Types of Irrigation, Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantage

Types of Irrigation

The irrigation system refers to the various methods used by farmers to supply water directly to crops. The methods used in irrigating farms differ from one farm to another depending on the nature of the soil, water quality, types of crops grown, nature of water supply, topography, and types of irrigation systems to adopt.

Whatever type of Irrigation system that is adopted, must include conveying, directing, and applying irrigation. The water is conveyed from the water source to the cropped areas through methods such, as manual fetching, open channels, or using pipelines through centrifugal pumps. The directing methods involve channeling water to the cropped area through open channels or pipelines to the various areas of the farm which may be partially open to the atmosphere or pressurized.

Water can be applied to crops through flooding, sprinkling, or dripping. Each application system is chosen based on the specific needs of the crop and the source of water supply available. An irrigation system, therefore, encompasses all the processes of directing, conveying, and applying water to crops to ensure growth and productivity.

Types of Irrigation of Systems in Agriculture

The types of irrigation system practices in agricultural production include

Surface irrigation system
Overhead irrigation
Sub-surface irrigation system

Surface Irrigation

This type of irrigation involves applying water directly to the fields at the surface level. It involves pumping water and allowing it to flow on the surface of the field. In surface irrigation, the entire cropped field can be flooded with water or the water can be directed through the channel into portions demarcated known as furrows or borders. It is one of the ancient methods of irrigation used in agriculture.

These types of irrigation include furrow irrigation, Basin Irrigation, Border Irrigation, and flooding. This type of irrigation system is most commonly used on soil with a moderate ability to retain water and in sloppy or difficult terrain. It is also mostly practiced in areas where other types of irrigation are difficult to practice.

Drip or Trickle Irrigation System

A drip irrigating system involves applying water directly onto the land surface, where it diffuses into the root zone of crops. This type of surface irrigation differs from others because only the root zone of crops benefits from the irrigation rather than the entire land surface.

In this type of irrigation, the water is led to the field through a pipe system, this pipe is arranged alongside the row of plants where the tube is fixed according to the plant spacing The small hole known as the emitter hole is made in the tube near the plants or trees, and water is supplied gradually to the plants through these emitters. Water trickles or drips down the root zone which helps to maintain the water content of optimal level growth. In this type of irrigation system water is transported through pipelines to the fields, where the water drips gradually into the soil through drippers which are located close to the plants.

The drip consists of many tubes with small holes to supply water for accurate watering. Drip irrigation is used in most soils and particularly in difficult terrain. Drip irrigation is commonly used in orchards, and vegetable crops due to its ability to conserve water.

Advantages of Drip or Trickle irrigation system

The Advantages of Drip or Trickle irrigation systems include

it is the most efficient irrigation system
it helps to maintain the water content in the root zone of crops
it helps efficient water usage
it reduces soil erosion and runoff
it is cheap to install compared to a sprinkler
it does not lead to the buildup of pests and disease

Disadvantages of Drip or Trickle irrigation system

The disadvantages of Drip or Trickle irrigation systems include

small holes or emitters may be blocked by sand which reduces their efficiency
it leads to a waste of water if not properly installed

Furrow Irrigation system

This type of surface irrigation involves allowing water to flow through the furrows between ridges to allow the ridge to absorb an adequate amount of water to aid plant growth and development. In this type of irrigation, the water diffused into the ridges gradually.

This type of irrigation is also called terracing irrigation because the ridge is constructed or dug along a gentle slope to avoid washing away the soil and its nutrients (erosion). Furrow irrigation is achieved by pumping sufficient quantities of water directly into the main channel and from the main channel to secondary channels through the sluice gates and bund to prevent spillage and allow the water to diffuse into the ridges gradually into the ridge.

This type of irrigation can be applied to crops planted on furrow irrigation or row crops such as maize, tomatoes, sunflower, sugarcane, cowpea, and soybean

Advantages

some of the advantages of this type of irrigation system are:

It is cheap and easy to install or start
It does not require technical knowledge to operate.
It requires a low cost of maintenance

Disadvantage

Some disadvantages of this type of irrigation system are:

It requires large quantities of water
It hinders the movement of farm machines and implements
It is highly Laborious
Furrow irrigation can lead to an increase in the activities of pests and diseases.
It leads to the Wasteful of land

Basin Irrigation

Just as the name suggests, Basins refers to horizontal, flat land, surrounded by small bunds. This type of surface irrigation involves constructing burrow furrows on a flat and is surrounded by low bunds to prevent water spillage. The basins are constructed with bunds so that water cannot flow into other fields.

Tree crops can cultivated on the basin, however, the crop should be such that it can tolerate waterlogged areas. Basin irrigation is achieved by dividing the flat land into smaller basins, surrounded by bunds and water is allowed to flow into the basin through bund breaks or by allowing the irrigation water to flow from the upper terrace to the lower terrace.

Basin irrigation is suitable for many field crops such as paddy rice, alfalfa, clover, (pastures), and fruit crops such as citrus, banana, drugs such as tobacco, and cereal such as rice

Advantages

Some of the advantages of the types of Irrigation are:

It is cheap and easy to install or start
It does not require technical knowledge to operate.
It requires a low cost of maintenance

Disadvantages

Some of the disadvantages of the types of Irrigation are:

It is not suitable for crops that cannot withstand wet or waterlogged areas such as potatoes, cassava, beet, and carrots.
Bunds can easily eroded by rainfall, flooding, or the passing of people when used as footpaths
Prolonged under-irrigation may lead to poor root development crop or result in crop failure
Basin irrigation can lead to the spread of pests and diseases.
It hinders the movement of farm machines and implements
It is highly Laborious

Border Irrigation

This involves dividing farmland or fields into long strips or narrow plots by parallel border ridges and releasing water into the field through gate structures called outlets. Border irrigation is different basin irrigation such that the bunds do not contain the water for ponding but guide it as it flows down the field.

The low bunds extend in the direction of the slope. The bed of each field is level from side to side and water flows down the slope of the border. It is very suitable for pasture or alfalfa is preferred

Disadvantages

Some of the Disadvantages of border watering in agriculture are:

the irrigation water will not spread evenly over the field
It is less suited to small-scale farms involving hand labor or animal-powered cultivation methods.
Large stream sizes may also cause soil erosion

Flooding Irrigation

This is another type of surface irrigation that involves a controlled filling of the entire crop farm with water to provide sufficient water for growth and productivity.

It is controlled flooding because it is done deliberately and systematically either to soften the tillage pan or provide moisture to crop growth. Flooding irrigation is one the oldest forms of irrigation used in agriculture, and less practiced in the modern system of farming.

Advantages of Flooding Irrigation

The advantages of the types of irrigation are:

It is cheap to practice
It requires less labor
It does not require technical knowledge to operate.
It requires a low cost of maintenance

Disadvantage of Flooding Irrigation

Some of the disadvantages of the Flooding Irrigation system are

It can lead to waterlogged
It can lead increase in soil salinity.
It can lead to the destruction of crops if not well-controlled

Overhead Irrigation System

This type of irrigation involves applying water directly to the fields through the air. It involves the application of water by gravity flow overhead the field. In this type of irrigation, the water reaches the crop in the form of rainfall. Overhead irrigation is the most modern method of irrigation used in agriculture. This types of irrigation include sprinklers, sprayed heads, rotor

Sprinkler Irrigation

This type of irrigation system involves pumping water through a pipe system and spraying it onto the crops in fine particles or droplets through rotating sprinkler heads or nozzles. It involves the flow of water through a series of pipes to crop through spraying in a specific area.

Similarly, sprinkler irrigation is an artificial rainfall created through a series of pipe systems in which water is under pressure and is sprayed by using several rotating sprinklers.

The sprinkler irrigation and its components.

Pump machine: supply the required pressure needed to pump the water
Pipe network: help convey or transport water to the sprinkler
Laterals and riser: support the sprinkler heads and distribute water to the crop
Nozzle components: help to spray water in the desired pattern

to ensure good performance the water used for irrigation must be clean, and free from suspended sediments to avoid blockage of the sprinkler nozzle and spoiling the crop by coating it with sediment.

Advantages of Sprinklers Irrigation System

The Advantages of Sprinklers irrigation systems include:

It is an excellent irrigation method used for germinating seeds.
chemical application, wind erosion control, crop and soil cooling,
Sprinkler irrigation can be used for frost protection fertilizer
Sprinkler irrigation is adapted to many soils and can be successfully used to irrigate:
It is a low labor requirement
Allows even distribution of water
It can cover large areas within a short time

Disadvantages of Sprinklers irrigation system

The disadvantages of sprinkler irrigation systems include

It is capital-intensive
It is not suitable for soils which easily form a crust
It is not good for delicate crops such as lettuce because a high quantity of water drops may damage the crop.
It delays fruit and bud development in fruiting crops

Manual Irrigation System

This is considered an overhead because the water reaches the plant from the watering as rain falls. it is a system of irrigation where crops are irrigated by hand using the watering can.

It is mostly done during nursery where needs to be minimized. In this type of irrigation, water is poured directly into the crop from the leaves of the plant to supply the moisture needed for the plant. Manual irrigation is usually done on the spot to supplement water shortage.

Advantages of Manual Irritation.

The Advantages of manual irritation in agriculture are:

It is cheap to practice
It is efficient for water management
It is excellent for germinating seed

Disadvantages of Manual Irritation.

The disadvantages of manual irritation in agriculture are:

It is time-consuming
It is labor-intensive
It can lead to mechanical injuries in crop
Manual irrigation may not supply the required quantity of water for crop survival

Subsurface Irrigation

Subsurface irrigating system involves applying water directly into the root zone of crops. This types of irrigation differ from the surface irrigation because only the root zone of crops benefit the water.

In this type of irrigation, the pipe system is buried in the field and the water is pressurized into the field from the watering source, the pipe is usually buried near the row of plants or trees where the perforated pipe is installed at regular intervals to emitted and supplied water gradually to the plants through the root zone.

Subsurface irrigation helps to maintain the water content in the root zone of crops for sufficient growth and productivity. This type of irrigation is commonly used in plantation and vegetable crops.

Advantages of Subsurface Irrigation System

The Advantages of subsurface irrigation systems include

it is an efficient irrigation system
it helps to maintain water content in the root zone of crops for sufficient growth and productivity
it helps efficient water usage
it helps to reduce soil erosion and runoff
it does not lead to the buildup of pests and disease

Disadvantages of Subsurface Irrigation System

The disadvantages of subsurface irrigation systems include

small holes or emitters may be blocked by sand which reduces their efficiency
it leads to a waste of water if not properly installed
subsurface irrigation may lead to the blockage of the pipe or water emitter
it capital intensive
it requires technical how to operate.
Slow drip into the soil may take a lot of time over long periods

Types of Irrigation, Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantage.