Irrigation Management

Anirudh R Bharadwaj

Growth of Plants

In Tamil Nadu the percentage ranges from as low of 0.1% in Nilgris to a high of 88% in Thanjavur district. Arcot districts and Kanchipuram register 50 to 78%. Dharmapuri (19%), Salem (23%) and Dindigul (29%) are the districts which need greater effort to increase the irrigated area.

Necessity of Irrigation

i) Uncertainty of monsoon rainfall

ii) Uneven distribution of rainfall

iii) Effect of winter rainfall (North India)/ Effect of SWM in South India

iv) Cultivation of high yielding crops

v) Difference in water holding capacity of the soil

       

Suitability of Water for Irrigation

• Depends on the amounts and type of salts present in water.

• Soluble constituents - Ca, Mg, Na - cations

- Cl, SO4, (CO3)2 -anions.

• Present in minute quantities are boron, selenium, molybdenum

and fluorine

Three parameters:

• Total salt concentration

• Sodium Adsorption ratio water

• Boron content

Thank You