What is irrigation? Types of irrigation

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 substances to grow, develop and eventually bear fruit. Without life-giving moisture, there is no existence of any living creature on the planet.

What is irrigation?

The whole ecosystem, including animals, plants and people, will be doomed if it does not get the right amount of water. That's 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 those areas where there is little precipitation.

Types of irrigation systems

There are many kinds of irrigation, which are used by farmers depending on the environment of growing crops. The most common methods are:

1. Surface irrigation, in which gravity is used to distribute water over the field. Water flows from the higher area downwards to reach all cultures. If such slopes are created artificially, then this method is quite laborious. A classic example of surface watering is rice fields in East Asia.

2. Localized irrigation is carried out using a system of pipes for pumping water throughout the field. This form includes drip irrigation, which provides moisture directly to the roots of plants. Subsoil watering consists of methods by which irrigation water is distributed below the surface of the soil. What is drip irrigation? This type varies depending on the depth of the groundwater. When their level is significantly below the surface, the ejection devices can be hidden beneath the soil surface, usually the root zone of the plants.

3. What is irrigation of fields by sprinkling? This type of visually similar to sprinklers, watering the lawn. Sprinkling is a system of pipes under pressure, diverting water to crops. Varieties of this system can include rotary irrigation, carried out along the circumference.

4. Central rod - this is another kind of irrigation, which uses an atomizer that can rotate, changing its direction. Sprinklers are mounted on mechanical tracks that move them in a circle, so the water is evenly sprayed into crops.

Use of irrigation systems

What is irrigation and what is it used for? This is a method of irrigation, which uses specially designed water delivery systems directly to plants. This method is used to assist in growing crops, as well as for maintenance of landscapes. The use of irrigation systems helps protect plants from frost, inhibits the growth of weeds in grain fields and prevents the consolidation of soil. Historically, artificial irrigation has been a central element of agriculture for more than 5000 years and is a common way of caring for plants in many cultures to this day.

Water is an indispensable natural resource

The main idea of an artificial irrigation system is that plants are supplied with 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 to 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, since its global goal is to ensure global population growth with a constantly growing supply of food.

Natural conditions as a factor in the suitability of various methods of irrigation

These include the type of soil, the presence of slopes, the climate, the quality of water 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 methods of irrigation can be used, surface watering is more often used. Sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation are preferred on sloping lands, since for their application, a perfectly flat surface is not required. The exception is rice, grown on terraces of sloping lands. A strong wind can disrupt the spraying of water from the sprinklers. In very windy conditions, drip and surface irrigation methods are preferred. Water use efficiency is generally higher for sprinkling and drip irrigation than for surface irrigation, because these methods are preferable when water is in short supply.

Dependence on the type of culture

Talking about what irrigation is, it should be noted that an important factor in the suitability of a particular system is the dependence on the type of crop. For example, surface irrigation can be used for all types of crops. Because of the high investment capital per hectare, sprinkling and drip are mainly used for expensive cash crops such as vegetables and fruit trees. Drip irrigation is ideal for irrigating individual plants or trees, including cultivated 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 watering experience

The type of technology influences the choice of the irrigation method. Drip and sprinkler are technically more sophisticated methods. The purchase of 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 the method of irrigation depends also on the accepted tradition within the region or country. The use of a previously unknown method can lead to unexpected complications. Maintenance of equipment can be problematic, and costs are high, compared to benefits. Sometimes it will be much easier to improve the traditional method of irrigation than to introduce a completely new and not tested in a certain area.

Labor costs, costs and benefits

Surface irrigation is a rather laborious process compared to rain and drip, as it requires precise alignment of the site, regular maintenance and a high level of organization of farmers for the operation of the system. Before choosing the method of irrigation, the cost estimate should include costs and incomes for the available options. 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 mouth? This is a purification process to relieve inflammation, for example, with pharyngitis. This removes surface bacteria from the crypt of the tonsils, which contributes to the gradual recovery of healthy blood circulation in this area, the same effect gives irrigation of the throat. What is it and what is it for? The massage effect reduces swelling and helps the infection to leave the body. If you irrigate the throat at the very beginning of the disease, then further treatment will be more effective.

What is irrigation of the intestine? This is one of the methods of decontamination, which is carried out by introducing into the intestine a large amount of a solution that cleanses the gastrointestinal tract from toxins before they are absorbed by the body. Initially, bowel irrigation was intended for use as preoperative preparation, as well as before endoscopic or radiographic procedures. The procedure is completely safe. This method of purification is not prohibited during pregnancy.

The Role of Irrigation in the Ancient States

Irrigation played a huge role back in antiquity. Especially in places where rain was not enough for the full development of crops. Long-term irrigation was carried out in the Mesopotamian plain. The 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 area of the land was irrigated with the help of complex systems created thanks to diligence and engineering. Ancient Egyptians practiced irrigation using irrigation using the river's floods. There is evidence of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenemchete III, who used a natural lake in the El Fayoum oasis as a reservoir for storing water reserves for use in droughty periods. The reservoir was regularly filled with the waters of the Nile. Ancient Nubians developed a form of irrigation with a water wheel.

Across the world, scientists and archaeologists discover the remains of parts of irrigation canals that date back thousands of years to our era. In ancient Persia (modern Iran), in the 6th millennium BC barley was grown in areas where natural precipitation was not enough to obtain a full crop. What is irrigation? In Egypt, these were predominantly canal systems, in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa it was most often represented by a system of vertical wells and tunnels. Irrigation systems in ancient Sri Lanka were among the most difficult in the Ancient World. In addition to underground canals, it was the first time to build completely artificial reservoirs for water storage. Thanks to their engineering superiority in this field, they were often called masters of irrigation. Currently, irrigation systems help to solve a lot of engineering and economic problems with minimal negative impact on the environment.