Irrigation and Drainage

Unit 1: Introduction (06 hours)

Definition, necessity of irrigation, benefits of irrigation, ill effects of irrigation, crop pattern,
irrigation efficiency, cropping intensity, water use efficiency, canal and pipe distribution system,
types of irrigation systems, techniques of water distribution in the farm, factors affecting the
choice of irrigation methods, quality of irrigation water. Surface and subsurface irrigation
methods, concept of deficit irrigation, micro irrigation (theory only), application of AI in
irrigation and drainage.
*Most of the part taken from S.K. Garg Book and from research papers
*(Notes are prepare for students understanding purpose only, not any other intention behind it )

Definition of Irrigation
Irrigation is defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land, in accordance
with the 'crop requirements' throughout the 'crop period' for full-fledged nourishment of the
crops.

Necessity of Irrigation in India

India is a tropical country with a vast diversity of climate, topography and vegetation. Rainfall in
India, varies considerably in its place of occurrence, as well as in its amount. Even at a particular
place, the rainfall is highly erratic and irregular, as it occurs only during a few particular months
of the year. Crops cannot, therefore, be raised successfully, over the entire land, without
providing artificial irrigation of fields.

More than seventy percent of our population, directly depends on agriculture, and the remaining
depends indirectly on agriculture. Out of a total geographical area of about 328 million hectares,
about 184 million hectares is the cultivable area. In order to save this area from the complete
wishes and vagaries of nature, and to ensure full growth of crops, it is necessary to provide
adequate artificial irrigation facilities. In order to achieve this, the Indian Government is trying
hard and spending enormously to provide irrigation facilities for the entire cultivable land.

The necessity of irrigation is summarised as follows:-

 When the rainfall is non-uniform and an inadequate amount.
 To increase the yield of crops.
 As insurance against drought.
 For growing a number of crops during the year.
Advantages of Irrigation
1. 1) Increase in Food Production.
2. Optimum Benefits
3. Elimination of Mixed Cropping
4. General Prosperity
5. Generation of Hydro-electric power.
6. Domestic Water Supply
7. Facilities of Communications.
8. Inland Navigation.
9. Afforestation

Disadvantages and Ill-Effects of Irrigation

1. Irrigation may contribute in various ways to the problem of water pollution.
2. Irrigation may result in colder and damper climate, resulting in marshy lands and
breeding of mosquitoes, causing outbreak of diseases like malaria & dengu
3. Over-irrigation may lead to water-logging" and may reduce crop yields.
4. Procuring and supplying irrigation water is complex and expensive in itself.

 Types of Irrigation
1. Surface irrigation; and
2. Sub-surface irrigation

(1) Surface irrigation can be further classified into :

(a) Flow irrigation; and (b) Lift irrigation.

When the water is available at a higher level, and it is supplied to lower level, by the mere action
of gravity, then it is called Flow Irrigation. But, if the water is lifted up by some mechanical or
manual means, such as by pumps, etc. and then supplied for irrigation, then it is called Lift
Irrigation. Use of wells and tubewells for supplying irrigation water fall under this category of
irrigation.

Flow irrigation can be further sub-divided into:

(i) Perennial irrigation; and (ii) Flood irrigation.

(i) Perennial Irrigation.

In perennial system of irrigation, constant and continuous water supply is assured to the crops in
accordance with the requirements of the crop, throughout the 'crop period'. In this system of
irrigation, water is supplied through canal distribution system taking-off from above a weir or a
reservoir.

When irrigation is done by diverting the river runoff into the main canal by constructing a
diversion weir or a barrage across the river, then it is called as direct irrigation. Ganga Canal
System is an example of this type of irrigation. But, if a dam is constructed across a river to store
water during monsoons, so as to supply water in the off-taking channel during periods of low
flow, then it is termed as storage irrigation

(ii) Flood Irrigation.

This type of irrigation is also called Inundation Irrigation. In this method of irrigation, soil is kept
submerged and thoroughly flooded with water, an as to cause thorough saturation of the land The
moisture soaked by the soil, when occasionally supplemented by natural rainfall or minor
waterings, brings the crop to maturity. It is usually practised on tracts near rivers and in alluvial
and deltaic regions where the river water level during hot weather season is sufficiently high to
supply water to the land by flow, or partly by flow and partly by lift. This system of irrigation is
also called uncontrolled irrigation.

(2) Sub-surface Irrigation.

It is termed as sub-surface irrigation, because in this type of irrigation, water does not wet the
soil surface. The underground water nourishes the plant roots by capillarity. It may be divided
into the following two types:

(a) Natural sub-irrigation; and

(b) Artificial sub-irrigation

(a) Natural sub-irrigation. Leakage water from channels, etc., goes under- ground, and during
passage through the sub-soil, it may irrigate crops, sown on lower lands, by capillarity.
Sometimes, leakage causes the water-table to rise up, which helps in irrigation of crops by
capillarity. When underground irrigation is achieved, simply by natural processes, without any
additional extra efforts, it is called natural sub-irrigation.

(b) Artificial sub-irrigation. When a system of open jointed drains is artificially laid below the
soil, so as to supply water to the crops by capillarity, then it is known as artificial sub-irrigation.
It is a very costly process and hence, adopted in India on a very small scale. It may be
recommended only in some special cases with favorable soil conditions and for cash crops of
very high return. Sometimes, irrigation water may be intentionally collected in some ditches near
the fields, the percolation water may then come up to the roots through capillarity.
  Techniques of Water Distribution in the Farms
There are various ways in which the irrigation water can be applied to the fields. Their main
classification is as follows:

(1) Free flooding

(2) Check flooding
(3) Furrow irrigation method
(4) Basin flooding
(5) Border flooding
(6) Drip irrigation method
(7) Sprinkler irrigation method

1) Free flooding or Ordinary flooding.

In this method, ditches are cavated in the field, and they may be either on the contour or up and
down slope. Water from these ditches, flows across the field. After the water leaves ditches, no
attempt is made to control the flow by means of levees, etc. Since movement of water is not
restricted, it is sometimes called wild flooding. Although the initial cost of land preparation is
low, labour requirements are usually high water application efficiency is also low. Wild flooding
is most suitable for close growing crops.
 Fig.: Free flooding or Ordinary flooding.

2) Border Flooding
In this method, the land is divided into a number of strips, separated by low levees called
borders. The land areas confined in each strip is of the order of 10 to 20 metres in width, and 100
to 400 metres in length, Ridges between borders should be sufficiently high to prevent
overtopping during irrigation.

Fig: Border Flooding

3) Check flooding
Check flooding is similar to ordinary flooding except that the water is controlled by surrounding
the check area with low and flat levees. Levees are generally constructed along the contours,
having vertical interval of about 5 to 10 cm. These levees are connected with cross-levees at
convenient places. The confined plot area varies from 0.2 to 0.8 hectare.

Fig.: Check flooding

4)Basin Flooding:
This method is special type of check flooding and is adopted specially for orchard trees. One or
more trees generally placed in the basin and surface is flooded as in check method, by ditch
water.

Fig.: Basin Flooding

5) Furrow irrigation method
In flooding methods, described above, water covers the entire surface; while in furrow irrigation
method only one-fifth to one-half of the land surface is wetted by water. It therefore, results in
less evaporation, less pudding of soil, and permits cultivation sooner after irrigation.
 Fig.: Furrow irrigation method
6) Sprinkler irrigation method.
In this farm-water application method, water is applied to the soil in the form of a spray through
a network of pipes and pumps. It is a kind of an artificial rain and, therefore, gives very good
results. It is a costly process and widely used in U.S.A. It can be used for all types of soils and
for widely different topographies and slopes. It can advantageously be used for many crops,
because it fulfils the normal requirement of uniform distribution of water. This method possesses
great potentialities for irrigating areas in Rajasthan in India, where other types of surface or sub-
surface irrigation are very difficult.

Types of sprinkler systems.

A sprinkler system can be classified under three heads, ns:
1. Permanent system
2. Semi permanent system; and
3. Portable system.
Earlier, the fixed over head perforated pipe installations were being used for sprinkler network,
but with the advent of light weight steel pipes and quirk couplers, portable systems have been
designed. In permanent system, pipes are permanently buried in such a way that they de not
interfere with the farming operations. In the semi permanent system, the main lines are buried in
the ground, while the laterals are portable. In the portable system, the mains as well as laterals
are portable. These portable networks can In the sprinkler irrigation network, we have the mains
and the sub-mains, through which water under pressure is made to flow. Revolving sprinkler
hous are then usually mounted on rising pipes attached to the laterals. The water jet comes out
through the revolving sprinkler heads, with force. When sprinkler heads are not provided,
perforations are made in the pipes, and they are provided with nozzles, through which water jets
out and falls on the ground. Generally, such a perforated pipe system operates at low heads;
whereas, the revolving head sprinklers operate on high as well as low heads, depending upon the
type of rotary head used.be moved from farm to farm.

The advantages of sprinkler irrigation are enumerated below

i) Seepage losses, which occur in earthen channels of surface irrigation methods, are completely
eliminated. Moreover, only optimum quantity of water is used in this method.
ii) Land levelling is not required, and thus avoiding removal of top fertile soil as happens in other
surface irrigation methods.
(iii) No cultivation area is lost for making ditches, as happens in surface imgation methods. It,
thus, results in increasing about 16% of the cropped area.
(iv) In sprinkler system, the water is to be applied at a rate lesser than the infiltration capacity of
the soil, and thus avoiding surface run off, and its bad effects, such as loss of water, washing of
top soil, etc.
(v) Fertilisers can be uniformly applied, because they are mixed with irrigation water itself.
(vi)This method leaches down salts and prevents water-logging or salinity.
(vii) It is less labour oriented, and hence useful where labour is costly and scarce.
(viii) Upto 80% efficiency can be achieved, L.e. upto 80% of applied water can be stored in the
root zone of plants.

Limitations of sprinkler irrigation are also enumerated below:

i) High winds may distort sprinkler pattern, causing non-uniform spreading of water on the
crops.
ii) In areas of high temperature and high wind velocity, considerable evaporation losses of
water may take place.
(iii) They are not suited to crops requiring frequent and larger depths of irrigation, such as paddy.
(iv) Initial cost of the system is very high, and the system requires a high technical skill
(v) Only sand and silt free water can be used, as otherwise pump impellers lifting such waters
will get damaged.
(vi) It requires larger electrical power.
(vii) Heavy soil with poor intake cannot be irrigated efficiently.
(viii) A constant water supply is needed for commercial use of equipment.
 Fig.: Sprinkler Irrigation

7)Drip Irrigation Method

Drip irrigation, also called trickle irrigation, is the latest field irrigation technique, and is meant
for adoption at places where there exists acute scarcity of irrigation water and other salt
problems. In this method, water is slowly and directly applied to the root zone of the plants,
thereby minimizing the losses by evaporation and percolation.
This system involves laying of a system of head, mains, sub-mains, laterals, and drop nozzles.
Water oozes out of these small drip nozzzles uniformly and at a very small rate, directly into the
plant roots area. The head consists of a pump to lift water, so as to produce the desired pressure
of about 2.5 atmosphere, for ensuring proper flow of water through the system.
The lifted irrigation water is passed through a fertilizer tank, so as to mix the fertilizer directly in
the irrigation water, and then through a filter, so as to remove the suspended particles from the
water, to avoid clogging of drip nozzles.
The mains and sub-mains are the specially designed small sized pipes, made of flexible material
like black PVC. These are generally buried or laid on the ground,. Their sizes should be
sufficient to carry the design discharge of the system.
The laterals are very small sized (usually 1 to 1.25 cm dia.), specially designed. black PVC
pipes, taking off from the mains or sub-mains, Laterals can usually be up to 50 m long, and one
lateral line is laid for each row of crop.
The drip nozzles, also called emitters, or values, are fixed on laterals, at regular intervals of about
0.5 to 1 m or so, discharging water at very small rates of the order of 2 to 10 liters per hour.
Fig.:Drip Irrigation
Canal Distribution Network and Pipe Distribution Network
  Irrigation Efficiency - Definition and Its Types

Definition
The ratio of the amount of water available (output) to the amount of water supplied (input) is
known as Irrigation Efficiency. It is expressed in percentage.

(a) Water Conveyance Efficiency (ηc):

It is the ratio of the amount of water applied, to the land to the amount of water supplied from the
reservoir. It is obtained by the expression,

ηc = Wl /Wr × 100 Where, ηc = Water conveyance efficiency Wl = Amount of water applied to

land Wr = Amount of water supplied from reservoir

(b) Water Application Efficiency (ηa):

It is the ratio of the water stored in root zone of plants to the water applied to the land. It is
obtained by the expression,

ηa = Wz /Wl × 100 Where, ηa = Water application efficiency Wz = Amount of water stored in

root zone Wl = Amount of water applied to land

(c) Water Use Efficiency (ηu):

It is the ratio of the amount of water used to the amount of water applied. It is obtained by the
expression,

ηu = Wu /Wl × 100 Where, ηu = Water use efficiency Wu = Amount of water used Wl =

Amount of water applied to land

(d) Consumptive use Efficiency (ηcu):

It is the ratio of the consumptive use of water to the amount of water depleted from the root zone.
It is obtained by the expression, ηcu = Cu/ Wp × 100
Where, ηcu = Consumptive use efficiency Cu = Consumptive use of water Wp = Amount of
water depleted from root zone
Water quality for irrigation
The quality of the available water must be tested to check its fitness prior to use.
Irrigation water, whether diverted from streams or pumped from tube wells, contain appreciable
quantities of harmful substances in solution those may reduce crop yield and deteriorate soil
fertility. The main characteristics to assess the quality of irrigation water are Total Dissolved
Solids (TDS), Sodium Absorptions Ratio (SAR), Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Residual
Sodium Carbonate (RSC).
The quality of water is being deteriorated due to disposal of untreated industrial wastewater and
agricultural saline effluents directly to groundwater and canal water.
The salt water intrusion in fresh groundwater areas from saline water zone due to the over
drafting of water with tubewells also caused the deterioration of groundwater quality.
Due to continuous recharge of comparative fresh water from rivers to aquifer, the groundwater
has good quality water near water bodies while varies to saline and hazardous away in the middle
of Doabs. The application of poor quality water for irrigation can cause soil problems such as
salinity, sodicity, alkalinity, toxicity and water infiltration rate.
Irrigation waters whether derived from springs, diverted from streams, or pumped from wells,
contain appreciable quantities of chemical substances in solution that may reduce crop yield and
deteriorate soil fertility. In addition to the dissolve salts, which has been the major problem for
centuries, irrigation water always carry substances derived from its natural environment or from
the waste products of man’s activities (domestic and industrial effluents). These substances may
vary in a wide range, but mainly consist of dirt and suspended solids (SS) resulting into the
emitters’ blockages in micro-irrigation systems and bacteria populations and coliforms harmful
to the humans and the animals.

The Physical Quality of Irrigation Waters And Treatment (Filtration)

Irrigation water usually is not found in its pure state, but mostly with foreign solid particles and
other impurities.
The solid content in irrigation water mainly consist of dirt and suspended inorganic matter (silt,
sand, leaves, fine clay and rust dust) and organic substances (algae, bacteria, protozoa) from
vegetative origin and living organisms and bacteria populations.
The introduction of improved irrigation systems with the use of closed pipes networks and small
nozzles’ passage water emitters, liable to blockages, necessitates the removal of the suspended
solids to protect the emitters against clogging hazards.
The suspended solid content in the irrigation water may vary in a wide range and depends on the
nature of the source.
The four main sources of the irrigation water used with pressurized irrigation techniques and the
primary kind of suspended solids (SS) content are:
 a) Dams and open reservoirs: Green algae (phytoplankton), bacteria and zooplankton of
different kinds and bacterial slime (sulphatic, iron and other), dissolved iron and manganese, and
all kinds of other impurities from inorganic origin (debris, silt, clay etc.).
b) Underground water (wells and boreholes): Sand, silt, iron, manganese, sulphates and
carbonates and bacteria.
c) Treated wastewater: Suspended solid particles of different sizes and shapes.
d) Water from pipe networks: Zooplankton (grown for years in the pipes in colonies up to 5 mm
size and developed in 2–3 days in worms that blocked the filters)
Irrigation water quality cannot be clearly defined in respect of clogging problems, yet it can be
primarily classified as Good – Moderate – Bad - Very Bad.

The various substances in water, which contribute to the clogging of the micro-irrigation systems
can be divided into three main categories of:

• Suspended particles of organic and inorganic matter,

• Precipitate forming elements (iron, manganese, calcium, magnesium),

• Bacterial slimes.

 Factors Affecting the Choice of Irrigation Methods

Following are some factors which affect the selection of an irrigation system for a specific area:
1. Compatibility of the irrigation system
2. Topographical characteristics of area
3. Economics and cost of the irrigation method
4. Soils
5. Water supply
6. Crops to be irrigated
7. Social influences on the selection of irrigation method
8. External influences

1. Compatibility of the irrigation system

The irrigation system for a field or a farm must be compatible with the other existing farm
operations, such as land preparation, cultivation, and harvest.

 Level of Mechanization
 Size of Fields
 Cultivation
 Pest Control
The use of the large mechanized equipment requires longer and wider fields. The irrigation
systems must not interfere with these operations and may need to be portable or function
primarily outside the crop boundaries (i.e. surface irrigation systems). Smaller equipment or
animal-powered cultivating equipment is more suitable for small fields and more permanent
irrigation facilities.

2. Topographical characteristics of area

Topography is a major factor affecting irrigation, particularly surface irrigation. Of general
concern are the location and elevation of the water supply relative to the field boundaries, the
area and configuration of the fields, and access by roads, utility lines (gas, electricity, water,
etc.), and migrating herds whether wild or domestic
Field slope and its uniformity are two of the most important topographical factors. Surface
systems, for instance, require uniform grades in the 0-5 percent range.

Restrictions on irrigation system selection due to topography include:

 Groundwater levels
 the location and relative elevation of the water source
 field boundaries
 acreage in each field
 the location of roads
 power and water lines and other obstructions
 the shape and slope of the field

3. Economics and cost of the irrigation method

The type of irrigation system selected is an important economic decision. Some types of
pressurized systems have high capital and operating costs but may utilize minimal labour and
conserve water. Their use tends toward high value cropping patterns. Other systems are
relatively less expensive to construct and operate but have high labour requirements. Some
systems are limited by the type of soil or the topography found on a field. The costs of
maintenance and expected life of the rehabilitation along with an array of annual costs like
energy, water, depreciation, land preparation, maintenance, labour and taxes should be included
in the selection of an irrigation system.

4. Soils

The soil's moisture-holding capacity, intake rate and depth are the principal criteria affecting the
type of system selected. Sandy soils typically have high intake rates and low soil moisture
storage capacities and may require an entirely different irrigation strategy than the deep clay soil
with low infiltration rates but high moisture-storage capacities. Sandy soil requires more
frequent, smaller applications of water whereas clay soils can be irrigated less frequently and to a
larger depth. Other important soil properties influence the type of irrigation system to use.

The physical, biological and chemical interactions of soil and water influence the hydraulic
characteristics and filth. The mix of silt in a soil influences crusting and erodibility and should be
considered in each design. The soil influences crusting and erodibility and should be considered
in each design. The distribution of soils may vary widely over a field and may be an important
limitation on some methods of applying irrigation water.

The soil type usually defines:

 Soil moisture-holding capacity

 The intake rate
 Effective soil depth

5. Water supply

The quality and quantity of the source of water can have a significant impact on the irrigation
practices. Crop water demands are continuous during the growing season. The soil moisture
reservoir transforms this continuous demand into a periodic one which the irrigation system can
service. A water supply with a relatively small discharge is best utilized in an irrigation system
which incorporates frequent applications. The depths applied per irrigation would tend to be
smaller under these systems than under systems having a large discharge which is available less
frequently. The quality of water affects decisions similarly. Salinity is generally the most
significant problem but other elements like boron or selenium can be important. A poor quality
water supply must be utilized more frequently and in larger amounts than one of good quality.

6. Crops to be irrigated

The yields of many crops may be as much affected by how water is applied as the quantity
delivered. Irrigation systems create different environmental conditions such as humidity,
temperature, and soil aeration. They affect the plant differently by wetting different parts of the
plant thereby introducing various undesirable consequences like leaf burn, fruit spotting and
deformation, crown rot, etc. Rice, on the other hand, thrives under ponded conditions. Some
crops have high economic value and allow the application of more capital-intensive practices,
these are called "cash crops" or Cash crop farming. Deep-rooted crops are more amenable to
low-frequency, high-application rate systems than shallow-rooted crops.

Crop characteristics that influence the choice of irrigation system are:

 The tolerance of the crop during germination, development and maturation to soil
salinity, aeration, and various substances, such as boron
 The magnitude and temporal distribution of water needs for maximum production
 The economic value of the crop

7. Social influences on the selection of irrigation method

Beyond the confines of the individual field, irrigation is a community enterprise. Individuals,
groups of individuals, and often the state must join together to construct, operate and maintain
the irrigation system as a whole. Within a typical irrigation system there are three levels of
community organization. There is the individual or small informal group of individuals
participating in the system at the field and tertiary level of conveyance and distribution. There
are the farmer collectives which form in structures as simple as informal organizations or as
complex as irrigation districts. These assume, in addition to operation and maintenance,
responsibility for allocation and conflict resolution. And then there is the state organization
responsible for the water distribution and use at the project level.

Irrigation system designers should be aware that perhaps the most important goal of the irrigation
community at all levels is the assurance of equity among its members. Thus the operation, if not
always the structure, of the irrigation system will tend to mirror the community view of sharing
and allocation.

Irrigation often means a technological intervention in the agricultural system even if irrigation
has been practiced locally for generations. New technologies mean new operation and
maintenance practices. If the community is not sufficiently adaptable to change, some irrigation
systems will not succeed.

8. External influences

Conditions outside the sphere of agriculture affect and even dictate the type of system selected.
For example, national policies regarding foreign exchange, strengthening specific sectors of the
local economy, or sufficiency in particular industries may lead to specific irrigation systems
being utilized. Key components in the manufacture or importation of system elements may not
be available or cannot be efficiently serviced. Since many irrigation projects are financed by
outside donors and lenders, specific system configurations may be precluded because of
international policies and attitudes.

 Deficit irrigation

In regions where water resources are restrictive it can be more profitable for a farmer to
maximize crop water productivity instead of maximizing the harvest per unit land. The saved
water can be used for other purposes or to irrigate extra units of land. DI is sometimes referred to
as incomplete supplemental irrigation or regulated DI.
Definition: Deficit irrigation is an optimization strategy in which irrigation is applied during
drought-sensitive growth stages of a crop. Outside these periods, irrigation is limited or even
unnecessary if rainfall provides a minimum supply of water.
Water restriction is limited to drought-tolerant phonological stages, often the vegetative stages
and the late ripening period. Total irrigation application is therefore not proportional to irrigation
requirements throughout the crop cycle. While this inevitably results in plant drought stress and
consequently in production loss, DI maximizes irrigation water productivity, which is the main
limiting factor

Advantages
The correct application of deficit irrigation for a certain crop:
 1. maximizes the productivity of water, generally with adequate harvest quality;
2. allows economic planning and stable income due to a stabilization of the harvest in
comparison with rainfed cultivation;
3. decreases the risk of certain diseases linked to high humidity (e.g. fungi) in comparison
with full irrigation;
4. reduces nutrient loss by leaching of the root zone, which results in
better groundwater quality and lower fertilizer needs as for cultivation under full
irrigation
5. improves control over the sowing date and length of the growing period independent
from the onset of the rainy season and therefore improves agricultural planning.

Constraints/Limitations
A number of constraints apply to deficit irrigation:

1. Exact knowledge of the crop response to water stress is imperative

2. There should be sufficient flexibility in access to water during periods of high demand
(drought sensitive stages of a crop).
3. A minimum quantity of water should be guaranteed for the crop, below which DI has no
significant beneficial effect.
4. An individual farmer should consider the benefit for the total water users community
(extra land can be irrigated with the saved water), when he faces a below-maximum
yield;
5. Because irrigation is applied more efficiently, the risk for soil salinization is higher under
DI as compared to full irrigation

 MICRO IRRIGATION
 Micro irrigation is a modern method of irrigation; by this method water is irrigated
through drippers, sprinklers, foggers and by other emitters on surface or subsurface of the
land. Major components of a micro irrigation system is as follows.

Water source, pumping devices (motor and pump), ball valves, fertigation equipments, filters,
control valves, PVC joining accessories (Main and sub main) and emitters.

 In this system water is applied drop by drop nearer the root zone area of the crop.
The drippers are fixed based on the spacing of crop. Many different types of emitters are
available in the market. They are classified as Inline drippers, on line drippers, Micro
tubes, Pressed compensated drippers.
 Drip irrigation is most suitable for wider spacing crops. Micro sprinkler irrigation system
is mostly followed in sandy or loamy soils. This system is most suitable to horticultural
crops and small grasses. In this method water is sprinkled in a lower height at various
directions.
  Portable micro sprinklers are also available. They distribute slightly more water than
drippers and micro sprinklers. They spray water in not more than one meter. It is used for
preparing nursery and lawns in soils with low water holding capacity.

Advantages of drip irrigation system

 Water saving and higher yield

 High quality and increased fruit size
 Suitable for all types of soil
 Easy method of fertigation and chemigation
 Saving in labour and field preparation cost

Disadvantage of drip irrigation system

 High initial investment

 Clogging of emitters
 Possible damage of system components due to animals, etc.,

Investment cost mostly differs based on spacing of the crops

o Generally, the reasons for clogging are solid particles (sand, rust), soft dirt
(organic matter, algae, micro organism, salt), sediments (salt in the fertilizers).
o Filtration is the main key factor to the success or failure of the system. The main
of filtration is to stop dirt particles which damage any components of the system.
o To remove salt encrustation, 30 per cent commercial hydrochloric acid can been
used at the rate of one liter per one m3 area. (One part HCl mixed with 5 parts of
water)
o To remove algae and fungal clogging 5 to 500 ppm sodium hydrochloride (10 per
cent chlorine) can be used.

Maintenance of drip system

 Back washing and sand filters has to be cleaned

 Frequent cleaning of emitters and drippers
 Flushing at every irrigation
 Cleaning of sub main and main pipes
 Cleaning of PVC pipes and laterals and acid or chlorine may be used to remove clogging.

Water used and yield of crops in micro and conventional irrigation methods
Affordable micro irrigation systems
Affordable micro irrigation system is mostly suitable to kitchen garden, nursery and
ornamental crops.

1. Bucket kit system

Bucket kit system is defined for kitchen garden suitable for women, marginal and small
farmers. It consists of a bucket (15 lit.) 10 metre long lateral (12mm) fitted with drippers (4
LPH), which can irrigate about 100 plants in approximately 15 m2 area. The bucket is placed at
a height of 1m (3 feet) and water is filled for 4 to 5 times daily.

2. Drum kit system

This system is ideally suitable to kitchen garden and small commercial vegetable
growers. The drum is having 200 liter capacity which would supply water approximately 500
plants by filling the drum twice daily. It consists of lateral (16mm and 12mm). One number of
16mm lateral and five 12mm laterals are used. This system could cover an area of 120 m2 (3
cents).

3. Micro sprinkler system

Micro sprinkler kit is suitable for farmers with access to pressurised water. It is very
useful for groundnut, vegetables, nurseries home gardens, and lawns etc. It can be connected
with a tap from an overhead tank or a domestic water pump. It consists of 15 micro sprinklers
with pipes irrigating an area of 250 m2 (6 cents). Fertigation can also be done through this
method.

 Artificial Intelligence in Irrigation Planning

Artificial Intelligence-based system provides sufficient information about crop yields at an early
stage and its associated smart irrigation management system is effective in the judicious use of
essential resources such as water and energy for agriculture.

In traditional farming, cultivation was manual process irrigational needs of a crop and its yield
was highly dependent on climate factors throughout the globe. The onset of inventions in
industrial revolution and improvement in mechanisms involved in agricultural practices gave
relief to miserable life of farmers. But still, it is a labor-intensive practice and dependent on
mercy of monsoon.

Thus, there is a need of developing a system that automates the agricultural practices such as
cultivation and irrigation, predicts yields, and help in better planning for systematizing the
demand and supply of agricultural products throughout the globe.

A blend of AI and IoT technologies intelligently gathers relevant information about different
crops, their growth rate, and irrigation requirements. These technologies are effective in
monitoring frequent climate change, weather forecasting, nutrition deficiency in plants, plants’
health monitoring, pest control, weed management, etc. Researchers have covered a long way in
developing subsidiary technology such as geo-positioning satellites (GPS), satellite imagery and
sensors for monitoring of yield affecting parameters such as moisture, soil pH level, temperature,
etc. Target experimentation at various stages of cultivation such as water resource management,
weed elimination, diseases prediction, pest control, estimation of yield production and effective
storage of agricultural products is still starving. These challenges can be addressed by applying
the techniques of AI and data science.

Smart Irrigation using Artificial Intelligence

To cope with the shortage of water, there is a critical need for some smart irrigation systems that
can irrigate more areas with low consumption of water. However, there is an availability of
various low water consumption-based irrigation techniques, for example, sprinkler systems and
drip irrigation systems; but these systems need human intervention up to a great extent. There is
a scope to add features to existing systems to develop smart irrigation systems. The system
continuously monitors the level of water in a crop, compares the water content available in soil
and crop plant with standard need of water. It automatically starts sprinklers or drips as per water
requirements of crop.

For smart irrigation, there is a requirement of gathering of information about level of moisture
present in the soil, water content in plants, humidity in atmosphere, temperature, etc. This
information can be gathered using soil moisture sensors, temperature sensors, humidity
monitoring sensors, etc. These sensors are connected to low price Arduinobased systems for
storage of gathered information and executing analysis algorithms for predicting the water
requirement of crop at a particular time.