Irrigation in Saskatchewan

1. Irrigation in Saskatchewan Project Presentation from 2001 Used as notes 2002

2. Irrigation Design • Three basic designs • Sprinkler applied • Surface applied • Trickle applied • Choice of design dependent on irrigator’s situation.

3. Sprinkler Applied Irrigation • Water is sprayed through the air in a mist and falls to the ground like rainfall. • Three configurations: • Multi-sprinkler • Single-sprinkler • Boom-sprinkler

4. Multi-sprinkler Systems • one pumping unit supplies one mainline pipe unit and supplies various lateral pipe units which have sprinkler heads. • Various Techniques: • Permanent • Hand moved and Tractor Moved • Self propelled as: center pivot and lateral moved

5. Single-sprinkler Systems • gun- type sprinkler that operates under high enough pressure to irrigate 1-6 acres in circumference. • Application Techniques: • Hand moved • Tractor moved • Self Propelled

6. Boom Sprinkler Systems • long lateral pipe with two nozzles evenly spaced to provide better water distribution single-sprinkler. • backpressure spins the lateral pipe. • will irrigate an area of 1.0 to 2.5 acres per setting. • same techniques of application as the single-sprinkler.

7. Surface Applied Irrigation • Intensively level or alter land. • Water is applied on the ground at ground level and flows by gravity over the surface of the field. • Level surface applied irrigation has standing water (< 0.1% grade). • Graded surface applied irrigation has flowing water (0.1%-1.0% grade).

8. Surface Irrigation Techniques • Three basic techniques of application for both level and graded: • Furrow • Level Border • Contour Levee

9. Trickle applied Irrigation • A system of pumping filtered water directly onto or below the soil surface. • Water is carried through an extensive pipe network to each plant. • Water is expelled out emitters. • Emitter differences are the application • differences in technique. • Emitters are prone to clogging.

10. Leaching Caused by Irrigation • Irrigation water is over applied • soil erosion • leaching of nutrients • leaching of pesticides

11. Leaching Caused by Irrigation • Leaching of Nutrients • nitrogen is very water soluble • over application of water can lead to N deposited in lower soil levels • can also lead to contamination of groundwater of N

12. Leaching Caused by Irrigation • Leaching of Pesticides • Pesticides Must be • broken down by soil microorganisms • taken up by plants • adsorbed to the soil particles

13. Leaching Caused by Irrigation • Management • identify soil texture • irrigation schedule • track of water losses from evapotranspiration • irrigate when 40 - 70 percent of available soil water is depleted

14. Soil Water Quality • Introduction

15. Water Sources • Surface Water • Groundwater • Effluent • Municipal • Agricultural • Industrial

16. Water Quality Guidelines

17. Salinity and SAR

18. Specific Ion Tolerances • Boron • Chloride • Sodium

19. Other Considerations • Metals • Nutrients • Biological Organisms

21. Irrigation and Soil Quality • Vast • Integrated • complex

22. Major factors controlling irrigation’s affect on soil quality • Structure and texture • Biotic factor • Irrigation constitution

23. Structure and Texture • Foundation of irrigation’s affect on soil • Runoff/ erosion/ nutrient loss/ Soil removal • Infiltration/ Structure

24. Biotic Factor • Most important and most affected by water • Microbes are the soil Mafia • Saline irrigate water • water logging • compaction

25. Nutrients • Leaching • Transformation

26. Disease • Suppressed incidence • Encouraged incidence • No affect

27. Impurities in irrigate water • Many sorts • Salts • Effluent