Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. In crop production it is mainly used in dry areas and in periods of rainfall shortfalls, but also to protect plants against frost. ^[1]

Additionally irrigation helps to suppress weed growing in rice fields. ^[2] In contrast, agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-fed farming. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Irrigation is often studied together with drainage, which is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area

Irrigation is also a term used in the Medical/Dental fields and refers to flushing and washing out anything with water or another liquid.

Contents 1 History 2 Present extent 3 Types of irrigation 3.1 Surface irrigation 3.2 Localized irrigation 3.2.1 Drip Irrigation 3.3 Sprinkler irrigation 3.3.1 Center pivot irrigation 3.3.2 Lateral move (side roll, wheel line) irrigation 3.4 Sub-irrigation 3.5 Manual irrigation using buckets or watering cans 3.6 Automatic, non-electric irrigation using buckets and ropes 3.7 Irrigation using stones to catch water from humid air 3.8 Dry terasses for irrigation and water distribution 4 Sources of irrigation water 5 How an in-ground irrigation system works 5.1 Water source and piping 5.2 Controllers, zones, and valves 5.3 Sprinklers 6 Problems in irrigation 7 Academic resources 8 Gallery 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

History

Archaeological investigation has identified evidence of irrigation in Mesopotamia and Egypt as far back as the 6th millennium BCE, where barley was grown in areas where the natural rainfall was insufficient to support such a crop. Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. During the 6th millennium BC, Agriculture spreads from the Balkans to Italy and Eastern Europe and from Mesopotamia to Egypt. ^[3]

In the Zana Valley of the Andes Mountains in Peru, archaeologists found remains of three irrigation canals radiocarbon dated from the 4th millennium BCE, the 3rd millennium BCE and the 9th century CE. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways Radiocarbon dating is a Radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring Radioisotope Carbon-14 (14C to determine the age of The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age. It represents a period of time in which Imperialism, or the desire to conquer grew to prominence These canals are the earliest record of irrigation in the New World. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. Traces of a canal possibly dating from the 5th millennium BCE were found under the 4th millennium canal. The 5th millennium BC saw the spread of Agriculture from the Near East throughout southern and central Europe ^[4] Sophisticated irrigation and storage systems were developed by the Indus Valley Civilization in Pakistan and North India, including the reservoirs at Girnar in 3000 BCE and an early canal irrigation system from circa 2600 BCE. The Indus Valley Civilization (Mature period 2600&ndash1900 BCE abbreviated IVC, was an ancient Civilization that flourished in the Indus River basin Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula Girnar (also known as "Girnar Hill" is a collection of mountains in the Junagadh District of Gujarat, India. ^[5][6] Large scale agriculture was practiced and an extensive network of canals was used for the purpose of irrigation.

There is evidence of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenemhet III in the twelfth dynasty (about 1800 BCE) using the natural lake of the Faiyum Oasis as a reservoir to store surpluses of water for use during the dry seasons, as the lake swelled annually as caused by the annual flooding of the Nile. Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods Amenemhat III, alt Amenemhet III, (c 1860 BC-1814 BC was a Pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. The Eleventh (all of Egypt Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title Middle Kingdom. The Faiyum Oasis is a distinctive region with character between the main Nile Valley and other desert oases. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River ^[7]

The Qanats, developed in ancient Persia in about 800 BCE, are among the oldest known irrigation methods still in use today. A qanat (from قناة) or kareez (from كاريز) is a Water management system used to provide a reliable supply of water to human settlements The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia They are now found in Asia, the middle east and north Africa. The system comprises a network of vertical wells and gently sloping tunnels driven into the sides of cliffs and steep hills to tap groundwater. ^[8] The noria, a water wheel with clay pots around the rim powered by the flow of the stream (or by animals where the water source was still), was first brought into use at about this time, by Roman settlers in North Africa. A noria (ناعورة nā‘ūra, from ܢܥܘܪܐ nā‘urā) is a machine for lifting water into an Aqueduct using energy derived from the water's The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the By 150 BCE the pots were fitted with valves to allow smoother filling as they were forced into the water. ^[9]

The irrigation works of ancient Sri Lanka, the earliest dating from about 300 BCE, in the reign of King Pandukabhaya and under continuous development for the next thousand years, were one of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island In addition to underground canals, the Sinhalese were the first to build completely artificial reservoirs to store water. The Sinhalese are the main ethnic group of Sri Lanka. They speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and number approximately 15 million people with the The system was extensively restored and further extended during the reign of King Parakrama Bahu (1153 – 1186 CE). ^[10]

The oldest known hydraulic engineers of China were Sunshu Ao (6th century BCE) of the Spring and Autumn Period and Ximen Bao (5th century BCE) of the Warring States period, both of whom worked on large irrigation projects. For the mechanical technology see Hydraulic machinery and Hydraulic cylinder Hydraulics is a topic of science and Engineering China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Sunshu Ao (孫叔敖 was an ancient Chinese court minister serving the administration of Duke Zhuang of Chu during the reign of King Ding of Zhou ( The Spring and Autumn Period ( was a period in Chinese history which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC Ximen Bao (西門豹 was an Ancient Chinese government minister and court advisor to Marquis Wen of Wei (文侯 ( 445 BC - 396 BC) during the The Warring States Period ( also known as the Era of Warring States covers the period from some time in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by the In the Szechwan region belonging to the State of Qin of ancient China, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System was built in 256 BCE to irrigate an enormous area of farmland that today still supplies water. ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. Qín or Ch'in ( Wade-Giles) (秦 ( 778 BC - 207 BC) was a State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods Dujiangyan ( is an Irrigation infra-structure built in 256 BC during the Warring States Period of China by the Kingdom of Qin ^[11] By the 1st century AD, during the Han Dynasty, the Chinese also used chain pumps that lifted water from lower elevation to higher elevation. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The chain pump is a type of water Pump where an endless chain has positioned on it a series of circular discs ^[12] These were powered by manual foot pedal, hydraulic waterwheels, or rotating mechanical wheels pulled by oxen. A water wheel is a means of extracting power from the flow (or fall of water otherwise known as Hydropower. Oxen (singular ox) are Cattle trained as draft animals. Often they are adult castrated males ^[13] The water was used for public works of providing water for urban residential quarters and palace gardens, but mostly for irrigation of farmland canals and channels in the fields. Public works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the State on behalf of the Community. ^[14]

In fifteenth century Korea the world's first water gauge, woo ryang gyae (Korean:우량계), was discovered in 1441 CE. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system The inventor was Jang Young Sil, a Korean engineer of the Choson Dynasty, under the active direction of the King, Se Jong. Jang Yeong-sil was a Korean Scientist and Astronomer during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910 It was installed in irrigation tanks as part of a nationwide system to measure and collect rainfall for agricultural applications. With this instrument, planners and farmers could make better use of the information gathered in the survey. ^[15]

Present extent

By the middle of the 20th century, the advent of diesel and electric motors led for the first time to systems that could pump groundwater out of major aquifers faster than it was recharged. Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay This can lead to permanent loss of aquifer capacity, decreased water quality, ground subsidence, and other problems. The future of food production in such areas as the North China Plain, the Punjab, and the Great Plains of the US is threatened. The North China Plain ( is based on the deposits of the Huang He (Yellow River and is the largest Alluvial plain of eastern Asia. Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada

At the global scale 2,788 km² (689 million acres) of agricultural land was equipped with irrigation infrastructure around the year 2000. About 68% of the area equipped for irrigation is located in Asia, 17% in America, 9% in Europe, 5% in Africa and 1% in Oceania. The largest contiguous areas of high irrigation density are found in North India and Pakistan along the rivers Ganges and Indus, in the Hai He, Huang He and Yangtze basins in China, along the Nile river in Egypt and Sudan, in the Mississippi-Missouri river basin and in parts of California. Smaller irrigation areas are spread across almost all populated parts of the world. ^[16]

Types of irrigation

Various types of irrigation techniques differ in how the water obtained from the source is distributed within the field. In general, the goal is to supply the entire field uniformly with water, so that each plant has the amount of water it needs, neither too much nor too little.

Surface irrigation

Main article: Surface irrigation

In surface irrigation systems water moves over and across the land by simple gravity flow in order to wet it and to infiltrate into the soil. Surface irrigation is defined as the group of application techniques where water is applied and distributed over the soil surface by gravity Surface irrigation can be subdivided into furrow, borderstrip or basin irrigation. It is often called flood irrigation when the irrigation results in flooding or near flooding of the cultivated land. Historically, this has been the most common method of irrigating agricultural land.

Where water levels from the irrigation source permit, the levels are controlled by dikes, usually plugged by soil. This is often seen in terraced rice fields (rice paddies), where the method is used to flood or control the level of water in each distinct field. In some cases, the water is pumped, or lifted by human or animal power to the level of the land.

Localized irrigation

Localized irrigation is a system where water is distributed under low pressure through a piped network, in a pre-determined pattern, and applied as a small discharge to each plant or adjacent to it. Drip irrigation, spray or micro-sprinkler irrigation and bubbler irrigation belong to this category of irrigation methods. ^[17]

Drip Irrigation

Main article: Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation, functions as its name suggests. See also Irrigation Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or microirrigation is an Irrigation method which minimizes the use Water is delivered at or near the root zone of plants, drop by drop. ROOT is an object-oriented program and library developed by CERN. This method can be the most water-efficient method of irrigation, if managed properly, since evaporation and runoff are minimized. In modern agriculture, drip irrigation is often combined with plastic mulch, further reducing evaporation, and is also the means of delivery of fertilizer. Plastic mulch is a product used in a similar fashion to Mulch, to suppress Weeds and conserve Water in crop production and landscaping The process is known as fertigation. Fertigation is the application of Fertilizers, Soil amendments, or other Water soluble products through an Irrigation system

Deep percolation, where water moves below the root zone, can occur if a drip system is operated for too long of a duration or if the delivery rate is too high. Drip irrigation methods range from very high-tech and computerized to low-tech and relatively labor-intensive. Lower water pressures are usually needed than for most other types of systems, with the exception of low energy center pivot systems and surface irrigation systems, and the system can be designed for uniformity throughout a field or for precise water delivery to individual plants in a landscape containing a mix of plant species. Although it is difficult to regulate pressure on steep slopes, pressure compensating emitters are available, so the field does not have to be level. An emitter is a device used to emit any signal, Beacon, Light, Odor, Liquid, Fragrance, or any other type of High-tech solutions involve precisely calibrated emitters located along lines of tubing that extend from a computerized set of valves. For other uses see Valve (disambiguation. For the electronic component see Thermionic valve. Both pressure regulation and filtration to remove particles are important. The tubes are usually black (or buried under soil or mulch) to prevent the growth of algae and to protect the polyethylene from degradation due to ultraviolet light. Polyethylene or polythene ( IUPAC name poly(ethene) is a Thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products (notably the Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays But drip irrigation can also be as low-tech as a porous clay vessel sunk into the soil and occasionally filled from a hose or bucket. Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Subsurface drip irrigation has been used successfully on lawns, but it is more expensive than a more traditional sprinkler system. See also Irrigation Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or microirrigation is an Irrigation method which minimizes the use Surface drip systems are not cost-effective (or aesthetically pleasing) for lawns and golf courses. In the past one of the main disadvantages of the subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems, when used for turf, was the fact of having to install the plastic lines very close to each other in the ground, therefore disrupting the turfgrass area. Recent technology developments on drip installers like the drip installer at New Mexico State University Arrow Head Center, places the line underground and covers the slit leaving no soil exposed.

Sprinkler irrigation

In sprinkler or overhead irrigation, water is piped to one or more central locations within the field and distributed by overhead high-pressure sprinklers or guns. Blueberries are Flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium, sect Plainville is a hamlet on NY Route 370 about 45 miles west of Baldwinsville in Onondaga County, New York. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A system utilizing sprinklers, sprays, or guns mounted overhead on permanently installed risers is often referred to as a solid-set irrigation system. Higher pressure sprinklers that rotate are called rotors and are driven by a ball drive, gear drive, or impact mechanism. Rotors can be designed to rotate in a full or partial circle. Guns are similar to rotors, except that they generally operate at very high pressures of 40 to 130 lbf/in² (275 to 900 kPa) and flows of 50 to 1200 US gal/min (3 to 76 L/s), usually with nozzle diameters in the range of 0. 5 to 1. 9 inches (10 to 50 mm). Guns are used not only for irrigation, but also for industrial applications such as dust suppression and logging. Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber.

Sprinklers may also be mounted on moving platforms connected to the water source by a hose. Automatically moving wheeled systems known as traveling sprinklers may irrigate areas such as small farms, sports fields, parks, pastures, and cemeteries unattended. Most of these utilize a length of polyethylene tubing wound on a steel drum. As the tubing is wound on the drum powered by the irrigation water or a small gas engine, the sprinkler is pulled across the field. When the sprinkler arrives back at the reel the system shuts off. This type of system is known to most people as a "waterreel" traveling irrigation sprinkler and they are used extensively for dust suppression, irrigation, and land application of waste water. Other travelers use a flat rubber hose that is dragged along behind while the sprinkler platform is pulled by a cable. These cable-type travelers are definitely old technology and their use is limited in today's modern irrigation projects.

Center pivot irrigation

Center pivot irrigation is a form of sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe (usually galvanized steel or aluminum) joined together and supported by trusses, mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length. Center-pivot irrigation (sometimes called central pivot irrigation) also called circle irrigation, is a method of crop Irrigation in which equipment In Architecture and Structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight slender members whose The system moves in a circular pattern and is fed with water from the pivot point at the center of the arc. These systems are common in parts of the United States where terrain is flat.

Most center pivot systems now have drops hanging from a u-shaped pipe called a gooseneck attached at the top of the pipe with sprinkler heads that are positioned a few feet (at most) above the crop, thus limiting evaporative losses. Drops can also be used with drag hoses or bubblers that deposit the water directly on the ground between crops. The crops are planted in a circle to conform to the center pivot. This type of system is known as LEPA (Low Energy Precision Application). Originally, most center pivots were water powered. These were replaced by hydraulic systems (T-L Irrigation) and electric motor driven systems (Lindsay, Reinke, Valley, Zimmatic, Pierce, Grupo Chamartin. T-L Irrigation Company is a large privately held Nebraska -based manufacturer of hydrostatically powered Center pivot irrigation, linear and corner irrigation Most systems today are driven by an electric motor mounted low on each span. This drives a reduction gearbox and transverse driveshafts transmit power to another reduction gearbox mounted behind each wheel. Precision controls, some with GPS location and remote computer monitoring, are now available. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth

Lateral move (side roll, wheel line) irrigation

A series of pipes, each with a wheel of about 1. 5 m diameter permanently affixed to its midpoint and sprinklers along its length, are coupled together at one edge of a field. Water is supplied at one end using a large hose. After sufficient water has been applied, the hose is removed and the remaining assembly rotated either by hand or with a purpose-built mechanism, so that the sprinklers move 10 m across the field. The hose is reconnected. The process is repeated until the opposite edge of the field is reached. This system is less expensive to install than a center pivot, but much more labor intensive to operate, and it is limited in the amount of water it can carry. Most systems utilize 4 or 5-inch (130 mm) diameter aluminum pipe. One feature of a lateral move system is that it consists of sections that can be easily disconnected. They are most often used for small or oddly-shaped fields, such as those found in hilly or mountainous regions, or in regions where labor is inexpensive.

Sub-irrigation

Subirrigation also sometimes called seepage irrigation has been used for many years in field crops in areas with high water tables. In Agriculture, subirrigation, also known as seepage irrigation, is a method of Irrigation where Water is delivered to the plant root zone from The water table is the level at which the ground water pressure is equal to Atmospheric pressure. It is a method of artificially raising the water table to allow the soil to be moistened from below the plants' root zone. Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel ROOT is an object-oriented program and library developed by CERN. Often those systems are located on permanent grasslands in lowlands or river valleys and combined with drainage infrastructure. A system of pumping stations, canals, weirs and gates allows it to increase or decrease the water level in a network of ditches and thereby control the water table.

Sub-irrigation is also used in commercial greenhouse production, usually for potted plants. Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse or hothouse) is a building where plants are cultivated Water is delivered from below, absorbed upwards, and the excess collected for recycling. Typically, a solution of water and nutrients floods a container or flows through a trough for a short period of time, 10-20 minutes, and is then pumped back into a holding tank for reuse. A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment Water tanks are liquid storage containers these tanks are usually storing water for human consumption Sub-irrigation in greenhouses requires fairly sophisticated, expensive equipment and management. Advantages are water and nutrient conservation, and labor-saving through lowered system maintenance and automation. Automation ( Ancient Greek: = self dictated) roboticization or industrial automation or Numerical control is the use of Control systems It is similar in principle and action to subsurface drip irrigation.

Manual irrigation using buckets or watering cans

These systems have low requirements for infrastructure and technical equipment but need high labor inputs. Irrigation using watering cans is to be found for example in peri-urban agriculture around large cities in some African countries.

Automatic, non-electric irrigation using buckets and ropes

Besides the common manual watering by bucket, an automated, natural version of this also exist. Using plain polyester ropes combined with a prepared ground mixture can be used to water plants from a vessel filled with water. ^{[18][19] [20]} The ground mixture would need to be made depending on the plant itself, yet would mostly consist of black potting soil, vermiculite and perlite. This system would (with certain crops) allow you to save expenses as it does not consume any electricity and only little water (unlike sprinklers, water timers, . . . ). However, it may only be used with certain crops (probably mostly larger crops that do not need a humid environment; perhaps e. g. paprika's).

Irrigation using stones to catch water from humid air

In countries where at night, humid air sweeps the countryside, stones are used to catch water from the humid air by transpiration. Transpiration is the Evaporation of water from the aerial parts of Plants especially leaves but also stems Flowers and Roots This is for example practiced in the vineyards at Lanzarote. Lanzarote, a Spanish Island, is the easternmost of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa

Dry terasses for irrigation and water distribution

In subtropical countries as Mali and Senegal, a special type of terrassing (without flood irrigation or intent to flatten farming ground) is used. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Here, a 'stairs' is made trough the use of ground level differences which helps to decrease water evaporation and also distributes the water to all patches (sort of irrigation). Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e

Sources of irrigation water

Sources of irrigation water can be groundwater extracted from springs or by using wells, surface water withdrawn from rivers, lakes or reservoirs or non-conventional sources like treated wastewater, desalinated water or drainage water. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface Wells is a small Cathedral city and Civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Distinguish from Wastwater (a lake in the Lake District in northwest England A special form of irrigation using surface water is spate irrigation, also called floodwater harvesting. In case of a flood (spate) water is diverted to normally dry river beds (wadi’s) using a network of dams, gates and channels and spread over large areas. The moisture stored in the soil will be used thereafter to grow crops. Spate irrigation areas are in particular located in semi-arid or arid, mountainous regions. While floodwater harvesting belongs to the accepted irrigation methods, rainwater harvesting is usually not considered as a form of irrigation. Rainwater harvesting is the gathering or accumulating and storing of rainwater Rainwater harvesting is the collection of runoff water from roofs or unused land and the concentration of this water on cultivated land. Therefore this method is considered as a water concentration method.

How an in-ground irrigation system works

Most commercial and residential irrigation systems are "in ground" systems, which means that everything is buried in the ground. With the pipes, sprinklers, and irrigation valves being hidden, it makes for a cleaner, more presentable landscape without garden hoses or other items having to be moved around manually. For other uses see Valve (disambiguation. For the electronic component see Thermionic valve. A hose is a hollow tube designed to carry Fluids from one location to another

Water source and piping

The beginning of a sprinkler system is the water source. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. This is usually a tap into an existing (city) water line or a pump that pulls water out of a well or a pond. For information on Wikipedia project-related discussions see WikipediaVillage pump. The water travels through pipes from the water source through the valves to the sprinklers. The pipes from the water source up to the irrigation valves are called "mainlines", and the lines from the valves to the sprinklers are called "lateral lines". Most piping used in irrigation systems today are HDPE and MDPE or PVC or PEX plastic pressure pipes due to their ease of installation and resistance to corrosion. High-Density Polyethylene ( HDPE) or PolyEthylene High-Density ( PEHD) is a Polyethylene Thermoplastic made from Petroleum Plastic pressure pipe systems are used for the conveyance of Drinking water, Waste water, Chemicals, heating and cooling fluids foodstuffs ultra-pure After the water source, the water usually travels through a check valve. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. A check valve, clack valve, non-return valve or one-way valve is a Mechanical device, a Valve, which normally allows Fluid This prevents water in the irrigation lines from being pulled back into and contaminating the clean water supply.

Controllers, zones, and valves

Most Irrigation systems are divided into zones. A zone is a single Irrigation Valve and one or a group of sprinklers that are connected by pipes. Irrigation valves are usually Globe valves that utilize a diaphragm and an electric Solenoid to open and close the valve Irrigation Systems are divided into zones because there is usually not enough pressure and available flow to run sprinklers for an entire yard or sports field at once. Each zone has a solenoid valve on it that is controlled via wire by an Irrigation Controller. A solenoid valve is an Electromechanical Valve for use with Liquid or Gas controlled by running or stopping an Electric current An irrigation controller is a device to operate automatic Irrigation systems such as Lawn sprinkler systems and Drip irrigation systems The Irrigation Controller is either a mechanical or electrical device that signals a zone to turn on at a specific time and keeps it on for a specified amount of time. An irrigation controller is a device to operate automatic Irrigation systems such as Lawn sprinkler systems and Drip irrigation systems "Smart Controller" is a recent term used to describe a controller that is capable of adjusting the watering time by itself in response to current environmental conditions. The smart controller determines current conditions by means of historic weather data for the local area, a moisture sensor (water potential or water content), weather station, or a combination of these. Water content or moisture content is the quantity of Water contained in a material such as Soil (called soil moisture) rock,

Sprinklers

When a zone comes on, the water flows through the lateral lines and ultimately ends up at the irrigation Sprinkler heads. Irrigation sprinklers are used on farms golf courses residential yards and other places to water crops, Lawns Gardens or other plants in the Most sprinklers have pipe thread inlets on the bottom of them which allows a fitting and the pipe to be attached to them. The sprinklers are usually installed with the top of the head flush with the ground surface. When the water is pressurized, the head will pop up out of the ground and water the desired area until the valve closes and shuts off that zone. Once there is no more water pressure in the lateral line, the sprinkler head will retract back into the ground.

Problems in irrigation

• Competition for surface water rights. This article discusses water usage laws in common law. For a discussion of the right to water as a human right under international law, see Right
• Depletion of underground aquifers. An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay
• Ground subsidence (e. In Geology, Engineering, and Surveying, subsidence is the motion of a surface (usually the Earth's surface as it shifts downward relative to g. New Orleans, Louisiana)
• Increased soil salinity with consequent build up of toxic salts on soil surface in areas with high evaporation. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil Salt affected soils are caused by excess accumulation of salts typically most pronounced at the soil surface Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e This requires either leaching to remove these salts and a method of drainage to carry the salts away or use of mulch to minimize evaporation. Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area
• Overirrigation because of poor distribution uniformity or management wastes water, chemicals, and may lead to water pollution. Distribution Uniformity or DU in Irrigation is a measure of how uniformly water is applied to the area being watered expressed as a percentage Irrigation scheduling is the process used by Irrigation system managers to determine the correct frequency and duration of watering WASTE is a Peer-to-peer and Friend-to-friend protocol and software application developed by Justin Frankel at Nullsoft in 2003 that features Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities
• Deep drainage (from over-irrigation) may result in rising water tables which in some instances will lead to problems of irrigation salinity. Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil Salt affected soils are caused by excess accumulation of salts typically most pronounced at the soil surface

Academic resources

• Irrigation Science, ISSN: 1432-1319 (electronic) 0342-7188 (paper), Springer
• Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, ISSN: 0733-9437, ASCE Publications

Gallery

Salinity from irrigation

A tree nursery outfitted with modern irrigation

Pool of water used for irrigation

See also

• Agricultural science
• Aquifer
• Evapotranspiration
• Geohydrology
• Gezira Scheme
• Groundwater
• Irrigation in Saudi Arabia
• Paddy Field
• Transvasement
• Qanat
• Plastic Pressure Pipe Systems
• Water management
• Lift Irrigation Schemes

References

External links

• Irrigation techniques. USGS. Retrieved on December 8, 2005.

• The Irrigation Association. Retrieved on December 8, 2005.
• Royal Engineers Museum 19th century Irrigation in India
• How Irrigation Works Article from How Stuff Works
• International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID)
• AQUASTAT FAO's global information system on water and agriculture
• Related article(s) at Appropedia, a wiki for non-Wikipedia (projects & practical "how to") content.
• Equal and Proportionate Distribution of Water in Irrigation Systems Article at Appropedia
• Jess Stryker's Landscape Irrigation Tutorials. Retrieved on August 1, 2005.

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