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3. Surface Irrigation
Design Principles

• Widely used and well-known.

• Can be operated without high-tech applications but it is labour intensive.
• Proper design of irrigation area (e.g. size, slope, levelness) and knowledge about soil type
(e.g. texture, intake rate). (HILL 2008)

• Capital costs (levelling fields, construction of reservoirs) might be expensive. Operational

costs are low.
• Basically three systems:
o Basin Irrigation
o Border Irrigation
o Furrow Irrigation

Irrigation 1
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3. Surface Irrigation
Basin Irrigation System (WALKER 2003)

• Field must be levelled and encompassed by a dyke.

• It is favoured by moderate to slow intake soils and deep-rooted,
closely spaced crops.
• Effective method of leaching salts from the soil profile into the
deeper groundwater.
• Can be automated with inexpensive
flow controls at the basin inlet.
• dikes must be well maintained to
eliminate breaching and waste.

A typical surface basin irrigation fields.

Source: USU (n.y.)

Irrigation 2
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3. Surface Irrigation
Border Irrigation System (UCCE 2003)

• Expansion of basin irrigation for crops, which do not tolerate

flooding.
• Long, rectangular or contoured field shapes and longitudinal but no
lateral slope.
• field is divided into strips (width of 6 to 30 metres) separated by
border ridges.
• Stripes between ridges are flooded
during irrigation.
• Used for tree crops or crops as alfala
or small grains.

Tree crops irrigated by a surface border

system. Source: UCCE (2005)

Irrigation 3
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3. Surface Irrigation
Furrow Irrigation System (BURT 2000: WALKER 2003)

• Constructing small channels (furrows) along the primary direction of

water movement.
• Can be used in conjunction with basins and borders to overcome
topographical variation and crusting.
• More labour intensive than border or basin systems.

• smaller wetted area can reduce

evaporation loss.
• Salinity hazards, limited machinery
mobility and increased erosion
potential.
• Well adapted to row crops and
orchards or vineyards.
A field irrigated by furrows . Source: HILL et al. (2008)

Irrigation 4
B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation

• Uniform application by “artificial rain”

• Good application efficiencies (0.7 – 0.8)
– dependent on wind, temperature, humidity
• Fairly terrain independent (but design must
take terrain into account)
• Can have a low labour content
But
• High(ish) investment cost
• High maintenance cost due to pumping
• Can be complex to run

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation: Criteria
(from Cornish)

• Must permit cost recovery within one to two

years (and double investment in a short time)
• Must be suitable for use on small and irregular
shaped plots
• Must require only simple maintenance and
tools
• Have a low risk of component failure
• Be simple to operate
• Be durable and reliable – able to withstand
rough and frequent handling without serious
damage

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation: Spray pattern

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation: Spray pattern

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation: Variation in pressure

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation: Solid set system

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation: Hand move laterals

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B3.2.3 Irrigation techniques
Sprinkler irrigation: Hop along system

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Gross Commanded Area (G.C.A)
GCA- The Total area lying between drainage boundaries which can be
commanded or irrigated by a canal system. It is the particular area lying
under the canal system, the irrigation can be done only up to the
drainage boundaries.
Culturable Commanded Area
G.C.A = C.C.A + Unculturable area
GCA contains unfertile barren land, alkaline soil, local ponds, villages
and other areas as habitation. Remaining area on which crops can be
grown satisfactorily is known as culturable commanded area.
It is also the area in which crop is grown at a particular time or crop
season

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• Cropping Intensity of Irrigation purposes
The intensity of irrigation is the percentage of the culturable commanded
area proposed to be irrigated during either a crop season or during a
year. The cropping intensity of irrigation can be more than 100%.
Question: Calculate the irrigation intensity for 50 ha of land on
low irrigated lands if paddy is planted in 35 ha, wheat is planted
in 38 ha, maize is planted in 35 ha and early paddy is planted in
12 ha of total area.

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