Irrigation Methods
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| irrigation/ˌɪrɪˈɡeɪʃn/ | supplying water to crops through ditches, flooding, sprays or drip hoses |
| drip irrigation/drɪp ˌɪrɪˈɡeɪʃn/ | drip irrigation |
| flood irrigation/flʌd ˌɪrɪˈɡeɪʃn/ | flood irrigation |
Watering the crops
- Where rain is scarce, farmers bring water to their fields.
- But water is precious, and much of it can be wasted.
- Different watering methods waste very different amounts.
- Choosing wisely saves water and protects the soil.
What irrigation is
- Irrigation 灌溉 is supplying water to crops artificially.
- It lets farmers grow food where rainfall alone is not enough.
- But irrigation draws heavily on rivers and groundwater.
- So how efficiently it delivers water really matters.
Flood, spray and drip irrigation 滴灌, from least to most water-efficient
Irrigation is…
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Irrigation supplies water to crops where rainfall is not enough.
Wasteful methods
- Flood irrigation 漫灌 covers a whole field with water.
- It is cheap but much water evaporates or runs off before reaching roots.
- Spray irrigation throws water into the air, where a lot evaporates in the heat.
- These methods use large amounts of water for little benefit.
Which irrigation method wastes the least water?
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Drip irrigation delivers water straight to the roots, so very little is lost.
Covering a whole field with water, which wastes a lot, is called ____ irrigation.
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Flood irrigation is cheap but wastes much water to evaporation and runoff.
Efficient methods
- Drip irrigation drips water slowly, straight to each plant's roots.
- Almost none is lost to evaporation or runoff.
- It saves water and reduces waterlogging and salt build-up.
- It costs more to set up, but wastes far less water.
How efficient is each method?
Sort each irrigation method by how much water it wastes.
Over-irrigation washes salt out of the soil, so it prevents salinization.
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False. Wasteful irrigation raises the water table and, in dry areas, leaves salt behind as water evaporates, causing waterlogging and salinization.
Select all true statements about irrigation methods.
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Methods differ hugely in efficiency. The other three are correct.
Wasteful irrigation does not just waste water — it can damage the soil. Too much water can waterlog fields, and in dry regions the water evaporates and leaves salt behind (salinization). Efficient methods like drip irrigation save water and protect the soil.
Flood versus drip in a dry country:
- A farmer flooding a field loses over half the water to evaporation and runoff.
- Switching to drip irrigation delivers water straight to the roots.
- The farmer grows the same crop with a fraction of the water — vital where every drop counts.
Irrigation supplies water to crops artificially. Flood and spray methods are cheap but waste much water to evaporation and runoff, and can waterlog or salinize soil. Drip irrigation delivers water straight to the roots with very little waste — the most efficient, if more expensive, method.