Calidad del Agua de Riego

The water quality used for irrigation is essential for the yield and quantity of crops,
maintenance of soil productivity, and protection of the environment. For example, the
physical and mechanical properties of the soil, ex. soil structure (stability of aggregates)
and permeability, are very sensitive to the type of exchangeable ions present in
irrigation waters.

Irrigation water quality can best be determined by chemical laboratory analysis. The
most important factors to determine the suitability of water use in agriculture are the
following:

- PH

- Salinity Hazard

- Sodium Hazard (Sodium Adsorption Ration or SAR)

- Carbonate and bicarbonates in relation with the Ca & Mg content

- Other trace elements

- Toxic anions

- Nutrients

- Free chlorine

Parameters of reuse water with agronomic significance

Range in secondary
Significance for irrigation Treatment goal in
Parameter and tertiary
with recycled water recycled water
effluents
Total Measures of particles can be 5-50 mg/L <5-35TSS/L
Suspended related to microbial pollution; it
Solids can interfere with disinfection;
clogging of irrigation systems; 1-30 NTU <0.2-35NTU
Turbidity deposition
Organic substrate for microbial 10-30mg/L <5-45mgBOD/L
BOD5
growth; can bring bacterial re-
growth in distribution systems
COD 50-150mg/L <20-200mgCOD/L
and microbial fouling.
Measure of risk of infection
due to potential presence of
Total
pathogens; can bring bio- <10-107cfu/100mL <1-200cfu/10mL
coliforms
fouling of sprinklers and
nozzles in irrigation systems
 Some dissolved minerals salts
are identified as nutrients and
are beneficial for the plant
< 0.001mgHg/L
growth, while others may be
Heavy phytotoxic or may become so
<0.01mgCd/L
metals at high concentrations. Specific
elements (Cd, Ni, Hg, Zn, etc)
<0.02-0.1mgNi/L
are toxic to plants, and
maximum concentration limits
exist for irrigation
<450-
High salinity and boron are
4000mgTDS/L
Inorganic harmful for irrigation of some
sensitive crops
<1mgB/L
Recommended to prevent
bacterial re-growth; excessive
Chlorine
amount of free Chlorine 0.5->5mgCl/L
residual
(>0.05mg/L) can damage some
sensitive crops
Nitrogen Fertilizer for irrigation; can 10-30mgN/L <10-15mgN/L
contribute to algal growth and
eutrophication in storage
Phosphorus reservoirs, corrosion (N-NH4), 0.1-30mgP/L <0.1-2mgP/L
or scale formation (P)

Source of information: Valentina Lazarova Akiçca Bahri; Water Reuse for irrigation:
agriculture, landscapes, and turf grass; CRC Press.

Menu of Options for Improving Irrigation Water

productivity
Category Option or Measure
- Land leveling to apply water more uniformly

- Surge irrigation to improve water distribution

- Efficient sprinklers to apply water more uniformly

Technical - Low energy precision application sprinklers to cut evaporation and wind
drift losses

- Furrow diking to promote soil infiltration and reduce runoff

- Drip irrigation to cut evaporation and other water losses and to increase
crop yields (see table below)
Managerial - Better irrigation scheduling
 - Improving canal operation for timely deliveries

- Applying water when most crucial to a crop's yield

- Water-conserving tillage and field preparation methods

- Better maintenance of canals and equipment

- Recycling drainage and tail water

- Establishing water user organizations for better involvement of farmers
and collection of fees

- Reducing irrigation subsidies and /or introducing conservation -oriented

pricing
Institutional
- Establishing legal framework for efficient and equitable water markets

- Fostering rural infrastructure for private-sector dissemination of

efficient technologies

- Better training and extension efforts

- Selecting crop varieties with high yields per Liter of transpired water

- Intercropping to maximize use of soil moisture

- Better matching crops to climate conditions and the quality of water

available

Agronomic - Sequencing crops to maximize output under conditions of soil and water
salinity

- Selecting drought-tolerant crops where water is scarce or unreliable

- Breeding water-efficient crop varieties

Sources: Amy L. Vickers, Handbook of Water Use and Conservation (Boca Raton, FL:
Lewis Publishers, in press); J.S. Wallace and C.H. Batchelor, "Managing Water
Resources for Crop Production", "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of
London: Biological Science, vol. 352, pp.937-47 (1997)

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