Irrigation Method - Surface Irrigation
Surface Irrigation (gravity irrigation)
In the surface methods of
irrigation, water is applied directly to the soil surface from a channel
located at the upper reach of the field. The driving force in such irrigation
system is gravity and hence alternate name is gravity irrigation or gravity
flooding. Two general requirements of prime importance are to obtain high
efficiency and uniform distribution of water over the field. Once distributed
over the field, water enters the soil and is redistributed by the forces of
gravity and capillary to be available for plant use through root system. The surface
irrigation is further subdivided into a number of techniques depending on the
shape, slope and surface shaping of the field as summarized below.