CROP IRRIGATION

Crops, like humans need water in order to live. Irrigation has been a practice in growing crops since time immemorial and like other practices; it has also evolved over time to provide crop growers with different ways to water their fields.

Irrigation is the term used to refer an artificial method of wetting lands or soil thereby assisting crops during their growth stages or their entire lifespan (depending on how reliant the crops are on water).  The most common water sources are those found from underground springs, rivers, reservoirs, wells and drainage water. Irrigation has been one of the most important uses of water which comes next to humans’ and animals’ large dependency on water. In fact, the world’s water usage on irrigation comprises 60% of the total consumption.

Irrigation as a process has been around for centuries when ancient peoples used manual irrigation. However, as  technology has developed over the years to continuously change our everyday lives from manual to automatic, newer methods of irrigating crops were also introduced, particularly for large scale cropping.

METHODS FOR IRRIGATING CROPS WITH WATER

Flood Irrigation

This by far is the most commonly used method of irrigating agricultural crops. You can categorize this method of irrigation as the advanced form of manual irrigation. It is used where larger area require irrigation and where labour and water distribution is restricted.

As the name suggests, flood irrigation supplies huge crop fields with massive volumes of water which will eventually flood the area. This is done through a pumping system that delivers water from a source to the field and lets it flow on the ground. Probably the reason why this is the most commonly used form of irrigation is because it is the cheapest and simplest form. The downside for the flooding method however, is that not all the water that flows into the field is  absorbed by the soil because some run off occurs.

The limitations of this method have driven farmers to find other ways to minimise water wastage from flooding. Modified flooding irrigation methods includes Levelling of Fields, wherein farmers will have to create toil or scrape the field and have it flattened to ensure that the water which will be flowing into the field will be evenly distributed. Another form of modified flood irrigation is the Surge Flooding where water is released on to the field at specific intervals.

Drip Irrigation

This type of irrigation uses pipes which are placed in rows along with the crops. Usually they are placed on the crops’ root line so that water is easily absorbed. The pipes that are used for drip irrigation have holes in them where water runs through.

Spray/Sprinkler Irrigation

The most modern way of water irrigation for crops is spray irrigation.  Large scale crops use this type of irrigation system and involves the use of expensive machinery which means that it is pretty costly.

The most common type of Sprinkler irrigation is the Centre Pivot. This type of sprinkler irrigation basically makes use the concept of the regular hose you use in your homes. A certain point in the field serves as the point of origin (well) from which the system sources the water. As soon as the pumping system is turned on, the water will run through the tubes to spray water into the fields.

Traditional/Manual Irrigation

For small-scale farming, manual irrigation or the traditional way of using buckets to apply water to crops may be chosen. However, this type of irrigation, although inexpensive will require more human labour compared to other types.

How Water is Used in Industry

Water is the most valuable liquid here on earth. Although highly abundant, it is valuable not because of its rarity but because of its great many functions. Vital for existence, water is also used by man for industrial and manufacturing purposes. Each product, at some stage of its production, is most likely to have passed through a process which made use of water or is made of other materials which required water for it to become what it is.

Like households, manufacturing industries make use of a good amount of water but at a much grander scale. Similar to how water used in everyday life, there are basic functions of water which industrial users cannot do without such as activation of certain materials, for sanitary purposes, for cleaning and transporting the goods being manufactured.

It is very much apparent what a significant role water would play in an industry concerned with manufacturing perishable goods. Perishable goods cover items such as crops, livestock, poultry, and the like. Before manufacturers come up with the end-product, their raw materials in the form of a combination of liquids for beverages, crops, and live animals would first take make use of a huge amount of water before they become fit for processing and consumption.

In farms of whatever type, water is used for the following main purposes:

Irrigation of crops

Sanitary functions

Water for animal consumption

Water for activation of fertilizers and other materials

Once these “raw” materials are fit for processing, water will be needed to clean them up, cook them, and even help in the storing process. Cooling systems which are used to preserve meats and other perishable goods make use of a lot of water!

On the other hand, there are also industries which make non-perishable items which are used for a multitude of commercial purposes. These industries include:

Metal production; for cooling of hot metals

Wood and paper production; transporting massive logs and processing pulp

The cosmetic industry

Textiles and dying industries

Plastic and glass production

Heating and cooling systems

Gasoline and oil production

Car wash services

Man-made resorts

Health care materials

Cruise liners and aquatic transportation

One of the biggest consumers of water when it comes to industrial purposes are hydroelectric plants. They make use of great reservoirs to generate hydropower which is then converted into usable electric energy.

At some point of the production of items in these industries, water is used for one or several of the following main purposes:

Cleansing

Cooling or heating

As a solvent

As an agent for transportation

Energy source

Some machinery make use of hydraulics which would not be possible without the presence of liquids such as water. These kinds of machines also rely on water to function properly and at times, are maintained in a good state by having an internal cooling system which also makes use of water. On the other hand, some machinery is run by heat and steam from hundreds of gallons of water.

Once end products are manufactured, there is a need to transport and distribute them. Water still plays a role in transportation, especially when products are transported through bodies of water. To keep perishable items in good condition along the way, they are kept in cooling systems which again, make use of water.

Water is indeed a vital liquid, not just for existence but for many other commercial uses as well. The production of many things which we make use of in our everyday lives would not be possible without water which only proves just how valuable this liquid is for mankind.