by Natalie Ramsey (Editor)
The artificial techniques which are employed to apply controlled amounts of water with the objective of assisting agricultural activities fall under irrigation. The discipline finds a wide variety of applications such as maintenance of landscapes, revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas, frost protection, suppression of weed growth, and prevention of soil consolidation. According to the method of water supply and the amount of water supplied, irrigation techniques can be classified into surface irrigation, micro irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and sub irrigation. Sprinkler irrigation can be further divided into methods using central pivot, lateral move, lawn sprinklers and hose-end sprinklers. Some of the different water sources which are used for irrigation systems are springs, wells, rivers, lakes, drainage water and treated wastewater. This book elucidates the concepts and innovative models around prospective developments with respect to irrigation. It aims to shed light on some of the unexplored aspects of irrigation. This book is appropriate for students seeking detailed information in this area as well as for experts.