CHAPTER THREE: IRRIGATION

METHODS AND DESIGNS

3.1

IRRIGATION METHODS

a) Surface Irrigation: Just flooding water. About 90% of the

irrigatedareasintheworldarebythismethod.

b) Sprinkler Irrigation:Applyingwaterunderpressure.About5%
oftheirrigatedareasarebythismethod.

c) Drip or Trickle Irrigation:Applyingwaterslowlytothesoilideally

atthesameratewithcropconsumption.

d)
Sub-Surface Irrigation: Flooding water underground and
allowingittocomeupbycapillaritytocroproots.

3.2 SURFACE IRRIGATION

Waterisappliedtothefieldineitherthecontrolledor
uncontrolledmanner.
Controlled: Water is applied from the head ditch
and guided by corrugations, furrows, borders, or
ridges.
Uncontrolled:Wildflooding.
Surfaceirrigationisentirelypractisedwherewateris
abundant.Thelowinitialcostofdevelopmentislater
offsetbyhighlabourcostofapplyingwater.There
aredeeppercolation,runoffanddrainageproblems

3.2.1 Furrow Irrigation

In furrow irrigation, only a part of the land surface

(the furrow) is wetted thus minimizing evaporation

loss.
Furrowirrigationisadaptedforrowcropslikecorn,
banana, tobacco, and cabbage. It is also good for
grains.
Irrigation can be by corrugation using small
irrigationstreams.
Furrowirrigationisadaptedforirrigatingonvarious
slopes except on steep ones because of erosion
andbankoverflow.

FurrowIrrigationContd.

Therearedifferentwaysofapplyingwatertothefurrow.
AsshowninFig.3.1,siphonsareusedtodivertwaterfromthe
headditchtothefurrows.
Therecanalsobedirectgravityflowwherebywaterisdelivered
fromtheheadditchtothefurrowsbycuttingtheridgeorlevee
separating the head ditch and the furrows (see diagram from
Gumb'sbook).
Gated pipes can also be used. Large portable pipe(up to 450
mm)withgateopeningsspacedtodeliverwatertothefurrows
areused.
Waterispumpedfromthewatersourceinclosedconduits.
Theopeningsofthegatedpipecanberegulatedtocontrolthe
dischargerateintothefurrows.

FurrowIrrigationbyCutting
theRidge

FurrowIrrigationwithSiphons

Fig.3.1:AFurrowSystem

3.2.1.1 Design Parameters of

Furrow Irrigation

TheMajorDesignConsiderationsinSurfaceIrrigationInclude:

Storing the Readily Available Moisture in the Root Zone, if

Possible;
ObtainingAsUniformWaterApplicationAsPossible;
MinimizingSoilErosionbyApplyingNon-erosiveStreams;
Minimizing Runoff at the End of the Furrow by Using a Re-use
SystemoraCut-BackStream;
Minimizing Labour Requirements by Having Good Land
Preparation,
GoodDesignandExperiencedLabourand
Facilitating Use of Machinery for Land Preparation, Cultivation,
Furrowing,HarvestingEtc.

FurrowIrrigationContd.
The

Specific Design Parameters of Furrow

Irrigation Are Aimed at Achieving the Above
ObjectivesandInclude:
a) Shape and Spacing of Furrows: Heights
ofridgesvarybetween15cmand40cmand
the distance between the ridges should be
basedontheoptimumcropspacingmodified,
if necessary to obtain adequate lateral
wetting, and to accommodate the track of
mechanicalequipment.
Therangeofspacingcommonlyusedisfrom
0.3to1.8mwith1.0mastheaverage.

DesignParametersofFurrow
IrrigationContd.
b)

Selection of the Advance or Initial Furrow

Stream: In permeable soils, the maximum nonerosive flow within the furrow capacity can be used
so as to enable wetting of the end of the furrow to
beginassoonaspossible.
Themaximumnon-erosiveflow(Qm)isgivenby:Qm
=c/Swherecisaconstant=0.6whenQ misinl/s
andSisslopein%.
Example

1: For a soil slope of 0.1 %, the Q m is

0.6/0.1=6l/s.

DesignParametersofFurrow
IrrigationContd.

Theactualstreamsizeshouldbedeterminedbyfieldtests.
Itisdesirablethatthisinitialstreamsizereachestheendof
the furrow in T/4 time where T is the total time required to
applytherequiredirrigationdepth.
c) Cut-back Stream: Thisisthestreamsizetowhichthe
initialstreamisreducedsometimeafterithasreachedthe
lowerendofthefield.
Thisistoreducesoilerosion.
Oneortwocutbackscanbecarriedoutandremovingsome
siphonsorreducingthesizeattheheadofthefurrow
achievesthis.

DesignParametersofFurrow
IrrigationContd.
d)

Field Slope: To reduce costs of land

grading,longitudinalandcrossslopesshould
beadaptedtothenaturaltopography.
Smallcrossslopescanbetolerated.
To reduce erosion problems during rainfall,
furrows (which channel the runoff) should
havealimitedslope(seeTable3.1).

Table 3.1 : Maximum Slopes for Various Soil Types

Soil Type
Maximum slopes*
Sand0.25
Sandyloam 0.40
Finesandyloam
0.50
Clay2.50
Loam
6.25 Source:
Withers & Vipond (1974)
*Aminimumslopeofabout0.05%isrequired
toensuresurfacedrainage.

DesignParametersofFurrow
IrrigationContd.
e)

Furrow Length: Very long lengths

lead to a lot of deep percolation
involvingover-irrigationattheupperend
of the furrow and under-irrigation at the
lowerend.
Typical values are given in Table 3.2,
but actual furrow lengths should be got
fromfieldtests.

DesignParametersofFurrow
IrrigationContd.
e)

Field Widths: Widths are flexible

but should not be of a size to enclose
variablesoiltypes.
The widths should depend on land
gradingpermissible.

3.2.1.2 Evaluation of a Furrow

Irrigation System
The objective is to determine fairly accurately how

the system is used and to suggest possible

amendmentsorchanges.

Equipment:EngineersLevelandStaff,
30mTape,
MarkerStakes,
SiphonsofVariousSizes,
TwoSmallMeasuringFlumes,
WatchwithSecondHandandSpade.

Evaluation of a Furrow Irrigation

System Contd.
Procedure

a) Select several (say 3 or more) uniform test furrows which

shouldbetypicalofthoseinthearea.
b) Measure the average furrow spacing and note the shape,
conditionetc.
c)Setthemarkerstakesat30mintervalsdownthefurrows.
d)Takelevelsateachstakeanddeterminetheaverageslope.
e)Settheflumessay30mapartattheheadofthemiddlefurrow.
f)Passconstantflowstreamsdownthefurrows,usingwiderange
of flows. The largest flow should just cause erosion and
overtopping,thesmallestmightjustreachtheendofthe furrow.
ThemedianstreamshouldhaveadischargeofaboutQ=3/4S
(l/s)whereSisthe%slope.

EvaluationofaFurrowIrrigation
SystemContd.
g) Recordthetimewhenflowstartsandpasseseachmarkerineachflow(advance

data).
h) Record the flow at each flume periodically until the flows become practically
constant.Thismaytakeseveralhoursonfinetexturedsoils(Infiltrationdata).
i)Checkforevidenceoferosionorovertopping.
j)Movetheflumesandmeasurethestreamsattheheadsonlyoftheotherfurrows.

Results:Tobepresentedinaformatshown:
............................................................................................................
WatchOpportunitytime(mins)
StationAStationBLosses
TimeABCDepthFlowDepthFlowDiffInfil.
(mm)(L/s)(mm)(L/s)(L/s)(mm/h)
..............................................................................................................

3.2.2.BorderIrrigationSystem
In a border irrigation, controlled surface flooding is

practised whereby the field is divided up into strips by

parallel ridges or dykes and each strip is irrigated
separately by introducing water upstream and it
progressivelycoverstheentirestrip.
Border irrigation is suited for crops that can withstand
floodingforashorttimee.g.wheat.
It can be used for all crops provided that the system is
designated to provide the needed water control for
irrigationofcrops.
Itissuitedtosoilsbetweenextremelyhighandverylow
infiltrationrates.

BorderIrrigationSystem

BorderIrrigation

BorderIrrigationContd.
Inborderirrigation,waterisappliedslowly.
The

root zone is applied water gradually

downthefield.
At a time, the application flow is cut-off to
reducewaterloses.
Ideally, there is no runoff and deep
percolation.
The problem is that the time to cut off the
inflowisdifficulttodetermine.

3.2.2.2 Design Parameters of

Border Irrigation System

a) Strip width: Crossslopesmustbeeliminatedbyleveling.

Since there are no furrows to restrict lateral movement, any
cross slope will make water move down one side leading to
poorapplicationefficiencyandpossiblyerosion.
The stream size available should also be considered in
choosingastripwidth.
Thesizeshouldbeenoughtoallowcompletelateralspreading
throughoutthelengthofthestrip.
The width of the strip for a given water supply is a function of
thelength(Table3.5).
Thestripwidthshouldbeatleastbiggerthanthesizeofvehicle
tractforconstructionwhereapplicable.

DesignParametersofBorder
IrrigationSystemContd.

b) Strip Slope: Longitudinalslopesshouldbealmostsameas

forthefurrowirrigation.
c) Construction of Levees: Levees should be big enough to
withstanderosion,andofsufficientheighttocontaintheirrigation
stream.
d) Selection of the Advance Stream:Themaximumadvance
stream used should be non-erosive and therefore depends on
the protection afforded by the crop cover. Clay soils are less
susceptible to erosion but suffer surface panning at high water
velocities. Table 3.4 gives the maximum flows recommendable
forbaresoils.
e) The Length of the Strip: Typical lengths and widths for
various flows are given in Table 3.5. The ideal lengths can be
obtainedbyfieldtests.

3.2.2.3 Evaluation of a Border

Strip

Theaimistovaryvariousparameterswiththeaimof
obtainingagoodirrigationprofile.
Steps
a) Measure the infiltration rate of soils and get the
cumulativeinfiltrationcurve.Measurementcanbeby
doubleringinfiltrometer.

Depth of Water,
D (mm)

D = KTn

Time, T (mins)
Fig 3.5: Cumulative Infiltration Curve

EvaluationofBorderStripContd.

b) Mark some points on the border strip and check

the advance of water. Also check recession. For
steep slopes, recession of water can be seen unlike
in gentle slopes where it may be difficult to see. In
borderirrigation,recessionisveryimportantbecause
unlikefurrows,thereisnoplacewatercanseepinto
afterwateristurnedoff.

TimeDistanceDiagramofthe
BorderSystem

EvaluationoftheBorderSystem
Contd.

About two-thirds down the border, the flow is turned

offandrecessionstarts.
The difference between the advance and recession
curves gives the opportunity time or total time when
waterisincontactwiththesoil.
For various distances, obtain the opportunity times
from the advance/recession curves and from the
cumulative infiltration curve, obtain the depths of
water.
With the depth and distance data, plot the irrigation
profiledepthshownbelow.

Depth-DistanceDiagramofthe
BorderSystem

EvaluationoftheBorderSystem
Contd.

The depth of irrigation obtained is compared with the SMD

(idealirrigationdepth).
Thereisdeeppercolationandrunoffattheendofthefield.
Thevariablescanthenbechangedtogivedifferentshapesof
graphstoseetheonetoreducerunoffanddeeppercolation.In
this particular case above, the inflow can be stopped sooner.
Therecessioncurvethenchanges.
Theprofilenowobtainedcreatesdeficiencyattheendsofthe
borders(seegraph:dottedliesabove).
Agoodprofileofirrigationcanbeobtainedbyvaryingtheflow,
which leads to a change in the recession curve, and by
choosing a reasonable contact time each time using the
infiltrationcurve.

3.2.3 Basin Irrigation System

3.2.3.1 Description: In basin irrigation, water is

floodedinwiderareas.Itisidealforirrigatingrice.
Theareaisnormallyflat.
In basin irrigation, a very high stream size is
introduced into the basin so that rapid movement of
waterisobtained.
Waterdoesnotinfiltratealotinitially.
At the end, a bond is put and water can pond the
field.
The opportunity time difference between the upward
andthedownwardendsarereduced.

BasinIrrigationDiagram

I
rrigation time.

3.2.3.2 Size of Basins

The size of basin is related to stream size and soil type(See Table 3.6
below).

Table 3.6: Suggested basin areas for different soil types and rates of water flow
Flow rate
Soil Type
Sand Sandy loam Clay loam
Clay
3
l/s m /hr
.................Hectares................................
30
108
0.02
0.06
0.12
0.20
60
216
0.04
0.12
0.24
0.40
90
324
0.06
0.18
0.36
0.60
120
432
0.08
0.24
0.48
0.80
150 540
0.10
0.30
0.60
1.00
180
648
0.12
0.36
0.72
1.20
210
756
0.14
0.42
0.84
1.40
240
864
0.16
0.48
0.96
1.60
300
1080
0.20
0.60
1.20
2.00
...........................................................................................
Note: The size of basin for clays is 10 times that of sand as the infiltration rateforclay is lowleading to
higherirrigationtime.Thesizeofbasinalsoincreasesastheflowrateincreases.Thetableisonlyaguide
andpracticalvaluesfromanareashouldbereliedupon.Thereistheneedforfieldevaluation.

3.2.3.3 Evaluation of Basin

System

a)Calculatethesoilmoisturedeficiencyandirrigationdepth.

b) Get the cumulative infiltration using either single or double

ringinfiltrometer

.
I = c Tn

Infiltered
Depth (mm)

Time (mins)

EvaluationofaBasinSystem
Contd.

c)Gettheadvancecurvesusingstickstomonitorrate
ofwatermovement.Plotatimeversusdistancegraph
(advancecurve).Alsoplotrecessioncurveorassumeit
tobestraight

Itisensuredthatwaterreachestheendofthebasinat
T/4time and staysTtime before itdisappears.At any
point on the advance and recession curves, get the
contact or opportunity time and relate it to the depthtimegraphabovetoknowtheamountofwaterthathas
infiltratedatanydistance.

Time-Distance Graph of the Basin

System

Depth-DistanceGraphsoftheBasin
IrrigationSystem

EvaluationofBasinIrrigation
Concluded.
Check

the deficiency and decide

whetherimprovementsarenecessaryor
not. The T/4 time can be increased or
flowratechanged.Therecessioncurve
may not be a straight line but a curve
duetosomelowpointsinthebasin.

3.3 SPRINKLER IRRIGATION

3.3.1 Introduction: Thesprinklersystemisidealin

areaswherewaterisscarce.
A Sprinkler system conveys water through pipes and
appliesitwithaminimumamountoflosses.
Water is applied in form of sprays sometimes
simulatingnaturalrainfall.
The difference is that this rainfall can be controlled in
durationandintensity.
Ifwellplanned,designedandoperated,itcanbeused
inslopinglandtoreduceerosionwhereothersystems
arenotpossible.

ComponentsofaSprinkler
IrrigationSystem

3.3.2 Types of Conventional

Sprinkler Systems

a) Fully portable system: The laterals, mains,

sub-mainsandthepumpingplantareallportable.
Thesystemisdesignedtobemovedfromonefield
to another or other pumping sites that are in the
samefield.
b) Semi-portable system: Water source and
pumpingplantarefixedinlocations.
Othercomponentscanbemoved.
The system cannot be moved from field to field or
from farm to farm except when more than one fixed
pumpingplantisused.

Types of Conventional Sprinkler

Systems Contd.

c) Fully permanent system: Permanent laterals,

mains,sub-mainsaswellasfixedpumpingplant.
Sometimeslateralsandmainlinesmaybeburied.
The sprinklermay be permanently locatedor moved
alongthelateral.
It can be used on permanent irrigation fields and for
relatively high value crops e.g. Orchards and
vineyards.
Laboursavingsthroughoutthelifeofthesystemmay
lateroffsethighinstallationcost.

3.3.3 Mobile Sprinkler Types

a)

Raingun: A mobile machine with a big

sprinkler.
The speed of the machine determines the
application rate. The sprinkler has a powerful
jetsystem.
b) Lateral Move: A mobile long boom with
manysprinklersattachedtothem.
Asthemachinemoves,itcollectswaterfroma
canal into the sprinklers connected to the long
boom.

RaingunIrrigationSystem

LinearMove

CentrePivot
c)

Centre Pivot: Thesourceofwater

is stationary e.g. a bore hole. The
boom with many sprinklers rotates
aboutthewatersource.

CentrePivot

PivotofaCentrePivotSystem

3.3.4 Design of Sprinkler

Irrigation System
Objectives

and Procedures
Provide Sufficient Flow Capacity to meet
the Irrigation Demand
Ensure that the Least Irrigated Plant
receives adequate Water
Ensure Uniform Distribution of Water.

DesignSteps
Determine

Irrigation Water Requirements

and Irrigation Schedule
Determine Type and Spacing of Sprinklers
Prepare Layout of Mainline, Submains and
Laterals
Design Pipework and select Valves and
Fittings
Determine Pumping Requirements.

ChoiceofSprinklerSystem
Consider:
Application

rate or precipitation rate

Uniformity of Application: Use UC
Drop Size Distribution and
Cost

SprinklerApplicationRate
Must

be Less than Intake Rates

Soil Texture

Max. Appln. Rates

(mm/hr.)

Coarse Sand

20 to 40

Fine Sand

12 to 25

Sandy Loam

12

Silt Loam

10

Clay Loam/Clay

5 to 8

EffectsofWind
In

case of Wind:
Reduce the spacing between Sprinklers:
See table 6 in Text.
Allign Sprinkler Laterals across prevailing
wind directions
Build Extra Capacity
Select Rotary Sprinklers with a low
trajectory angle.

SystemLayout
Layout

is determined by the Physical Features of the

Site e.g. Field Shape and Size, Obstacles, and
topography and the type of Equipment chosen.
Where there are several possibilities of preparing the
layout, a cost criteria can be applied to the alternatives.
Laterals should be as long as site dimensions, pressure
and pipe diameter restrictions will allow.
Laterals of 75 mm to 100 mm diameter can easily be
moved.
Etc. - See text for other considerations

PipeworkDesign
This

involves the Selection of Pipe Sizes to

ensure that adequate water can be
distributed as uniformly as possible
throughout the system
Pressure variations in the system are kept as
low as possible as any changes in pressure
may affect the discharge at the sprinklers

DesignofLaterals
Laterals

supply water to the Sprinklers

Pipe Sizes are chosen to minimize the pressure
variations along the Lateral, due to Friction and
Elevation Changes.
Select a Pipe Size which limits the total pressure
change to 20% of the design operating pressure of
the Sprinkler.
This limits overall variations in Sprinkler
Discharge to 10%.

LateralDischarge
The

Discharge (QL) in a Lateral is defined

as the flow at the head of the lateral where
water is taken from the mainline or
submain.
Thus: QL = N. qL Where N is the number
of sprinklers on the lateral and qL is the
Sprinkler discharge (m3/h)

SelectingLateralPipeSizes
Friction

Loss in a Lateral is less than that in a

Pipeline where all the flow passes through the
entire pipe Length because flow changes at every
sprinkler along the Line.
First Compute the Friction Loss in the Pipe
assuming no Sprinklers using a Friction Formula
or Charts and then:
Apply a Factor, F based on the number of
Sprinklers on the Lateral (See Text for F Values)

SelectingLateralPipeSizes
Contd.
Lateral

Pipe Size can be determined as follows:

Calculate 20% of Sprinkler Operating Pressure
(Pa)
Divide Value by F for the number of Sprinklers to
obtain Allowable Pressure Loss (Pf)
Use

Normal Pipeline Head Loss Charts of Friction

Formulae with Calculated Pf and QL to determine
Pipe Diameter, D.

ChangesinGroundElevation
Allowance

must be made for Pressure

changes along the Lateral when it is uphill,
downhill or over undulating land.
If Pe1 is the Pressure Difference Due to
Elevation changes:
Pf

Pf

0.2 Pa PeL
F

0.2 Pa PeL
F

for laterals laid uphill

for laterals laid downhill

PressureatHeadofLateral
The

Pressure requirements (PL)where the Lateral

joins the Mainline or Submain are determined as
follows:
PL = Pa + 0.75 Pf + Pr
For laterals laid on Flat
land
PL = Pa + 0.75 (Pf Pe) + Pr
For Laterals on
gradient.
The factor 0.75 is to provide for average operating
pressure (Pa) at the centre of the Lateral rather than
at the distal end. Pr is the height of the riser.

DiagramofPressureatHeadofLateral

SelectingPipeSizesof
SubmainsandMainLines
As

a general rule, for pumped systems, the

Maximum Pressure Loss in both Mainlines and
Submains should not exceed 30% of the total
pumping head required.
This is reasonable starting point for the
preliminary design.
Allowance should be made for pressure changes in
the mainline and submain when they are uphill,
downhill or undulating.

PumpingRequirements
Maximum

Discharge (Qp) = qs N Where:

qs is the Sprinkler Discharge and
N

is the total number of Sprinklers operating at

one time during irrigation cycle.
The Maximum Pressure to operate the system
(Total Dynamic Head, Pp) is given as shown in
Example.

3.4 DRIP OR TRICKLE

IRRIGATION

3.4.1 Introduction: Inthisirrigationsystem:

i) Water is applied directly to the crop ie. entire field is not
wetted.
ii)Waterisconserved
(iii)Weedsarecontrolledbecauseonlytheplacesgettingwater
cangrowweeds.
(iv)Thereisalowpressuresystem.
(v)Thereisaslowrateofwaterapplicationsomewhatmatching
the consumptive use. Application rate can be as low as 1 - 12
l/hr.
(vi)Thereisreducedevaporation,onlypotentialtranspirationis
considered.
vii)Thereisnoneedforadrainagesystem.

ComponentsofaDrip
IrrigationSystem
Control
Head
Unit

Wetting Pattern

Mainline
Or
Manifold
Emitter
Lateral

DripIrrigationSystem
The

Major Components of a Drip

IrrigationSysteminclude:
a) Head unit which contains filters to
remove debris that may block emitters;
fertilizer tank; water meter; and
pressureregulator.
b) Mainline, Laterals, and Emitters
whichcanbeeasilyblocked.

3.4.2 Water Use for Trickle

Irrigation System
Thedesignofdripsystemissimilartothatof

thesprinklersystemexceptthatthespacingof
emittersismuchlessthanthatofsprinklers
andthatwatermustbefilteredandtreatedto
preventblockageofemitters.
Anothermajordifferenceisthatnotallareas
areirrigated.
Indesign,thewateruserateorthearea
irrigatedmaybedecreasedtoaccountforthis
reducedarea.

Water Use for Trickle Irrigation

System Contd.

KarmeliandKeller(1975)suggestedthe
followingwateruseratefortrickleirrigationdesign
ETt=ETxP/85

Where: ETt is average evapotranspiration rate for crops under

trickleirrigation;
Pisthepercentageofthetotalareashadedbycrops;
ETistheconventionalevapotranspirationrateforthecrop.E.g.If
a mature orchard shades 70% of the area and the conventional
ETis7mm/day,thetrickleirrigationdesignrateis:
7/1x70/85=5.8mm/day
OR use potential transpiration, Tp = 0.7 Epan where Epan is the
evaporationfromtheUnitedStatesClassApan.

Emitters
Consistoffixedtypeandvariablesizetypes.The
fixed size emitters do not have a mechanism to
compensate for the friction induced pressure drop
along the lateral while the variable size types have
it.
Emitterdischargemaybedescribedby:
q=Khx
Where:qistheemitterdischarge;Kisconstantfor
each emitter ; h is pressure head at which the
emitter operates and x is the exponent
characterizedbytheflowregime.

EmittersContd.
The

exponent, x can be determined by

measuring the slope of the log-log plot of head
Vsdischarge.

With x known, K can be determined using the

aboveequation.

Discharges are normally determined from the

manufacturer'scharts(seeFig.3.7inNote).

3.4.4

Water Distribution from

Emitters

Emitter discharge variability is greater than that of

sprinklernozzlesbecauseofsmalleropenings(lowerflow)
andlowerdesignpressures.
Eu=1-(0.8Cv/n0.5)
Where Eu is emitter uniformity; Cv is manufacturer's
coefficient of variation(s/x ); n is the number of emitters
perplant.
Applicationefficiencyfortrickleirrigationisdefinedas:
Eea=EuxEax100
WhereEeaisthetrickleirrigationefficiency;Eaisthe
applicationefficiencyasdefinedearlier.

3.4.5

Trickle System Design

The diameter of the lateral should be selected so

that the difference in discharge between emitters
operating simultaneously will not exceed 10 %.
This allowable variation is same as for sprinkler
irrigation laterals already discussed.
To stay within this 10 % variation in flow, the
head difference between emitters should not
exceed 10 to 15 % of the average operating head
for long-path or 20 % for turbulent flow emitters.

TrickleSystemDesignContd.
Themaximumdifferenceinpressureis

theheadlossbetweenthecontrolpoint
attheinletandthepressureatthe
emitterfarthestfromtheinlet.
Theinletisusuallyatthemanifold
wherethepressureisregulated.
Themanifoldisalinetowhichthe
tricklelateralsareconnected.

TrickleSystemDesignContd.

Forminimumcost,onalevelarea55%oftheallowableheadloss
shouldbeallocatedtothelateraland45%tothemanifold.
TheFrictionLossforMainsandSub-mainscanbecomputedfrom
Darcy-Weisbach equation for smooth pipes in trickle systems
whencombinedwiththeBlasiusequationforfrictionfactor.
Theequationis:
Hf=KLQ1.75D4.75
Where:Hfisthefrictionlossinm;
Kisconstant=7.89x10 5forS.I.unitsforwaterat20C;
Listhepipelengthinm;
Qisthetotalpipeflowinl/s;and
Distheinternaldiameterofpipeinmm.

TrickleSystemDesignContd
As

with sprinkler design, F should be

used to compute head loss for laterals
and manifolds with multiple outlets, by
multiplyingasuitableFfactor
(See Table 8 of Sprinkler Design
section)byheadloss.
F values shown below can also be
used.

Table 3.7: Correction Factor, F for

Friction Losses in Aluminium Pipes
with Multiple Outlets.

Number of Outlets
F*
1
1.00
2
0.51
4
0.41
6
0.38
8
0.37
12
0.36
16
0.36
20
0.35
30ormore 0.35
*Values adapted from Jensen and Frantini (1957

Example
Design

a Trickle Irrigation System for a fully

matured orchard with the layout below. Assume that
the field is level, maximum time for irrigation is 12
hours per day, allowable pressure variation in the
emitters is 15%, the maximum suction lift at the well
is 20 m, the ET rate is 7 mm/day and the matured
orchard shades 70% of the area; trickle irrigation
efficiency is 80%. Sections 1 and 2 are to be irrigated
at the same time and alternated with sections 3 and 4.
Each tree is to be supplied by 4 emitters.

LAYOUTOFTHETRICKLE
IRRIGATIONSYSTEM

Solution
(1)

ETt = ET x P/85
Where: Ett is the average ET for crops
under trickle irrigation (mm/day)
ET is nomal ET rate for the crop = 7
mm/day
P is the percentage of total ares shaded by
the crop = 70%
ETt = 7 mm/day x 70/85 = 5.8 mm/day.

SolutionContd.
(2) Discharge for each tree with a spacing of 4 m x 7 m

= 4 m x 7 m x 5.8 x 10-3 m/day = 0.162 m3/day

= 0.00675 m3/hr (24 hr. day)
For 12 hours of opearation per day, discharge required
= 0.00675 x 24/12 = 0.0135 m3/hr = 0.00375 L/s
With an appliance efficiency of 80%, the required
discharge per tree is: 0.00375/0.8 = 0.0047 L/s
The discharge per emitter, with 4 emitters per tree is then:
= 0.0047/4 = 0.00118 L/s = 0.0012 L/s

DischargeofEachLine
Line

No. of
Trees

No. of
Emitters

Required
Discharge
(L/s)

Half Lateral

12

48

0.0576

Half
Manifold

168

672

0.8060

Submain, A
to Section 1

336

1344

1.6130

Main, A to
Pump

672

2688

3.2260

SolutionContd.
(4)

From Fig. 21.6 (Soil and Water

Conservation), select the medium long-path
emitter with K = 0.000073 and x = 0.63
Substituting in equation q = K h x, with an
average discharge of 0.0012 L/s,
Log q = log K + x log h
Log h

Log q Log K Log 0.0012 Log 0.000073

x
0.63

h = 87 kPa or 8.9 m ( or use Chart to obtain h). This is the

Average operating head, Ha.

SolutionContd.
(5)

Total allowable pressure loss of 15 % of Ha in

both the Lateral and Manifold = 8.9 x 0.15 =1.3 m
of which 0.55 x 1.3 = 0.7 m is allowed for Lateral
and 0.45 x 1.3 = 0.6 is for the Manifold.
(6) Compute the Friction Loss in each of the Lines
from Equation:
Hf = K L Q 1.75 D 4.75 by selecting a diameter to
keep the loss within the allowable limits of 0.7 m
and 0.6 m, already determined.

SelectionofDiameters
Line

Q (L/s)

Pipe
Diameter
(mm)

L
(m)

Hf (m)

Half
Lateral

0.0576

12.70

46

0.36

0.51

Half
Manifold

0.8060

31.75

45.5

0.36

0.68

Sub-Main,
A to
Section 1

1.6130

44.45

243

6.59

Main, A to
Pump

3.2260

50.80

60

2.90

PressureHeadatManifold
Inlet
Like

Sprinklers, the pressure head at inlet to the

manifold:
= Average Operating Head = 8.9 m
+ 75% of Lateral and Manifold head Loss = 0.75
(0.51 + 0.68)
+ Riser Height = Zero for Trickle since no risers exist.
+ Elevation difference = Zero , since the field is Level
= 9.79 m

SolutionConcluded
Total

Head for Pump

= Manifold Pressure = 9.79 m
+ Pressure loss at Sub-main = 6.59 m
+ Pressure loss at Main = 2.90 m
+ Suction Lift = 20 m
+ Net Positive Suction head for pump = 4 m (assumed)
= 43.28 m
i.e. The Pump must deliver 3.23 L/s at a head of about
43 m.

3.5 SUB-SURFACE
IRRIGATION
Applied

in places where natural soil and

topographic condition favour water application
to the soil under the surface, a practice called
sub-surface irrigation. These conditions
include:
a)Imperviouslayerat15cmdepthormore
b)Pervioussoilunderlyingtherestrictinglayer.
c)Uniformtopographiccondition
d)Moderateslopes.

SUB-SURFACE IRRIGATION
Contd.
The operation of the system involves a huge

reservoir of water and level is controlled by

inflowandoutflow.
The inflow is water application and rainfall
while the outflow is evapotranspiration and
deeppercolation.
It does not disturb normal farm operations.
Excesswatercanberemovedbypumping.

3.6 CHOICE OF
IRRIGATION METHODS:
Thefollowingcriteriashouldbeconsidered:
(a)Watersupplyavailable
(b)Topographyofareatobeirrigated
c)Climateofthearea
(d)Soilsofthearea
(e)Cropstobegrown
f)Economics
(g)Localtraditionsandskills
(For

details see extract from Hudson's Field

Engineering).

3.7 INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED

ON A VISIT TO A PROPOSED
IRRIGATION SITE.

a) Soil Properties: Texture and structure,

moisture equilibrium points, water holding capacity,
agricultural potential, land classification, kinds of
cropsthatthesoilcansupport.
b) Water Source: Water source availability eg.
surface water, boreholes etc., hydrologic data of the
area, water quantity, water quality, eg. sodium
adsorption ratio, salt content, boron etc.; possible
engineeringworksnecessarytoobtainwater.
c) Weather data: Temperature, relative humidity,
sunshinehoursandrainfall.

INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED
d)

Topography e.g.slope:Thishelpstodetermine
the layout of the irrigation system and method of
irrigationwaterapplicationsuitedforthearea.
e) History of People and Irrigation in the area:
Check past exposure of people to irrigation and
land tenure and level of possible re-settlement or
otherwise.
f) Information about crops grown in the area:
Check preference by people, market potential,
adaptability to area, water demand, growth
schedulesandplantingperiods.