KALINGA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

IRRIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL

AND DRAINAGE
CHAPTER 1- IRRIGATION ENGINEERING
LESSON 2: SOIL-WATER RELATIONS AND IRRIGATION METHODS

ENGR. ELIZABETH C. LUMIOAN

2nd SEMESTER
2020-2021
 1

IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

INTRODUCTION

Irrigation is the application of water to ensure sufficient soil moisture is available for good
plant growth throughout the growing season. Irrigation, as practiced in North Dakota, is called "supplemental
irrigation" because it augments the rainfall that occurs prior to and during the growing season.

Irrigation often is used on full-season agronomic or high-value specialty crops to provide a dependable
yield every year. It also is used on crops such as potatoes, flowers, vegetables and fruits where water stress
affects the quality of the yield.

Most years, some places in the state receive sufficient rainfall for good plant growth. But in many of
those years, other areas of the state experience reduced yields and/or reduced quality on nonirrigated crops
due to water stress from insufficient soil moisture.

For irrigation planning purposes, the average precipitation during the growing season is not a good
yardstick to determine a need for irrigation. The timing and amounts of rainfall during the season, the soil's
ability to hold water and the crop's water requirements are all factors that influence the need for irrigation. Any
location in the state can have what might be considered "wet or dry" weeks, months and even years.

Under irrigation, soil and water compatibility is very important. If they are not compatible, the applied
irrigation water could have an adverse effect on the chemical and physical properties of the soil. Determining
the suitability of land for irrigation requires a thorough evaluation of the soil properties, the topography of the
land in the field and the quality of water to be used for irrigation. A basic understanding of soil/water/plant
interactions will help irrigators efficiently manage their crops, soils irrigation systems and water supplies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing this lesson you are expected to be able to:

- Know the relationship between soil and water for irrigation
- Describe the irrigation method used in agriculture.
- Explain the operating principles of irrigation systems used in agriculture

WARM-UP ACTIVITY

Before reading this lesson, let’s try to look back at what you have learned in Lesson 1. Unscramble the words
related to the things you have learned in Lesson 1.
1. UTDY _______________________________
2. PYOGRATOHP _______________________________
3. NIOGIRORATI _______________________________
4. POHYGRSCOIC RTEWA _______________________________
**Write your answers in the Google Classroom**

LEARNING INPUT

2.1 SOILS
Soils mainly consists of finely divided organic matter and minerals (formed due to disintegration of rocks). It holds the
plans upright, stores for plant use, supplies nutrients to the plants and helps in aeration. Soils can be classified in many
ways, such as on the basis of size (gravel, sand, silt, clay, etc), they can be classified into the following categories:
(i) Residual soils: Disintegration of natural rocks due to the action of air, moisture, frost, and vegetation results
in residual soils.
(ii) Alluvial soils: Sediment material deposited in bodies of water, deltas, and along the banks of the overflowing
streams forms alluvial soils.
(iii) Aeolian Soils: These soils are deposited by wind action.
(iv) Glacial soils: These soils are the products of glacial erosion.
(v) Colluvial soils: these are formed by deposition of foothills due to rain wash.
(vi) Volcanic Soil: these are formed due to volcanic eruptions and are commonly called as volcanic wash.

IRRIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE- LESSON 2 ENGR. ELIZABETH C. LUMIOAN

 2

Soils suitable for agriculture are called arable soils and other soils are non-arable. Depending upon their degree of
arability, these soils are further subdivided as follows:
(i) Class I: these soils are nearly level, deep, well-drained, and possess good water-holding capacity. They are
fertile and suitable for intensive cropping.
(ii) Class II: These soils have some limitations which reduce the choice of crops and require moderate soil
conservation practices to prevent deterioration, when cultivated.
(iii) Class III: These soils have severe limitations which reduce the choice pf crops and require special soil
conservation measures, when cultivated.
(iv) Class IV: these soils have very severe limitations which restrict the choice of crops to only a few and require
very careful management. The cultivation may be restricted to once in three of four years.

Irrigation practices are greatly influenced by the soil characteristics. From agricultural considerations, the following soil
characteristics are of particular significance.

2.1.1 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL

The permeability of soils with respect to air, water, and roots are as important to the growth of crop as an adequate
supply of nutrients and water. The permeability of a soil depends on the porosity and the distribution of pore spaces
which, in turn, are decided by the texture and structure of soil.
 Soil Texture – determined by the size of soil paritcles. The texture of a soil affects the flow of water, aeration of
soil, and the rate of chemical transformation all of which are important for plant life. The texture also
determines the water holding capacity of the soil.
 Soil Structure – soils of uniform particle size have large spaces between particles, whereas soils of varying
particle sizes are closely packed and the space between the particles is less. The particles of a coarse-grained soil
function separately but those of fine-grained soils function as granules. Each granule consists of many soil
particles. Fine-textured soils offer a favorable soil structure permitting retention of water, proper movement of
air and penetration of roots which is essential for the growth of a crop.
The granules are broken due to excessive irrigation, ploughing or working under too wet (puddling) or too dry
conditions. Such working affects the soil structure adversely. The structure of the irrigated soil can be
maintained and improved by proper irrigation practices some of which are as follows:
(i) Ploughing up to below the compacted layers
(ii) After ploughing, allowing sufficient time for soil and air to interact before preparing the seed
bed or givng pre-planting irrigation,
(iii) The organic matter spent by the soil for previous crops should be returned in the form of
fertilisers, manures, etc.,
(iv) Keeping cultivation and tillage operations to a minimum, and
(v) Adopting a good crop rotation.

 Depth of Soil - the importance of having an adequate depth of soil for storing sufficient amount of irrigation
water and providing space for root penetration cannot be overemphasized. Shallow soils require more frequent
irrigations and cause excessive deep percolation losses when shallow soils overlie coarse-textured and highly
permeable sands and gravels. On the other hand deep soils would generally require less frequent irrigations,
permit the plant roots to penetrate deeper, and provide for large storage of irrigation water.

2.1.2 CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL

For satisfactory crop yield, soils must have sufficient plant nnutrients, such as nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, iron, oxygen,
potassium, phosphorus, sulphur, magnesium and so on.

2.2 SOIL-WATER RELATIONSHIPS (As discussed in Geotechnical Engineering 1)

Example 1: if the water content of a certsin saturated soil sample is 22 percent and the specific gravity is 2.65,
determine the saturated unit weight , dry unit weight t , porosity and void ratio .
Solution:

IRRIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE- LESSON 2 ENGR. ELIZABETH C. LUMIOAN

 3

2.3 ROOT-ZONE SOIL WATER

Water serves the following useful functions in the process of plant growth:
- Germination of seeds
- All chemical reactions
- All biological processes
- Absorption of plant nutrients through their aqueous solution
- Temperature control
- Washing out or dilution of salts

2.4 INFILTRATION – it not only controls the amount of water entering the soil but also the overland flow. It is a complex
process which depends on
a. Soil properties
b. Initial soil moisture content
c. Previous wetting history
d. Permeability and its changes due to surface water movement
e. Cultivation practices
f. Type of crop being sown
g. Climatic effects

2.5 IRRIGATION METHODS

2.5.1 SURFACE IRRIGATION
 Water is applied to the field in either the controlled or uncontrolled manner.
 Controlled: Water is applied from the head ditch and guided by corrugations, furrows, borders, or ridges.
 Uncontrolled: Wild flooding.
 Surface irrigation is entirely practised where water is abundant. The low initial cost of development is later
offset by high labour cost of applying water. There are deep percolation, runoff and drainage problems
2.5.1.1 Flooding:
 It consist of opening a water channel in a plot or field so that water can flow freely in all directions and cover
the surface of the land in a continuous sheet.
 It is the most efficient method of irrigation as only about 20% of the water is actually used by plants. The rest
is being lost as a runoff, seepage and evaporation.
 Water distribution is very uneven and crop growth is not uniform. It is suitable for uneven land where the cost
of leveling is high and where a cheap and abundant supply of water is available.
 It is unsuitable for crops that are sensitive to water logging the method suitable where broadcast crops,
particularly pastures, alfalfa, peas and small grains are produced.

Advantages Disadvantages
Can be used on shallow soils Excessive loss of water by run off and deep
percolation
Can be employed where expense of leveling is great Excessive soil erosion on step land
Installation and operation costs are low Fertilizer and FYM are eroded from the soil
System is not damaged by livestock and does not
interfere with use of farm implements

IRRIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE- LESSON 2 ENGR. ELIZABETH C. LUMIOAN

 4

2.5.1.2 Bed or border Method:

 In a border irrigation, controlled surface flooding is practised whereby the field is divided up into strips by
parallel ridges or dykes and each strip is irrigated separately by introducing water upstream and it
progressively covers the entire strip.
 Border irrigation is suited for crops that can withstand flooding for a short time e.g. wheat.
 It can be used for all crops provided that the system is designated to provide the needed water control for
irrigation of crops.
 It is suited to soils between extremely high and very low infiltration rates

 In border irrigation, water is applied slowly.

 The root zone is applied water gradually down the field.
 At a time, the application flow is cut-off to reduce water loses.
 Ideally, there is no runoff and deep percolation.
 The problem is that the time to cut off the inflow is difficult to determine.

Advantages:
Fairly large supply of water is needed
Land must be leveled
Suited only to soils that do not readily disperse
Drainage must be provided

2.5.1.3 Basin Irrigation:

 This method is suitable for orchids and other high value crops where the size of the plot to be irrigated is very
small
 The basin may be square, rectangular or circular shape. A variation in this method viz. ring and basin is
commonly used for irrigating fruit trees.
 The area is normally flat.
 In basin irrigation, a very high stream size is introduced into the basin so that rapid movement of water is
obtained.
 Water does not infiltrate a lot initially.
 At the end, a bond is put and water can pond the field.
 The opportunity time difference between the upward and the downward ends are reduced

Advantages: Disadvantages:
Varying supply of water If land is not leveled initial cost may be high
No water loss by run off Suitable mainly for orchids, rice, jute, etc.
Rapid irrigation possible Except rice, not suitable for soils that disperse easily
and readily from a crust.
No loss of fertilizers and organic manures
satisfactory

2.5.1.4 Furrow Method

 In furrow irrigation, only a part of the land surface (the furrow) is wetted thus minimizing evaporation loss.
 Furrow irrigation is adapted for row crops like corn, banana, tobacco, and cabbage. It is also good for grains.
 Irrigation can be by corrugation using small irrigation streams.

IRRIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE- LESSON 2 ENGR. ELIZABETH C. LUMIOAN

 5

 Furrow irrigation is adapted for irrigating on various slopes except on steep ones because of erosion and bank
overflow.
 There are different ways of applying water to the furrow.
 As shown in Fig. 3.1, siphons are used to divert water from the head ditch to the furrows.
 There can also be direct gravity flow whereby water is delivered from the head ditch to the furrows by cutting
the ridge or levee separating the head ditch and the furrows (see diagram from Gumb's book).
 Gated pipes can also be used. Large portable pipe(up to 450 mm) with gate openings spaced to deliver water
to the furrows are used.
 Water is pumped from the water source in closed conduits.
 The openings of the gated pipe can be regulated to control the discharge rate into the furrows.

Advantages: Disadvantages:
High water efficiency Requirement of skilled labour is more.
Can be used in any row crop A hazard to operation of machinery.
Relatively easy in stall Drainage must be provided.
Not expensive to maintain
Adapted must be provided

2.5.2 SUBSURFACE IRRIGATION

Subsurface irrigation (or simply subirrigation) is the practice of applying water to soils directly under the surface.
Moisture reaches the plant roots through capillary action. The conditions which favour sub irrigation are as follows:
(i) Impervious subsoil at a depth of 2 meters or more
(ii) A very permeable subsoil
(iii) A permeable loan or sandy loam surface soil
(iv) Uniform topographic conditions, and
(v) Moderate ground slopes

2.5.3 SPRINKLER IRRIGATION

 The sprinkler system is ideal in areas where water is scarce.
 A Sprinkler system conveys water through pipes and applies it with a minimum amount of losses.
 Water is applied in form of sprays sometimes simulating natural rainfall.
 The difference is that this rainfall can be controlled in duration and intensity.
 If well planned, designed and operated, it can be used in sloping land to reduce erosion where other systems
are not possible.

IRRIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE- LESSON 2 ENGR. ELIZABETH C. LUMIOAN

 6

2.5.4 DRIP OR TRICKLE IRRIGATION

 In this irrigation system:
 Water is applied directly to the crop ie. entire field is not wetted.
 Water is conserved
 Weeds are controlled because only the places getting water can grow weeds.
 There is a low pressure system.
 There is a slow rate of water application somewhat matching the consumptive use. Application rate can be as
low as 1 - 12 l/hr.
 There is reduced evaporation, only potential transpiration is considered.
 There is no need for a drainage system.

 The Major Components of a Drip Irrigation System include:

 a) Head unit which contains filters to remove debris that may block emitters; fertilizer tank; water meter;
and pressure regulator.
 b) Mainline, Laterals, and Emitters which can be easily blocked.
 The design of drip system is similar to that of the sprinkler system except that the spacing of emitters is much
less than that of sprinklers and that water must be filtered and treated to prevent blockage of emitters.
 Another major difference is that not all areas are irrigated.
 In design, the water use rate or the area irrigated may be decreased to account for this reduced area.

POSTTEST

After reading this lesson, you will be able to answer the following:
1. Describe important physical and chemical properties of soil which are important in irrigation.
2. Enumerate the four Irrigation Methods. Describe each method (one sentence).

FOLLOW-UP WORK

1. A moist soil sample has a volume of in the natural state and a weight of The dry weight of the
soil is and the relative density of the soil particles is Determine the porosity, soil moisture content,
volumetric moisture content, and degree or saturation.
2. Take a picture of any land (in your barangay/municipality) where irrigation is being used. Identify what irrigation
method is used.

** all outputs must be attached in the Google classroom. **

IRRIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE- LESSON 2 ENGR. ELIZABETH C. LUMIOAN

 7

REFERENCES/ additional readings

Asawa, G.L. 2008. Irrigation and Water Resources Engineering. New Age International (P), Limited Publishers. New Delhi,
india.

College of engineering, Tisaiyanvilai. Department of Civil Engineering. Irrigation Engineering.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that

yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not
wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:3

IRRIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE- LESSON 2 ENGR. ELIZABETH C. LUMIOAN