CE408 IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

TOPICS: IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

WEEK: 3
LECTURE: 2
LEVEL: 8 T H SEMESTER
PREREQUISITES: NONE
 
COURSE TEACHER: ENGR. KHURAM SALEEM ( khurram
.civil@suit.edu.pk)
ACCESS AT: portal.suit.edu.pk
Civil Engineering Department, SUIT Peshawar
KHURAM SALEEM 1
Revising the previous Concept
let me elaborate a concept before I go into todays lecture.
The depth of water stored in root zone formula is = ϒd x F.C x d
ϒw
Now we manipulate this formula according to our needs.
If you are interested in finding the next irrigation time, then apply (SCENARIO 1)
Depth of water = ϒd x (F.C – OMC) x d
ϒw
If you are interested in finding max water stored, then apply (SCENARIO 2)
Depth of water = ϒd x (F.C – PWP) x d
ϒw

KHURAM SALEEM 2
Scenario 1

F.C moisture content

Moisture Content

Optimum Moisture Content

Wilting Point moisture content

Time

KHURAM SALEEM 3
Scenario 2

F.C
Moisture Content

Wilting Point

Time

KHURAM SALEEM 4
Question
Wheat is to be grown in a field having a field capacity of 27% and permanent
wilting point 13%. Find the storage capacity in 80 cm depth of soil, if the dry unit
weight of the soil is 14.72 KN/m³.
If the irrigation water is to be supplied when the average soil moisture falls to
18% , find the water depth required to be supplied to the field if the field
application efficiency is 80%.
What is the amount of water needed at the canal outlet, if the water lost in the
water courses and the field channels is 15% of the outlet discharge?

KHURAM SALEEM 5
 F.C = 27%
Moisture Content

Wilting Point = 13%

Time

KHURAM SALEEM 6
Depth of Water stored in root zone in meters = ϒd x F.C x d
(filling the soil space upto Field Capacity) ϒw
Max Storage Capacity or Available moisture = ϒd x (F.C – PWP) x d
ϒw
ϒd = 14.72 KN/m³ ϒw = 9.81 KN/m³ d = 80 cm
Available Moisture = 14.72 x (0.27 – 0.13) x 0.80 = 0.168 m = 16.8 cm
9.81

KHURAM SALEEM 7
 F.C moisture content = 27%
Moisture Content

Optimum Moisture Content = 18%

Time

KHURAM SALEEM 8
If the irrigation water is supplied if the moisture content falls to 18 %
So, the formula
Depth of Water stored in root zone in meters = ϒd x F.C x d
ϒw
Becomes:
depth of water in root zone = ϒd x (F.C – OMC) x d = 14.72 x (0.27 – 0.18) x 0.80
ϒw 9.81
depth of water in root zone = 0.108 m = 10.8 cm

KHURAM SALEEM 9
 Field Irrigation Requirement

Net Irrigation Requirement (NIR) = 10.8 cm

Quantity of water to be supplied to the field = FIR = NIR = 10.8 = 10.8 = 13.5 cm
ƞa 80% 0.8
Quantity of water needed at the canal outlet = FIR = 13.5
ƞc (100% - water lost in wc)
Qty of water needed at outlet = 13.5 = 13.5 = 15.85 cm
(100% - 15%) 0.85

KHURAM SALEEM 10
Question
800 m³ of water is applied to a farmers rice field of 0.6 hectares. When the
moisture content in the soil falls to 40% of the available water between the F.C
of soil (36%) and PWP of soil (15%), find the field application efficiency. The root
zone depth of rice is 60 cm. assume porosity = 0.4.
Solution:
Field Capacity = wt of water retained in a certain vol of soil x 100
wt of the same vol of dried soil
F.C = ϒw x Vv = ϒw x Porosity where Porosity = Vv
ϒd x V ϒd V

KHURAM SALEEM 11
 F.C = ϒw
Porosity ϒd
ϒw = 0.36 = 0.9
ϒd 0.4
ϒd = 1 = 1.11
ϒw 0.9
Max water stored = ϒd x (F.C – PWP) x d = 1.11 x (0.36 – 0.15) x 0.60 = 0.14 m = 14 cm
ϒw

KHURAM SALEEM 12
Scenario 2

F.C (36%)
Moisture Content

Deficiency = 60% of Available moisture

Available moisture
Water level falls to 40% of the available
moisture
Wilting Point (15%)

Time

KHURAM SALEEM 13
So irrigation is done when soil moisture falls to 40% of the available moisture.
Deficiency of water in root zone = (100% - 40%) x (available moisture)
= 60% x (0.14 m) = 0.084 m
Volume of irrigation water required to fill up the deficiency = 0.084 m x 0.6 ha
= 0.084 m x 0.6 x 10⁴ m²
= 504 m³
Actual irrigation water = 800 m³ (given)
Field Application Efficiency = ƞa = Requirement of root zone = 504 = 0.63 = 63%
Water given to field 800

KHURAM SALEEM 14
Question
A crop having root zone depth 1.2 m and ϒd/ϒw of soil 1.35. F.C is 18% and PWP is 7%.
Moisture level in the soil is not to be maintained less than 1/3 rd of the available
retention.
Solution:
Max moisture retained by soil = Field Capacity = 18%
Permanent wilting point = below which plant cant extract water from soil for its
growth = 7%
Maximum moisture available for plant growth = available moisture retention
= 18% - 7% = 11%

KHURAM SALEEM 15
 F.C m.c = 18%
Moisture Content

Available moisture = 18 % - 7 % = 11% moisture below this shall not be

allowed = 1/3 x 11% = 3.67 % (GIVEN)

Wilting Point m.c = 7%

Time

KHURAM SALEEM 16
1/3rd of the available moisture = 11% = 3.67%
3
Moisture level at which irrigation must start = minimum moisture content at
which plant start wilting + 1/3rd of the available moisture = 7% + 3.67% = 10.67%

Moisture content shall fluctuate between 10.67% and 18% during irrigation.

KHURAM SALEEM 17
 F.C m.c = 18%
Moisture Content

Min allowed m.c = 7% + 3.67% = 10.67 %

Time

KHURAM SALEEM 18
Irrigation water required to raise the moisture content from 10.67% to 18% is
= ϒd x (18% - 10.67%)x d
ϒw
= 1.35 x (0.18 – 0.10) x 1.2 = 0.12 m = 12 cm

KHURAM SALEEM 19
Question
Determine the field capacity of soil when
Depth of root zone = 1.8 m
Existing moisture = 8%
Dry density of soil = 1450 kg/m³ = 1.45 t/m³ (remember ϒw = 1.0 t/m³ )
Quantity of water applied to soil = 650 m³
Water loss due to deep percolation and evaporation = 10%
Area to be irrigated = 1000 m²

KHURAM SALEEM 20
solution
Volume of water applied = 650 m³
Apply the loss percentage = 10% x 650 = 65 m³
The water that went to the root zone = 650 – 65 = 585 m³
Now finding the depth of water present in the root zone = volume = 585 m³
area 1000 m²
depth of water in root zone = 0.585 m
depth of water in root zone = ϒd x (F.C – Existing moisture)x d
ϒw

KHURAM SALEEM 21
0.585 = 1.45 x (F.C – 8%) x 1.8
1
F.C = (0.585 x 1) + 0.08 = 0.30 = 30%
(1.45 x 1.8)

KHURAM SALEEM 22
Some definitions
Consumptive use or Evapotranspiration (Cu or Et):
The water utilised by plant in transpiration (making up of plant tissues) and
evaporation from adjacent soil and plant leaves is called Cu or Et.
Cu values are different for different crops and for the same crop at different
places and times.
Effective Rainfall (Re):
Rainfall that falls on crops during its growth to meet the Et needs of a crop is
called Re.

KHURAM SALEEM 23
Consumptive Irrigation Requirement (CIR):
The irrigation water required to meet the Et needs of a crop during its growth
time is called CIR.
CIR = Cu – Re
Net Irrigation Requirement (NIR):
The irrigation water required to meet the Et needs of a crop during its growth
time and as well as other needs like leaching is called NIR.
NIR = Cu – Re + Leaching water requirement

KHURAM SALEEM 24
Field Irrigation Requirement = FIR = NIR
ƞa

Gross Irrigation Requirement = GIR = FIR

ƞc

KHURAM SALEEM 25
The end

KHURAM SALEEM 26