Cuaem 504 Lecture 1
Cuaem 504 Lecture 1
SYSTEMES TECHNOLOGY
(CUAEM 504)
E. Pandasvika
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
Department of Agricultural Engineering
What is it?
⚫ In simple terms: it refers to systems that
deliver water to crops using a gravity-fed,
overland flow of water.
⚫ It is a method that involves diverting a
stream of water from the head of the field
into furrows or borders and allowing it to
flow downgrade by gravity and infiltrating
the soil while traversing the furrow,
boarder or basin.
2
Introduction
⚫ Three irrigation methods in Zimbabwe ie
surface(18%), sprinkler (75%) and localised
(7%) irrigation systems.
⚫ 70% of surface irrigation is done in sugar
estates and balance is under small holder
farms.
⚫ SADC’s rainfall patterns are characterised by
unpredictable variability over the seasons,
years, and decades (Zawe 2015).
⚫ There is also competition on water resources in
the SADC region which is characterised by
recurring droughts. 3
2. COMPONENTS OF
SURFACE IRRIGATION
SYSTEMS
Surface Irrigation System
Components
⚫ Surface irrigation system consists of five
components;
1) intake structure or pumping station,
2) conveyance system,
3) distribution system,
4) a field application system, and
5) a drainage system
5
6
COMPONENTS
1. Intake structure, or pumping station directs
water from the source of supply into the
conveyance system.
2. Conveyance system transport water from the
intake structure or pumping station up to the
field distribution system.
3. Distribution system transport water from
conveyance system to the application system.
4. Field application system transport from the
distribution system to the plant root zone.
5. Drainage system removes the excess water
from the rootzone and tail end of the field
using open or closed drains
7
1. Main Intake and
Pumping Structures
Intake
Structure
➢ Built at the entry
to the irrigation
system.
➢ Its purpose is to
direct water from
the original
source of supply
(lake, river,
reservoir etc.)
into the
conveyance
system.
9
Pumping
station
➢ In some cases, the
irrigation water
source lies below
the level of the
irrigated fields.
➢ Then a pump must
be used to supply
water into the
conveyance
system
➢ Most commonly
used in irrigation is
the centrifugal
pump. 10
2. Conveyance and
Distribution system
Open canals
➢Channels and canals
refer to main waterways
supplying water to one
or more farms.
➢An open canal, is an
open waterway whose
purpose is to carry water
from one place to
another.
➢Field ditches have
smaller dimensions and
convey water from the
farm entrance to the
irrigated fields.
12
Canal Structures
⚫ Flow of irrigation water in the canals must
always be under control
⚫ For this purpose, canal structures are required
⚫ They help regulate the flow and deliver the
correct amount of water to the different branches
of the system and onward to the irrigated fields
⚫ There are four main types of canal structures:
a) erosion control,
b) distribution control,
c) crossing, and
d) water measurement structures
13
a. Erosion control structures
⚫ Water flowing in steep canals can reach
very high velocities.
⚫ Soil particles along the bottom and banks
of an earthen canal are then lifted, carried
away by the water flow, and deposited
downstream where they may block the
canal and silt up structures.
⚫ The canal is said to be under erosion; the
banks might eventually collapse.
14
Drop structures Longitudinal section of a series of drop structures
and chutes
➢ Drop structures or
chutes are required to
reduce the bottom
slope of canals lying
on steeply sloping
land in order to avoid
high velocity of the
flow and risk of
erosion.
➢ These structures
permit the canal to be
constructed as a
series of relatively flat
sections, each at a
different elevation 15
b. Distribution control structures
⚫ Distribution control structures are required
for easy and accurate water distribution
within the irrigation system and on the
farm.
⚫ These structures are used to direct the
required amount of water to various fields
within a farm.
16
Diversion boxes
➢ Division boxes are
A division box with three gates
used to direct the
flow of water
between two or
more canals or
ditches.
➢ Water enters the
box through an
opening on one side
and flows out
through openings on
the other sides.
➢ These openings are
equipped with gates. 17
Turnouts
➢ Turnouts are A pipe turnout
constructed in
the bank of a
canal
➢ They divert part
of the water
from the canal
to a smaller one
➢ Turnouts can be
concrete
structures or
pipe structures 18
Permanent concrete structure
Checks
➢ To divert water from
the field ditch to the
field, it is often
necessary to raise
the water level in the
ditch
➢ Checks are A portable metal check
structures placed
across the ditch to
block it temporarily
and to raise the
upstream water level
➢ Checks can be
permanent structures
or portable 19
c. Crossing structures
⚫ It is often necessary to carry irrigation
water across roads, hillsides and natural
depressions.
20
Crossing structures
Culvert Inverted siphon
Because it is easier to
construct and install, the
cut-throat flume is often
preferred to the Parshall
flume.
25
3. Field application
systems
Watering plants
with a bucket
There are many
methods of applying
water to the field.
The simplest one
consists of bringing
water from the source
of supply, such as a
well, to each plant with
a bucket or a water-
can
27
Furrow irrigation
The water flows from
the field ditch into the
furrows by opening up
the bank or dyke of the
ditch or by means of
siphons or spiles.
32
Open drains and
underground pipeline