Irrigation is the “artificial application of water to land to assist in the production of crops” (Irrigation). Methods of irrigation include surface and localized irrigation. Surface irrigation consist of delivering water to the soil through the use of gravity, while localized irrigation involves delivering water directly to the area in need by a controlled flow of direction. Surface irrigation is often called flood irrigation and while it can be very useful for plants that need excess amounts of water, it can drown others that may not have been developed in that environment.
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| Photo of plants at Terrain (Glen Mills, PA) |
One of the greatest challenges of irrigation is its source of water. The reason irrigation is needed in the first place is that there is not a consistence amount of rainfall to sufficiently nurture the crops. The water must be located or produced and then moved to where it is needed without disturbing the plants’ development. Although water may seem like an infinite resource, there is only a limited amount of freshwater available with in a world of over 7 billion people. A large amount of water is needed to for crop production that is not always directly provided by rainfall. “Agriculture is a major user of ground and surface water in the United States, accounting for approximately 80 percent of the Nation's consumptive water use and over 90 percent in many Western States" (USDA). Fresh water is wasted through the inefficiencies of irrigation. By using a more effective system, it is easier to deliver water as well as have a larger amount for other uses.
References:
"Irrigation." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2013.
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/irrigation>.
"USDA ERS - Irrigation & Water Use." USDA ERS - Irrigation & Water Use. N.p., 19 July 2012. Web. 7
Apr. 2013. <http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/irrigation-water-use.aspx>.
