Irrigation

Overview

Join this Irrigation course from Warnborough College and and understand soil characteristics that affect irrigation needs (eg. drainage, water holding capacity), estimating plant needs, irrigation scheduling, types of irrigation systems (eg. sprinkler, drip or trickle, flood), and equipment (eg. pumps and filters).

Water is essential to both plant and animal growth and is often the major limitation to productivity. Irrigation is now playing a more important role in agriculture than ever before. However, depending on the climate, the value of the plants or animals, the value of the land and it’s suitability for irrigation, the cost, reliability and quality of the water supply, irrigation may or may not be possible or feasible.

Irrigation may enable plants (i.e. crops, pasture) to be grown in a dry climate where it would not otherwise be possible, or it may supplement the existing rainfall and improve growth rates by extending the growth period of the plant, or by ensuring there is adequate moisture during critical periods when the plant is growing most rapidly. The value of irrigation can vary greatly from year to year depending on the distribution of rainfall during the growth season.

Course Aims

• Explain the significance of soil in irrigation.

• Explain how to determine when to irrigate in agricultural situations.

• Manage irrigation in agricultural situations.

• Explain the significance of different aspects of moving water including: drainage, pumps, filters, storage, recirculation, and re-use.

• Select an appropriate irrigation system for a given agricultural situation.

• Explain the principles of design for a simple irrigation system.

• Design a simple irrigation system.

• Oversee the installation of an irrigation system.