Types of Irrigation
1. Surface Irrigation
This type irrigation involces application of water by gravity flow to the surface of the field. No pump or any other device is used to force water towards the fields.
Types of of surface irrigation - Basin, Furrow and Border
Basin Irrigation
- Flat areas of land are surrounded by low bunds to create basins which are then flooded by water.
- Borders are long, sloping strips of land separated by bunds. Water flows down the slope of the border, guided by the bunds on either side.
- Rice is commonly irrigated this way.
Furrow Irrigation
- Small channels called furrows carry water down the land slope between the crop rows. Water infiltrates into the soil as it moves along the slope.
- Row crops such as maize, sunflower, sugarcane, soybean and also crops which would get damaged by basin irrigation like tomatoes, vegetables, potatoes, beans; fruit trees such as citrus, grape etc.
Border Irrigation
- Borders are long, sloping strips of land separated by bunds. Water flows down the slope of the border, guided by the bunds on either side.
- Close growing crops such as pasture or alfalfa.
2. Sprinkler Irrigation
In this type of irrigation, water is pumped through a pipe system and then sprayed onto the crops through rotating sprinkler heads. This type of irrigation is not suitable for delicate crops such as lettuce.
Image by Fernando Augusto from Pixabay
3. Drip Irrigation
In this type of irrigation, water is conveyed under pressure through a pipe system to the fields, where it drips slowly onto the soil through emitters or drippers which are located close to the plants. Suitable for all row crops but only high value crops are irrigated this way because of cost involved.