Research Work No. 1
1. Define Irrigation.
Rainfall is the most significant water source for agricultural growth, and all crops require
water to grow and produce yields. When there is not enough rainfall, watering crops through
irrigation may be used to ensure a good harvest since it provides nutrients and moisture needed
for germination, growth, and other related processes. A system of tubes, pumps, and sprays is
used in irrigation to artificially or manually deliver water to crops. Irrigation is typically employed
in regions where water requirements of a crops cannot be met by regular rainfall. There are
various kinds of irrigation system, where water is distributed evenly across the entire field. Surface
water from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs, groundwater from springs or wells, and even water from
other sources like treated wastewater or desalinated water can all be use for irrigation. Therefore,
farmers must conserve their agricultural water source to reduce the risk of pollution, and they
must take care to avoid pumping groundwater out of an aquifer faster than it is being refilled, as
with any groundwater removal.
2. List six purposes for applying irrigation water to the soil.
2.1. Giving or adding moisture content to the soil essential for plant growth as it allows absorption of
nutrients from the soil.
2.2. Sustain plant water requirement against short duration droughts for crop insurance.
2.3. Serves as coolant to the soil making the land suitable for plant growth.
2.4. Nutrient transport: after absorption of plant nutrients, subsequent movement within plant tissue
is aided in water media
2.5. Dispersion of plant expelled waste: water is used as media through which plant wastes are
expelled from the plant tissues
2.6. For the time where it is necessary to take advantage of high market prices during the dry period.
3. What are the four major sources of irrigation water?
3.1. Surface water includes streams, rivers, lakes and ponds which are dependent on runoff from
adjacent land or from ground water springs. Surface water to irrigate using several methods such
as basin, border, and furrow irrigation, and uncontrolled flooding.
3.2. Groundwater is an important source of irrigation water and pumping it from wells is a wellknown method of utilizing groundwater to the irrigation purposes.
3.3. Precipitation which can be stored either in tank or any other water storage to be used as
irrigation water.
3.4. Wastewater includes water from domestic, industrial, and storm sewage which can be recycle
for irrigation purposes.
4. Is all of the precipitation that falls on cropland available to the crops? Explain.
All precipitation that falls on cropland cannot be available to the crops for several reasons.
Some evaporates even before it percolates down to the root zone. Some weeds near plants also
accumulates rainwater and some will belong to the run-off due to how fast the rain drops. The
types of soils could also affect the amount of precipitation that a crop could avail since rainwater
percolates at a speed that depends on the porosity of the soil.
5. Does groundwater contribute directly to the water needs of plant? When? When is it harmful?
Groundwater contributes directly to the water needs of plant when it reaches the root zone
of the crops. It adds to the moisture content needed by the plant and serves as other source of water
when rainfall is not enough. Some groundwater flows out of the soil into a river, spring, etc., while
some is needed to be pump in order to become useful in irrigating croplands. Groundwater can be
harmful when used excessively as it reduces water table and drying up the wells. It could also have
harmful chemicals and bacteria which causes contamination.
6. How does the need for irrigation in humid areas differ from that in arid regions?
Agriculture in arid region is not feasible without irrigation as arid region is where
evaporation rate is greater than precipitation. In humid region, the precipitation is higher than
evapotranspiration. Thus, the irrigation requirement to sustain the water needs of the area is
lower to those in humid region than arid region.
7. What are the advantages of small ponds and reservoirs for irrigation?
Small ponds and reservoirs could serve as water storage. Both can also reduce cost in
energy and maintenance as there is no need to use pumping. It can also reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. In terms of water quality, small ponds and reservoirs since sediments and other
materials lay down to the surface ground before irrigation takes place.