What is irrigation? This is one of the most important technologies used in agriculture. All plants need the water required for photosynthesis, through which they produce organic matter in order to grow, develop and ultimately bear fruit. Without life-giving moisture, no living creature on the planet can exist.
What is irrigation?
The entire ecosystem, including animals, plants and people, will be doomed if it does not receive the right amount of water. That is why farmers at all times used the technique of artificial irrigation. What is irrigation? This is the process of delivering life-giving moisture to growing crops. This method is especially important in areas where there is little rainfall.
Types of Irrigation Systems
There are many types of irrigation that are used by farmers depending on the crop growing environment. The most common methods are:
1. Surface irrigation, which uses gravity to distribute water across the field. Water flows from a higher area down to reach all crops. If such inclinations are created artificially, then this method is quite laborious. A classic example of surface irrigation is rice fields in East Asia.
2. Localized irrigation is carried out using a pipe system for pumping water throughout the field. This form includes drip irrigation, which provides moisture directly to the roots of plants. Intrasoil irrigation consists of methods by which irrigation water is distributed below the surface of the soil. What is drip irrigation? This type varies with the depth of the groundwater. When their level is much lower than the surface, the devices for ejection can be hidden under the surface of the soil, as a rule, this is the root zone of plants.
3. What is field irrigation by sprinkling? This type is visually similar to lawn sprinklers. Sprinkling is a system of pipes under pressure, which diverts water to crops. Varieties of this system may include rotary irrigation, carried out in a circle.
4. The central rod is another type of irrigation that uses a spray gun that can rotate, changing its direction. Sprinklers are mounted on mechanical tracks that move them in a circle, so uniform spraying of water on the crops is carried out.
Use of irrigation systems
What is field irrigation and what is it used for? This is an irrigation method that uses specially designed water supply systems directly to plants. This method is used to assist in the cultivation of crops, as well as for the maintenance of landscapes. The use of irrigation systems helps protect plants from frost, inhibits weed growth in grain fields and prevents soil consolidation. Historically, artificial irrigation has been a central element of agriculture for over 5,000 years and is a common way of caring for plants in many cultures so far.
Water is an indispensable natural resource
The main idea of an artificial irrigation system is that the plants are fed a rational minimum of the required amount of water. To preserve this important natural resource, it is necessary to use those methods that will help minimize its losses, and also will save time, money, preventing the growth of weeds and increasing the growth rate of plants, crops and flowers. Irrigation of crops is vital throughout the world, as its global goal is to ensure global population growth with constantly replenishing food supplies.
Natural conditions as a factor in the suitability of various irrigation methods
These include soil type, the presence of slopes, climate, water quality and its availability. For example, sandy soils have a low moisture capacity and a high filtration rate. Therefore, they need frequent but small irrigation interventions. On loamy or clay soils with a low penetration level, all known irrigation methods can be used; surface irrigation is more often used. Sprinkling and drip irrigation are preferred on sloping lands, since their application practically does not require a perfectly flat surface. The exception is rice grown on the terraces of sloping lands. Strong winds can interfere with the spraying of water from the sprinklers. In very windy weather, drip and surface irrigation methods are preferred. Water use efficiency is generally higher with sprinkling and drip irrigation than with surface irrigation, because these methods are preferred when water is in short supply.
Crop type
Speaking about what irrigation is, it should be noted that an important factor in the suitability of a particular system is its dependence on the type of crop. For example, surface irrigation can be used for all types of crops. Due to the high investment capital per hectare, sprinkler and drip are mainly used for expensive cash crops such as vegetables and fruit trees. Drip irrigation is ideal for watering individual plants or trees, such as row crops such as vegetables and sugar cane. And for closely growing crops (for example, rice) this method is not suitable.
Type of technology and previous irrigation experience
The type of technology affects the choice of irrigation method. Drip and sprinkler are technically more complex methods. Buying equipment requires a large investment. Small-scale irrigation systems do not imply the use of sophisticated equipment for construction and maintenance (except for pumps). The choice of watering method also depends on the accepted tradition within the region or country. The use of a previously unknown method can lead to unexpected complications. Equipment maintenance can be problematic and costs can be high compared to benefits. Sometimes it will be much easier to improve the traditional watering method than to introduce a completely new and not tested in a particular area.
Labor costs, costs and benefits
Surface irrigation is a rather time-consuming process compared to rain and drip, as it requires precise site leveling, regular maintenance and a high level of organization of farmers to operate the system. Before choosing a method of irrigation, you need to include costs and revenues for the available options in the estimate. Not only construction and installation, but also operation and maintenance should be taken into account. These costs should be compared with the expected benefits of the enterprise.
Irrigation as a medical term
What is irrigation of the throat and oral cavity? This is a cleansing process to relieve inflammation, such as pharyngitis. At the same time, surface bacteria are removed from the crypts of palatine tonsils, which contributes to the gradual restoration of healthy blood circulation in this area, the irrigation of the pharynx gives the same effect. What is it and what is it for? The massage effect reduces swelling and helps the infection leave the body. If you irrigate your throat at the very beginning of the disease, then further treatment will be more effective.
What is bowel irrigation? This is one of the methods of disinfection, which is carried out by introducing into the intestine a large amount of a solution that cleanses the toxins from the gastrointestinal tract before they are absorbed by the body. Initially, bowel irrigation was intended for use as a preoperative preparation, as well as before endoscopic or radiological procedures. The procedure is completely safe. This method of cleansing is not prohibited during pregnancy.
The role of irrigation in ancient states
Irrigation played a huge role in antiquity. Especially in those places where rain was not enough for the full development of crops. Long-term irrigation was carried out in the Mesopotamian plain. Crops were regularly watered throughout the growing season by moving water through a system of small canals. What is irrigation in ancient Egypt? The entire economy of this state depended on the water flows of the Nile. Most of the land area was irrigated using sophisticated systems created through hard work and engineering. The ancient Egyptians practiced estuary irrigation using river spills. There is evidence of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenemkhet III, who used a natural lake in the El Fayyum oasis as a reservoir for storing water supplies for use in dry periods. The pond was regularly filled with the waters of the Nile. The ancient Nubians developed a form of irrigation using a water wheel.
Throughout the world, scientists and archaeologists discover the remains of parts of irrigation canals that date back thousands of years BC. In ancient Persia (modern Iran), as early as 6 millennia BC, barley was grown in areas where natural rainfall was not enough to get a full crop. What is irrigation? In Egypt, these were mainly canal systems; in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, it was most often represented by a system of a network of vertical wells and tunnels. Irrigation systems in ancient Sri Lanka were some of the most complex in the ancient world. In addition to underground channels, completely artificial reservoirs for storing water were first built there. Thanks to their engineering superiority in this field, they have often been called masters of irrigation. Currently, irrigation systems help to solve many engineering and economic problems with minimal negative impact on the environment.