AGE 506 IRRIGATION

ENGINEERING
Course Lecturer: Dr J.K. Adewumi
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering
UNAAB. Nigeria

Methods of Irrigation

A.

Surface Irrigation

Wild flooding
Border strip
Check Basin
Furrow

B.

Sub- Irrigation

Natural sub-irrigation (Advantages & disadvantages)

Artificial sub-irrigation (Advantages & disadvantages)

C.

Overhead Irrigation

Rotating head systems

Perforated pipe system
Furrow irrigation

D.

Border Irrigation

Level Border
Graded Border

Water Measurement in Open

channel

Water measurement in pipes

Volume
Velocity
Orifices
Basin Flow Equations
A
R
Hydraulic Radius
P
Continuity Equation
A1V1 A2V2 Q
Darcy-Weibach Equation

Bernoullis Equation

hL

flv 2
2 gd

V1
P
V
P
1 Y1 2 2 Y1 h
2g W
2g W

Measurement of Irrigation Water

Bucket and watch method

Float method
Flow from a vertical pipe
Flow from a horizontal pipe
Discharge from siphon tubes

Frequency and Amount of

Irrigation

(1)
(2)
(3)

Methods of Frequency
Meteorological Method for determining CU or ETp for the plant
Blaney Criddle method
Plant Index method
(i) Crop itself
(ii) indicator Plant
(iii) change in leave colour
(iv) Physiological Index
Soil Index method
(i) Moisture content
(ii) Soil potential by tensiometer

Methods of determining amount of irrigation

Tensiometer
C.U.
Available water moisture

Irrigation Efficiencies

Reservoir Storage Efficiency

Er = Ws/Wso X 100%,

Water conveyance Efficiency

Ec= Wf/Wr X 100%, Wf = amount of water delivered into farm, Wr = water diverted from reservoir

Water application Efficiency

Ea = Wst/Wf X 100% Where Wst = water stored in root zone ,

Overall Irrigation Efficiency

Ei = Er X Ec X Ea (100%) or Ei = Er/Wd where Wd = water stored or diverted for irrigation

Water distribution Efficiency

Ed = 1 y where d = ave. depth of water stored along run during irrigation, y= ave. numerical deviation from
d

Ws = amount of water directed, Wso = amount of water stored

Design of Sprinkler system

The following should be considered for design:
Area of land
Consumptive use of crop
Water holding capacity
Root zone depth
Effective rainfall
Water application efficiency
Antecedent moisture content
Net irrigation requirement
Gross irrigation requirement
Irrigation frequency
Maximum time needed to apply dg (hrs)

Quality of irrigation water

Depends on amount and kind of salt present

Total salt concentration
Relative proportion
Bicarbonate and boron contents

Suitability of irrigation water can be expressed as SIW = f(QSPCD)

Where Q= quality of irrigation water
S = soil type
P = salt tolerance characteristics of the plant
C = climate
D= drainage characteristics of the soil

Drainage of Agricultural land

Effects of poor drainage on plants and soil

Reduces aeration in soil
Water-logging
Anaerobic decomposition
Temperature fluctuation in soil

Factors affecting rate of flow into drains

Soil permeability
Depth of soil
Drain spacing
Drain opening
Drain diameter
Distribution of potential at a flow boundary

Factors affecting erosion by water

Climatic factors
Soil characteristics
Topography
Vegetation
Phases of erosion
Detachment
Transportation
Deposition
Types of soil movement by wind
Suspension
Saltation
Surface creep

Gully Erosion
Aim of Gully Erosion Control
To reduce peak flow rate
To provide stable channel
Runoff reduction
Vegetative control
Structures
Stages of Gully Development
Channel erosion by downward scour of topsoil
Upstream movement of gully head
Healing stage
Stabilization of gully

Terraces
Terracing: An erosion control method
Types are:
Bench terrace
Broad based terrace
Functions of terraces
To decrease length of hill-side slope
To remove or retain runoff rate in area of inadequate rainfall
Terrace Design involves:
involves:

Proper spacing

Location of terraces

Design of channel with suitable capacity

Development of farmable cross-section

Terrace Spacing Location

Land slope

Soil condition

Proposed land use

Farm roads

Fences and outlet

Drainage and Reclamation

Process and practice involved in bringing saline and alkali soils into productive condition
Essentials of reclamation procedures:
Determine nature of the soil
Degree of salinity or alkalinity
Drainage Characteristics
Topography of the land
Presence of hardpan

Reclamation Procedure
Permanent reclamation
Lowering water table (if high)
Improving infiltration rate of soil
Leaching of salts in saline soils
Replacing excessive exchangeable Na by ca salts
Suitable management practice
Temporary reclamation
Removing the salts crust from surface of soil (Biological)
Ploughing salt surface-crust (Physical)
Neutralizing effects of salts (Chemical)
Synergic effects

Class projects
1.

2.

Design a channel of rectangular cross-section to carry water at the rate of 0.3m3/s a distance of 5 km if
the width is restricted to 1.5 m and the head loss along the length limited to 1 m. Consider lining to be of
rough concrete (n= 0.015)
Determine the system capacity for a sprinkler irrigation system to irrigate 16ha of maize crop. Design
moisture use rate is 5 mm/day. Moisture replaced in soil at each irrigation is 6 cm. Irrigation efficiency is
70%. Irrigation period is 10 days in a 12-day interval. The system is to be operated for 20 hours per day.