IRRIGATION SYSTEM

in #esteem6 years ago

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irrigation is defined as the artificial application of water to soil or land for farming purposes.
This is mainly practiced in areas where there is insufficient rainfall.
Water is needed for growth of crops.
The choice of irrigation system depends on availability of water, types of crop, soil type, size of farmland and slope of land

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Aim of irrigation
To make early planting
To ensure survival of crops during droughts
To add water to the soil so as to supply moisture for plant growth
Importance of irrrigation
It helps to reduce salt concentration in the soil
It makes early planting possible
It cools the soil and the atmosphere thereby making them conducive for growing crops
It helps to soften the soil for easy tillage
Irrigation system can be classified into surface irrigation, sub-surface irrigation and overhead irrigation.
Surface irrigation
In this system, water from river dams or stream flows along the surface of the land to farmland. The most important condition for surface irrigation to be efficient is for the land to have farm gentle slope towards the direction of the farmland
Advantages of surface irrigation
It is very cheap
Water is evenly distributed over the farmland
Water can easily be controlled except in flooding
Disadvantages of surface irrigation
It cannot be successful in sandy
It cannot be practiced where the land is hilly
The volume of water especially in flooding may be difficult to control
Some crops may not tolerate heavy flooding

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Sub-surface Irrigation
In this system of irrigation system, water is applied below the soil surface by maintaining an artificial water level at certain depth.
Advantages of sub-surface irrigation
Evaporation rate is greatly reduced
It is suitable for soil that has low water holding capacity
Water level at optimum depths for crops needed at different growth stages can be maintained
Disadvantages of sub-surface Irrigation
It is a bit expensive
Water with high salt content cannot be used
It requires some level of expertise
Overhead Irrigation
In this system water is supplied to the farmland above the surface of the soil. It exists in two forms: Sprinkler and Drip irrigation
Sprinkler irrigation is when water is sprayed from the air and allowed to fall on the ground surface somehow as rainfall through nozzles under high pressure.

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Advantages of sprinkler irrigation
It economizes the use of water
The amount of water supplied is regulated
It can be used for all crops except tree crops
Disadvantages of sprinkler irrigation
A stable water supply is required
It is costly to operate
High wind velocity may be preventing distribution of water
Drip Irrigation is a new method of irrigation where water is discharged through nozzles called drippers at selected spacing to deliver water to the soil surface near the base of the plant
Advantages of drip irrigation
It operates with slower line pressure
Fertilizer can be applied through this system
It reduces salt concentration in the root zone
It is economical in the use of water
Disadvantages of drip irrigation
It is very expensive to set up and maintain
Water with high salt content cannot be used
Water cannot be distributed in a sloppy farmland evenly
Problems associated with irrigation
Irrigation equipment is expensive
Inadequate water supply for irrigation
Diseases causing organisms increase with increasing humidity
Vectors of disease like snail, tsetse flies breed freely in irrrigated areas
Pests from dry surroundings may invade and damage crops in irrigated land
It may lead to pollution, if it contains dangerous chemicals

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Thanks
Elizabethlizzy

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