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What Is Irrigation

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to land to supply crops with water, especially in areas with little or irregular rainfall. It increases agricultural productivity and allows for multiple crops per year, reducing the risk of crop failures and providing a steady food supply. However, excessive irrigation can decrease crop yields, cause waterlogging and salinity in poorly drained soils, leach chemicals into groundwater, and lower groundwater levels over time due to pumping.

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Cole Jade Dayo
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45 views

What Is Irrigation

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to land to supply crops with water, especially in areas with little or irregular rainfall. It increases agricultural productivity and allows for multiple crops per year, reducing the risk of crop failures and providing a steady food supply. However, excessive irrigation can decrease crop yields, cause waterlogging and salinity in poorly drained soils, leach chemicals into groundwater, and lower groundwater levels over time due to pumping.

Uploaded by

Cole Jade Dayo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is Irrigation?

Irrigation is the science of the artificial application of water to the land by the 'crop water

requirements throughout the 'crop period' for full-fledged nourishment of the crops (Garg,

1996).

Irrigation is the process of artificially supplying crops with water. This technique is especially
important in areas that receive little rain or irregular rainfall (Definition & Types of Irrigation, 2016).

Furrow Irrigation (Google)

Advantages

• Increases agricultural productivity and allows for multiple cropping during a year provide jobs.

• Reduces the risk of crop failures.

• Higher productivity results in a steady supply of food at lower prices (supplydemand principle of
economics)

• Improves socioeconomic conditions of farmers

Disadvantages

• Excessive irrigation may cause a decrease in crop yield

• Excessive irrigation may cause the leaching of pesticides, insecticides, nitrogen,

and nitrates to groundwater and transport them to surface water systems.

• In poorly drained soils, waterlogging and salinity may occur.

• In poorly maintained canals- excessive seepage may cause waterlogging.


• Excessive groundwater pumping may cause a decrease in groundwater levels

which may damage aquifer structure and increase the risk of land subsidence.

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