Hort-102 Irrigation of Hort Crops

IRRIGATION OF
HORTICULTURAL CROPS
By:
Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan
Out Line
Importance of water for horticultural plants
Factor affecting irrigation requirements
Irrigation why, how much and when?
Water quality
Critical periods
Selection of irrigation system for horticultural

crops
Hort-102
IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.
(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)
WHY WATER IS IMPORTANT?
An essential environmental factor controlled by

drainage, storage, and irrigation.
An optimum supply of water is essential for

maximum development of roots.
Well developed roots in turn absorb optimal

quantities of water and nutrients, producing
healthy top growth and higher yields.
Excess of water causes unhealthy roots due to

poor soil aeration.
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1
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WATER IN PLANTS A NECESSITY
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A normal constituent of all plant tissues

tissues..
Rate of formation of carbohydrates and organic
nitrogenous
compounds
is
directly
proportionate to the amount of water in plant
tissues..
tissues
Water must be present in the soil to encourage
fixation and as a medium of transport for
nutrient minerals
minerals..
Water has a moderating effect on temperature..
Keeps the plant cell turgid which is essential for
normal growth and cell division
division..
Important for enzyme activity
activity.. Enzyme activity is
affected by deficiency of water
water..
Susceptibility of Horticultural plants to

environmental harshness
Horticultural plants are very sensitive to their

environment. They react adversely to excessive
heat, frost, dry soil, wet soil, low soil oxygen and air
pollution.
Poor irrigation results in areas of soil dryness and

excessively wet soil is a strongly contributing cause
of low soil oxygen.
Damage from excessive heat has been observed to

be greater in poorly irrigated soils than in soil which
has been well irrigated.
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FACTORS AFFECTING IRRIGATION

REQUIREMENT OF PLANTS
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Kind of plant
Plant size
Age of plant
Climatic conditions
Soil characteristics (water holding capacity,
soil texture, depth of irrigation)
Intercultural practices
Presence or absence of wind breaks
2
IRRIGATION - WHY, WHEN & HOW MUCH
The aim of irrigation should be to wet the soil to an

even depth around the root zone.
Water which penetrates below the root zone cannot

be used by the root and is wasted.
The depth of rooting can markedly affect how long a

crop can thrive without the addition of water.
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Lettuce, strawberry and radish plants are shallow

rooted and deplete the zone of available moisture
more rapidly than do deep rooted crops such as
tomato and tree crops.
IRRIGATION
WHY, WHEN & HOW MUCH (Cont)
Frequent but light irrigation is needed for shallow

rooted crops and heavy but less frequent irrigation for
deep rooted plants
plants..
Irrigation frequency also depends on the soil type

type..
Fine textured soils hold moisture longer than

coarse textured soils
soils..
Deeper soils hold more water than shallow ones

ones..
Organic matter increases the water holding

capacity of light soils and improves aeration of
heavy soils
soils..
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IRRIGATION WHY, WHEN & HOW MUCH (Cont)
Irrigation needs vary from spp. to spp. and from

region to region.
For example with citrus fruits 30 hectare-cm/ha

irrigation is needed near the coast and this
requirement increases to 90 or more hectarecm/ha in the interior.
Water should be given to the plants when most of the

root zone is nearly dry.
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In summer orchards should be irrigated fortnightly

and in winter irrigation is done every month
depending upon precipitation.
3
WATER QUALITY
Most horticultural plants are very sensitive to the

presence of salts in irrigation water as well as in the
soil..
soil
It is therefore, important to know the quality of water

used for irrigation various horticultural crops
crops..
These crops vary in their tolerance of various salts,

so a water analysis is advisable
advisable..
The water should not contain amounts of dissolved

salts excessive for the crop to be raised
raised..
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WATER QUALITY
Irrigation water may comes from canals, wells, tube

wells, ponds or lakes, which may contain salts in
variable quantities.
Water containing salts at 2000 mgL-1 or above

causes injury to most horticultural plants, and even
lower concentrations may prove dangerous unless
they are diluted or drained away by rain or liberal
irrigation.
Chlorides and sodium salts are most harmful.
Chlorides are said to be more injurious than

sulphates, while carbonates are considered to be the
most injurious of all salts.
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WATER QUALITY
If there is any sign of salt accumulation in the soil,

an irrigation of at least 15 hectares-cm is
recommended.
When the natural salt content of the soil or

irrigation water is high, water should be applied in
excess of the needs of plants in order to reduce the
concentration of soluble salts in the root zone.
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CRITICAL PERIOD ????
There are critical periods for water

supply in the life span of every plant.
During these critical periods, irrigation is

essential.
If water is not applied during this period

yield will be badly affected.
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CRITICAL PERIODS FOR HORT. CROPS

CRITICAL PERIODS
VEGETABLES
Germination
All species, particularly vegetables

& annual flowers
Pollination
Beans
Pod Enlargement
Peas & beans
Head Development
Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli
Root, Bulb & Tuber

Enlargement
Carrots, radishes, turnips, onions,

potatoes
Flowering, Fruit & Seed

Development
Cucumbers, Squashes, peas
Fruit Set & Development Melons

Flowering to Harvesting Eggplant, Peppers, Tomatoes
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SELECTION OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM
To choose an irrigation method, the grower

must know the advantages and disadvantages
of the various methods
methods..
He must know which method suits the local

conditions best
best..
Unfortunately, in many cases there is no single

best solution
solution:: all methods have their
advantages and disadvantages
disadvantages..
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5
FACTORS AFFECTING
SUITABILITY OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Suitability of various irrigation methods, e.g.,

surface, sprinkler or drip irrigation, depends mainly
on the following factors:
natural conditions (type and slope of soil, wind,

water quality)
type of crop (trees or vegetables)
previous experience with irrigation
required labour inputs (maintenance)
costs and benefits
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IRRIGATION SYSTEMS FOR

VEGETABLE CROPS
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With vegetable crops, appropriate irrigation

practices vary for different species and from
area to area
area,, depending on agro
agro--climatic
conditions.. Vegetable crops are irrigated
conditions
through::
through
Surface irrigation system
Subsurface irrigation system
Spray irrigation system
SURFACE IRRIGATION
Application of water directly to the soil surface

surface..
This system is used on deep, compact, and

uniformly textured soils with a gentle slope
slope..
Surface irrigation
is given to vegetable crops
through the border and furrow system.
system.
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In border system
system,, after land leveling, borders 15
15--25 cm
high are made around the field, which may be divided
into sub
sub--blocks for separate irrigation
irrigation..
In furrow system
system,, land is thoroughly levelled and 15
15--20
cm deep furrows are made between the rows, this
method is used with vegetables grown in rows in the
arid and semi
semi--arid regions of pakistan
pakistan..
6
BORDER IRRIGATION SYSTEM
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FURROW IRRIGATION SYSTEM
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SUB SURFACE IRRIGATION
Water is applied under the soil surface in the root
zone of the plants through emitters.
It is continuously available, loss of water is

minimized, there is no loss of water from the soil
surface, and more soil can be utilized for vegetable
raising.
On the other hand, it is very costly and difficult to

install and operate.
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7
SUB--SURFACE IRRIGATION
SUB
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SPRAY IRRIGATION
It is an application of water to crops in the form

of a spray similar to gentle rain..
Irrigation by this method can be used for

vegetables growing on all types of soils, and
on both leveled and rolling land..
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MERITS & DEMERITS OF SPRAY

IRRIGATION
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Uniform distribution of water on all types of soil

with minimum loss of water and nutrients
through leaching, no soil erosion, and full
utilization of land
land..
However its initial and operating costs are

very high
high..
It may also not work in areas with continuous

strong winds,, and may cause excessive loss
of water through evaporation
evaporation..
8
SPRAY IRRIGATION SYSTEM
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METHODS OF IRRIGATION FOR

FRUIT CROPS
Channel system
Channel basin system
Modified basin system
Flooding
Furrow irrigation system
Sprinkler irrigation system
Drip or trickle irrigation system
Alternate
Alternate
middle irrigation system
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CHANNEL SYSTEM
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In this system trees are connected by channel

and water is given to the plants through them
them..
This is a simple and easy method of

irrigation which require little labour and
little technical know how
how..
It causes much water loss and the

passage of infection from one tree to
another..
another
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CHANNEL--BASIN SYSTEM
CHANNEL
Trees are connected with channels but around each

tree a basin is made
made..
This is a simple and easy method of irrigation which

require little labour and little technical know how
how..
It causes much water loss and the passage of

infection from one tree to another
another..
More of the root zone is wetted and require more

labour to make the channels and basin and keep
them clean
clean..
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10
MODIFIED--BASIN SYSTEM
MODIFIED
In this system a water channel is made

between the tree rows
rows..
Basins are made around the tree trunks and

then individually connected with the central
water channel
channel..
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Laying out this system is difficult and

expensive and intercropping is impossible
but water loss is reduced
reduced..
MODIFIED BASIN SYSTEM
FLOODING
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Flooding like that done for field crops is also

the general practice for irrigating orchards
in Pakistan
Pakistan..
It is the simplest easiest and cheapest

,method but causes maximum water losses
leaching of nutrients and uneven water
distribution in the field which may result in
water logging
logging..
It can not be used on uneven or unleveled

soils..
soils
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FLOOD IRRIGATION SYSTEM
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FURROW IRRIGATION
It can not be done in the slope of the land and size of

water source are such that they will not cause
erosion..
erosion
Furrows should be spaced close enough together so

that the wetted areas meet and the water is kept in
furrows until it has penetrated to the desired depth
depth..
In this method water loss is minimized and water

logging does not occur
occur..
Less labour is needed to setup and maintain the

furrows.
furrows.
It causes uneven distribution of water, making less

water available to the root zone and required more
frequent irrigation
irrigation..
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FURROW IRRIGATION SYSTEM
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12
Stream size is too small to wet the ridge
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SPRINKLER IRRIGATION
Sprinkler can be used under a variety of

conditions, and can be adapted to rolling or
steep lands and to soil of non uniform
topography.
Advantage is that they need no land leveling
Disadvantage of sprinklers are that they have

high capital investment and maintenance
costs, and they limit the amount of water that
can be applied at one setting of the pipelines
pipelines..
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TYPES OF SPRINKLERS
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Overhead system
Under--tree sprinkler
Under
Portable sprinkler
Perforated sprinkler
13
Overhead sprinkler irrigation

system
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Under tree sprinkler irrigation

system
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PORTABLE SPRINKLER
IRRIGATION SYSTEM
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14
PORTABLE PERFORATED PIPES
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DRIP OR TRICKLE
IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Drip or trickle irrigation only wets a specific

area surrounding the plants
plants..
The rate of application is so slow that little or

no flow of water occur on the surface
surface..
This system discharges the water on to the

ground through one or more emitters adjacent
to each tree
It may either be buried slightly between trees

or lie on the surface in this system
Frequent irrigation is needed

needed..
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Advantages of drip irrigation system
water saving
Restriction of weed growth
Better supply of chemicals and fertilizers .
Performance will not be affected by winds or
during day and night .
Disadvantages
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Costly to install
Continuity of flow of water through emitter is
unreliable
Salt accumulate around the root zone of the plant
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DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM
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ALTERNATE MIDDLE IRRIGATION
In this system, every other space between rows is

watered with under tree sprinklers leaving half the
between row spaces un watered.
At the next irrigation the previously un watered

middles are irrigated.
Thus one side of every tree in the orchard receives

water at each irrigation. It is helpful in overcoming
the effects of water shortage.
This method is based on fact that water absorbed

by an portion of the roots system is freely
translocated to any part of branches and leaves of
the trees.
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16

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IRRIGATION OF

Importance of water for horticultural plants

Factor affecting irrigation requirements

Irrigation why, how much and when?

Selection of irrigation system for horticultural

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

WHY WATER IS IMPORTANT?

An essential environmental factor controlled by

An optimum supply of water is essential for

Well developed roots in turn absorb optimal

Excess of water causes unhealthy roots due to

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

WATER IN PLANTS A NECESSITY

A normal constituent of all plant tissues

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

Susceptibility of Horticultural plants to

Horticultural plants are very sensitive to their

Poor irrigation results in areas of soil dryness and

Damage from excessive heat has been observed to

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

FACTORS AFFECTING IRRIGATION

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

IRRIGATION - WHY, WHEN & HOW MUCH

The aim of irrigation should be to wet the soil to an

Water which penetrates below the root zone cannot

The depth of rooting can markedly affect how long a

Lettuce, strawberry and radish plants are shallow

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

Frequent but light irrigation is needed for shallow

Irrigation frequency also depends on the soil type

Fine textured soils hold moisture longer than

Deeper soils hold more water than shallow ones

Organic matter increases the water holding

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

IRRIGATION WHY, WHEN & HOW MUCH (Cont)

Irrigation needs vary from spp. to spp. and from

For example with citrus fruits 30 hectare-cm/ha

Water should be given to the plants when most of the

In summer orchards should be irrigated fortnightly

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

Most horticultural plants are very sensitive to the

It is therefore, important to know the quality of water

These crops vary in their tolerance of various salts,

The water should not contain amounts of dissolved

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

Irrigation water may comes from canals, wells, tube

Water containing salts at 2000 mgL-1 or above

Chlorides and sodium salts are most harmful.

Chlorides are said to be more injurious than

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

If there is any sign of salt accumulation in the soil,

When the natural salt content of the soil or

IHS, Univ. of Agri. Fsd.

(Dr. Ahmad Sattar Khan)

CRITICAL PERIOD ????