Irrigation is a method of controlling the amount of water you supply to plants at regular intervals for agriculture. In simple words, it is when people supply water to plants to help them grow when there is not enough rain. Irrigation water can be pumped from rivers, lakes and wells or allowed to flow to the fields by the force of gravity along pipes or open canals.
The types of irrigation are: surface, sprinkler, drip, centre pivot, and manual irrigation. Now, the details with irrigation advantages.
In surface irrigation, water moves over and across the land by simple gravity flow to wetland and infiltrates the soil.
It is a popular method. Pipes carry some amount of water to the fields and then sprays it directly over the crops with high-pressure sprinklers. The benefit is that you can control the amounts of water.
With this type, the drip lines take water near the root zone of plants and release it drop by drop. This method is the most water-efficient of irrigation.
It involves a self-propelled system in which a single pipeline moves on wheeled towers in a circular pattern.
This type uses buckets or watering cans. We commonly use this method in our backyard farms.
Irrigation makes it possible to grow cash crops which give good returns to the cultivators. Examples of cash crops are; sugarcane, potato, tobacco etc.
It improves the groundwater storage as water lost due to seepage adds to groundwater storage.
It improves the yields of crops which mean more income for the farmer people prosperous.
We use it to help the growth of crops during the period of inadequate rainfall.