10: Surface Irrigation
- Page ID
- 44306
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- 10.1: Introduction
- Surface irrigation is the oldest irrigation application method in the world. In fact, according to Price and Purcell (2011), the practice was used as early as 6000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Approximately 84% of the world’s irrigation (FAO, 2021) and 35–45% of the U.S. irrigation uses the surface method
- 10.2: Advance, Recession, and Infiltration
- The water is applied at the inlet end and the irrigator allows gravity to move the water across the field. As the water moves across the field, part of it infiltrates and part of it is stored on the soil surface. After the water reaches the end of the field, runoff occurs unless the flow is blocked by an earthen dike. Water is usually not applied to the entire field simultaneously but rather is applied to only a portion of the field at one time. The water is applied for a fixed time period
- 10.3: Water Balance
- The average infiltration depth (dz) can be determined from the infiltration profile such as Figure 10.11. It occurs at about 60% of the field’s length from the inlet for open-ended systems. In our example, it occurs at 720 feet and equals 3.5 inches. After the irrigation and recession has stopped, the water stored on the surface (ds) has either infiltrated or has run off; therefore, the depth stored is zero.
- 10.5: Management of Sloping Furrow Irrigation Systems
- Good management of surface irrigation systems is extremely important. The manager must respond to the effect of infiltration variability on the performance of the system during each irrigation. In addition to satisfying the water needs of the crop, the goals of management might include low runoff, low deep percolation, or that the sum of these two losses be minimized.
- 10.6: Basin and Border Irrigation
- For closely-spaced crops like alfalfa and orchard crops, basin and border systems are often more appropriate. Also, furrows sometimes are used in level basins which contain row crops. For basin irrigation systems, since the bottoms of basins are level and all of the water is retained within the basins by dikes, no runoff will occur. Thus, deep percolation is the only loss of water
- 10.9: Summary
- Surface irrigation includes the methods of furrow, border, and basin irrigation. It is the oldest form and most commonly used method of irrigation in the world. Water is usually delivered to surface irrigation sets through gated pipe, siphons, or gated inlets. Water flows over the land by gravitational force. The land must be graded to a uniform surface with slopes from 0 to 2 %. With surface irrigation it is important to properly proportion...
- 10.10: Questions
- What is the major factor that determines the effective depth of water applied in a surface irrigation system without runoff recovery? How can this factor be modified? Without making considerable alterations to a furrow irrigation system, what changes can a manager make to minimize runoff and deep percolation? How do these adjustments minimize water losses?
- 10.11: References
- Bautista, E., J. L Schlegel, and T. S. Strelkoff. (2012). WinSRFR 4.1 software and user manual. Maricopa, AZ: USDA-ARS Arid Land Agricultural Research Center. Bautista, E., Clemmens, A. J., Strelkoff, T. S., & Schlegel, J. (2009). Modern analysis of surface irrigation systems with WinSRFR. Agric. Water Manag., 96(7), 1146-1154. Cahoon, J. E., Mandel, P., & Eisenhauer, D.