (clay, silt, and sand, respectively) in a specific soil mass. For
example, a coarse soil is sand or loamy sand, a medium soil is a loam, silt loam, or silt,
and a fine soil is a sandy clay, silty clay, or clay.

Soil structure refers to the arrangement of soil particles (sand, silt, and clay) into stable
units called aggregates, which give soil its structure. Aggregates can be loose and friable,
or they can form distinct, uniform patterns. For example, granular structure is loose and
friable, blocky structure is six-sided and can have angled or rounded sides, and plate like
structure is layered and may indicate compaction problems.

Soil porosity refers to the space between soil particles, which consists of various
amounts of water and air. Porosity depends on both soil texture and structure. For
example, a fine soil has smaller but more numerous pores than a coarse soil. A coarse soil
has bigger particles than a fine soil, but it has less porosity, or overall pore space. Water
can be held tighter in small pores than in large ones, so fine soils can hold more water
than coarse soils.

Water infiltration is the movement of water from the soil surface into the soil profile.
Soil texture, soil structure, and slope have the largest impact on infiltration rate. Water
moves by gravity into the open pore spaces in the soil, and the size of the soil particles
and their spacing determines how much water can flow in. Wide pore spacing at the soil
surface increases the rate of water infiltration, so coarse soils have a higher infiltration
rate than fine soils.

Permeability refers to the movement of air and water through the soil, which is
important because it affects the supply of root-zone air, moisture, and nutrients available
for plant uptake. A soil's permeability is determined by the relative rate of moisture and
air movement through the most restrictive layer within the upper 40 inches of the
effective root zone. Water and air rapidly permeate coarse soils with granular subsoils,
which tend to be loose when moist and don't restrict water or air movement. Slow
permeability is characteristic of moderately fine subsoil with angular to subangular
blocky structure. It is firm when moist and hard when dry.

Water-holding capacity is controlled primarily by soil texture and organic matter. Soils
with smaller particles (silt and clay) have a larger surface area than those with larger sand
particles, and a large surface area allows a soil to hold more water. In other words, a soil
with a high percentage of silt and clay particles, which describes fine soil, has a higher
water-holding capacity. The table illustrates water-holding-capacity differences as
influenced by texture. Organic matter percentage also influences water-holding capacity.
As the percentage increases, the water-holding capacity increases because of the affinity
organic matter has for water.

Water availability is illustrated in the figure by water levels in three different soil types.
Excess or gravitational water drains quickly from the soil after a heavy rain because of
gravitational forces (saturation point to field capacity). Plants may use small amounts of
this water before it moves out of the root zone. Available water is retained in the soil after
the excess has drained (field capacity to wilting point). This water is the most important
for crop or forage production. Plants can use approximately 50 percent of it without
exhibiting stress, but if less than 50 percent is available, drought stress can result.
Unavailable water is soil moisture that is held so tightly by the soil that it cannot be
extracted by the plant. Water remains in the soil even below plants' wilting point. One can
see from the table that soil texture greatly influences water availability. The sandy soil
can quickly be recharged with soil moisture but is unable to hold as much water as the
soils with heavier textures. As texture becomes heavier, the wilting point increases
because fine soils with narrow pore spacing hold water more tightly than soils with wide
pore spacing.

Water Requirements
Water requirement for is a function of surface area covered by plants, evaporation rate and
infiltration capacity of soil. The irrigation water requirement for each plant is calculated first and
thereafter for the whole plot of 1 ha based on plant population for the different seasons. The
maximum discharge required during any one of the three seasons is adopted for design purposes.
The daily water requirement for fully-grown plants can be calculated as under

WR = A x B x C x D x E
Where:
WR = Water requirement (l p d /plant)
A = Open Pan evaporation (mm/day)
B = Pan Factor (0.7); this may differ area wise
C = Spacing of plant (m2)
D = Crop factor (factor depends on plant growth-for fully grown plants = 1)
E = Wetted Area (0.3 for widely spaced crops)
The total water requirement of the farm plot would be WR x No. of Plants.
Water Quality
Soil scientists use the following categories to describe irrigation water effects on crop production
and soil quality:
Salinity hazard - total soluble salt content
Sodium hazard - relative proportion of sodium to calcium and magnesium ions
pH - acid or basic
Alkalinity - carbonate and bicarbonate
Specific ions: chloride, sulfates, boron, and nitrate.
Salinity Hazard - The most influential water quality guideline on crop productivity is the water
salinity hazard as measured by electrical conductivity (ECw). The primary effect of high ECw
water on crop productivity is the inability of the plant to compete with ions in the soil solution
for water (physiological drought). The higher the EC, the less water is available to plants, even
though the soil may appear wet. Because plants can only transpire "pure" water, usable plant
water in the soil solution decreases dramatically as EC increases.
Sodium Hazard - Reductions in water infiltration can occur when irrigation water contains high
sodium relative to the calcium and magnesium contents. This condition, termed sodicity,
results from excessive soil accumulation of sodium. Sodic water is not the same as saline water.
Sodicity causes swelling and dispersion of soil clays, surface crusting and pore plugging.
Alkalinity / pH level - The acidity or basicity of irrigation water is expressed as pH (< 7.0
acidic; > 7.0 basic). The normal pH range for irrigation water is from 6.5 to 8.4. Abnormally low
pHs are not common, but may cause accelerated irrigation system corrosion where they occur.
High pHs above 8.5 are often caused by high bicarbonate (HCO3-) and carbonate (CO32-)
concentrations, known as alkalinity. High carbonates cause calcium and magnesium ions to form
insoluble minerals leaving sodium as the dominant ion in solution.

Legal Aspects of Irrigation:

Act No. 2152
The Irrigation Act
Act No. 2152, or also known as The Irrigation Act, is an act to
Provide a system for the appropriation of public waters, and for the determining of
existing rights thereto;
The public registration of all water rights
The creation and use of water power; for investigation for and the construction
maintenance,
Operation of irrigation systems by the government of the Philippine islands;
The repayment of money expended therefore;
The construction, maintenance, and operation of irrigation systems by private persons;
The inspection and regulation of all works pertaining to the use of water; and providing
penalties for its violation
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrigation
http://www.ehow.com/list_6046126_advantages-disadvantages-irrigation-systems.html
http://tmnehs.gov.in/writereaddata/Chap-10.pdf
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00506.html
http://philippinelaw.info/statutes/act2152-the-irrigation-act.html