Agricultural irrigation is an application to complete the existence of water taken naturally with rains and provide adequate moisture content with the soil in order to fulfil the water requirement of crops and support the agricultural performance by increasing the water quality. Agricultural irrigation method means the method, planning process, equipment and systems used to provide water and moisture required for the agricultural product and to maximize the production outcomes with the least cost.
Irrigation method is type of delivering water to the crops. Basically there are 3 types of irrigation method: surface irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation. There are 2 or more irrigation systems for each method. The reason of many irrigation system is variety on conditions of soil, climate, crop and energy to be adapted to the irrigation system.
Purpose of Agricultural Irrigation
Irrigation is not only to wet the soil. It is to determine the water amount required by the plant and deliver this water to the product in a planned and regular way. Agricultural irrigation consists of determining the time, amount and method of the irrigation by considering the other aspects of the production system such as management, phytosanitary control, meteorological and economic conditions and product management.
Providing the water, which is one of 3 main requirements for plant, to the plant in necessary amount and frequency, the agricultural irrigation systems are alternative frequently applied by products for years against the inadequacy of current water resources. The purpose of the agricultural irrigation is to fulfil the moisture conditions of product soil in order to improve the agricultural production both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Benefits of Agricultural Irrigation
The reason that the first choice of farmers is agricultural irrigation is the numerous benefits. The prominent ones among the benefits of agricultural irrigation are indicated below:
- It resolves the risks such as water shortage and water resource inadequacy.
- It allows production harvest more than one during the year or out of the season.
- The increasing productivity and product quality by means of correct irrigation bring more profitability for the producer.
- It allows inclusion of new fields to the production system. Crop planting possibility increases in the arid regions, in which it is determined as less convenient for agriculture, by means of agricultural irrigation technic.
- Agricultural irrigation decreases the risk of production loss occurring due to climatic conditions or drought. Agricultural irrigation systems provide required moisture with the soil according to the crop type and season