16 Comparative Analysis for Irrigation Water Application Methods …
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• The quality and availability (timing of deliveries, amount, and duration of delivery)
of the water supply,
• Energy requirement,
• Climate,
• Cropping patterns,
• Historical practices and preferences, and
• Accessibility to precision land levelling services (topography) (NRCS 2012).
These criteria and some others are necessary for the selection of the best method
of irrigation water application.
Irrigation water application methods are sub-categorised into two, three(or four
in some text) to include conventional and advanced methods; surface and pressure
irrigation methods; surface, sprinkler and sub-surface methods; and surface, subsurface, sprinkler and Drip or trickle irrigation method (NRCS 2012; Kumar and
Vishal Kumar 2012; Bjorneberg 2013; Arora 2014). However, within the context of
this chapter, all methods will be considered as irrigation methods, irrespective of
their sub-category. These methods include: Basin method, border method, furrow
method, wild flooding method, sprinkler method, and drip or trickle method.
16.2 Irrigation Water Application Methods
16.2.1 Basin Irrigation Method
As the name implies, a basin is formed around the field to be irrigated, then water is
pumped into the basin. This is the most common form of surface irrigation method,
particularly in regions with small layout of fields (Khanna and Malano 2006). The
basin method is a special form of check flooding used mostly for the irrigation of
orchards. The check basin can be a square or a circular basin, (most of the time
irregular in shape), the circular basin is referred to as the ring basin. Generally, each
tree a given its own ring basin. However, if the conditions of soil and surface slopes
are favorable, a basin can contain 2–4 trees. A basin may be furrowed or corrugated
(depending on the soil type), it may have some raised beds to benefit some crop
types, but as long as the inflow of water is not controlled and has no direction, no
matter the modifications it remains a basin (NRCS 2012).
Not all crops and soil types are suitable for basin irrigation method. However,
moderately, and slow intake soils, deep rooted, and closely spaced crops are favorable
(Khanna and Malano 2006; NRCS 2012). Provision of surface drainage for runoff
is not necessary, and reclamation of salt affected soil is easily achieved in basin
irrigated fields (Bjorneberg 2013).
Even though the basin irrigation method is the most practiced method, with its
low tech, land leveling is particularly important to achieve the desired uniformity
and efficiency. Studies from different countries where this method is practiced have
shown that, there is an overall low efficiency in irrigation due to over irrigation and
159
• The quality and availability (timing of deliveries, amount, and duration of delivery)
of the water supply,
• Energy requirement,
• Climate,
• Cropping patterns,
• Historical practices and preferences, and
• Accessibility to precision land levelling services (topography) (NRCS 2012).
These criteria and some others are necessary for the selection of the best method
of irrigation water application.
Irrigation water application methods are sub-categorised into two, three(or four
in some text) to include conventional and advanced methods; surface and pressure
irrigation methods; surface, sprinkler and sub-surface methods; and surface, subsurface, sprinkler and Drip or trickle irrigation method (NRCS 2012; Kumar and
Vishal Kumar 2012; Bjorneberg 2013; Arora 2014). However, within the context of
this chapter, all methods will be considered as irrigation methods, irrespective of
their sub-category. These methods include: Basin method, border method, furrow
method, wild flooding method, sprinkler method, and drip or trickle method.
16.2 Irrigation Water Application Methods
16.2.1 Basin Irrigation Method
As the name implies, a basin is formed around the field to be irrigated, then water is
pumped into the basin. This is the most common form of surface irrigation method,
particularly in regions with small layout of fields (Khanna and Malano 2006). The
basin method is a special form of check flooding used mostly for the irrigation of
orchards. The check basin can be a square or a circular basin, (most of the time
irregular in shape), the circular basin is referred to as the ring basin. Generally, each
tree a given its own ring basin. However, if the conditions of soil and surface slopes
are favorable, a basin can contain 2–4 trees. A basin may be furrowed or corrugated
(depending on the soil type), it may have some raised beds to benefit some crop
types, but as long as the inflow of water is not controlled and has no direction, no
matter the modifications it remains a basin (NRCS 2012).
Not all crops and soil types are suitable for basin irrigation method. However,
moderately, and slow intake soils, deep rooted, and closely spaced crops are favorable
(Khanna and Malano 2006; NRCS 2012). Provision of surface drainage for runoff
is not necessary, and reclamation of salt affected soil is easily achieved in basin
irrigated fields (Bjorneberg 2013).
Even though the basin irrigation method is the most practiced method, with its
low tech, land leveling is particularly important to achieve the desired uniformity
and efficiency. Studies from different countries where this method is practiced have
shown that, there is an overall low efficiency in irrigation due to over irrigation and