Irrigation Ass. Lecturer : Saad Sh.

Sameen

Irrigation Efficiencies
Efficiency is the ratio of the water output to the water input, and usually expressed as
percentage. Input minus output is nothing but losses, if losses are more output is less and
therefore efficiency is less. Water is lost in irrigation during various processes and therefore,
there are different kinds of irrigation efficiency as:

1- Efficiency of water conveyance (C.E.): It is the ratio of the water delivered into the
field from outlet point of the channel to the water pumped in into the channel at the
starting point. C.E = (dg/dt) 100% = (Qg/Qt) 100% ..(3-5)

2- Efficiency of water application (A.E):is the ratio of the quantity of water stored into
the root zone of the crop to the quantity of water actually delivered into the field.

3- Efficiency of water storage (S.E.): is the ratio of the water stored in the root zone
during irrigation to the water needed in the root zone prior irrigation (fiddle capacity
minus existing moisture content).

4- Efficiency of water used (U.E.): is the ratio of the water beneficially used including
leaching water to the quantity of water delivered.

5- Efficiency of water distribution (D.E.): it represents the extent to which the water has
penetrated to a uniform depth throughout the field. It can be defined as:

Where : d :Average of absolute values of devotions from the mean.

D :Mean depth of water stored during irrigation.

Example (4) A stream of 130 l/s was diverted from a canal and 100 l/s were delivered to the
field. An area of 1.6 hectares was irrigated in 8 hours. The effective of root zone was 1.7m. the
runoff loss in the field was 480m3. The depth of water penetration varied from 1.7m at the head
end of the field to 1.1m at the tail end. Average moisture holding capacity of the soil is 20cm
per meter depth of soil. Determined :C.E., A.E., S.E., U.E., D.E..irrigation was stored at a
moisture extraction level of 50% of the available moisture.

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Irrigation Ass. Lecturer : Saad Sh. Sameen

Solution :

Water supplied to field during 8hr. @ 100 l/sec

Runoff loss in the field = 480m3, so water stored in the root zone = 2880 480 = 2460m3

Moisture holding capacity of soil = 20cm for 1m depth 1.7m depth of root zone = 34cm

Moisture already available in root zone at the time of start of irrigation = 50% 34=17cm

Additional water required in root zone = 34 17 = 17cm (depth)

= (17/100) (1.6 104) =2720m3

Deviation from the mean at upper end = 1.7 1.4 = 0.3

Deviation from the mean at upper end = 1.4 1.1 = 0.3 ,

Example (5) Given dg=100mm, A.E. = 60%, find dn & water losses.

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Irrigation Ass. Lecturer : Saad Sh. Sameen

Solution:

dg = dn + losses +L.R(=0) (=0) 100 = 60 + losses losses = 40mm

H.W(3) Given soil has As= 1.5, F.C =30%, P.W.P=15%, R.Z =0.8m, A.D=50%, find dn, dg,
losses if A..E =70%.

Example (6) Given dn=5cm, A.E=65%, C.E=70%, find the depth of water required at the farm
gate and the depth of water at source.

Solution

H.W(4) Given A.E=45%, C.E=75%, find the percentage of water useful for the plant.

Example (7) Given a channel 30km length, seepage losses from the channel are estimated
0.07l/s/m length, if the discharge at the end of the channel is 18m3/sec, find C.E.

Solution

C.E = (Qend/ Qt) 100% , Qt = 18 + (0.07/1000) 30000 = 20.1m3/sec

C.E = (18/20.1)100% = 89.6 = 90%

H.W(5) A soil consist of two layers:

Top layer: F.C = 0.38 by vol., P.W.P =0.22by vol. i.s.m=0.32by vol., D=35cm, A.D=35%.

Bottom layer: F.C = 0.42 by vol., P.W.P =0.24 by vol. i.s.m=0.37 by vol., D=75cm, A.D=55%.
Required: 1- the required net depth of irrigation & the maximum dn.
2- if I.E=50%, C.E = 80%, find the total percentage of water losses during irrigation.
3- if the discharge applied from the source is 10m3/sec, the C.E=80%, I.E=60%, find

The net discharge applied to the farm.