Irrigation

Third Lecture

Soil Water Properties

Many soil water properties can be defined relative to the elemental soil volume as
shown in figure (3-1) below. This is a volume of soil which has been separated into its air,
water, and solid constituents. Relationships for mass indicated on the right-hand side of the soil
volume. The mass of air, Ma , is assumed negligible. The mass of water and solids are indicated
as Mw and Ms , respectively. The total mass is shown as Mt . the volume relationships are
indicated on the left-hand side of the soil volume in figure (3-1). V a is the volume of air which
can be a significant percentage of the soil volume under field condition. V w represents the
volume of water, and Vs the volume of solids. The volume of pores, designated by V p , is the sum
of the volume of air and water. The total volume is normally termed the bulk volume and
designated as Vb .

Air
Va M a 0

Water
D Vt Vw Mw Mt

Vs Ms
Solid
Figure (3-1) Schematic diagram of a soil block as a three-phase system

Soil Water Properties Defined

Various soil water properties may be defined in a number of different ways. The
following listing indicates the definitions for soil water properties which may be used.

1:Porosity (n) :- is the ratio of the voids volume to the total volume .

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Irrigation

2: Specific Density :- is the ratio of the material density to the water density.
3: Apparent Specific Density:- is the ratio of the dry soil mass which keep in normal structure
to the total volume for this mass.

4: Real specific Density:- is the ratio of weight of known volume from soil sample to weight of
the same volume from water.

Now available water content can be express as:-

A.W = F.C. P.W.P

1- Percentage by volume Pv = (Vw/V) 100%
2- Percentage by dry weight Pw = (ww/ws) 100%
3- Percentage by wet weight Pww = (ww/w) 100% ( w = ww+ws)

H.W(1) prove that (Pv= Pw As)

Example (1) Soil sample had the following data:- V=100cm 3, w=9800N/m3, ws= 1.45N, Rs=
2.6. find the apparent specific density and the porosity and the solid volume?
Solution:

Vv = V Vs = 100 56.9 = 43.1cm3, n = (43.1/100) 100%

= 43.1% = 0.431
Example(2) Soil sample has a dry weight 1.1N, total volume 75cm 3, wet weight 1.3N, find
soil water content as percentage by volume, dry weight, and wet weight?
Solution

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Irrigation

Pv = (Vw/V) 100%, Ww = W Ws = 1.3 1.1 = 0.2N,

Vw = (Ww/w) = (0.2 106/9800) = 20.4cm3, Pv = (20.4/75) 100% = 27.2%
Pw= (Ww/Ws) 100% = (0.2/1.1) 100% = 18.2%
Pww= (Ww/W) 100% = (0.2/1.3) 100% = 15.2%

H.W(2) Soil sample has a water content as percentage by volume of 0.25, Ws=1.4N, Ww=1.6N,
. find As .
5: Soil Moisture Deficit (s.m.d.): is different between soil water content at F.C. and actual soil
water content.
s.m.d. R.A.W. s.m.d.)max.= R.A.W.
R.A.W = (F.C P.W.P) A.D As R.Z ... .. .(3-4)
(A.D: Allowable Deficit) S.C
F.C
. R.A.W

P.W.P s.m.d
Dry

Figure (3-2) A.D limitation of A.D.

and s.m.d.

Example (3) A layered soil have the following data:-

Top layer: F.C = 42%, P.W.P=20%, initial soil moisture =28% (by Vol.), D=450mm, Bottom
layer: F.C = 37%, P.W.P=18%, initial soil moisture =31% (by Vol.), D=550mm, 11cm of water
add to the soil, analyze the water distribution.

Solution

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Irrigation

Top layer

Extra water = 110 63 = 47mm

Bottom layer:

Extra water = 47 33 = 14mm ((

6- Net depth of irrigation (dn):is the depth of water applied and stored in the root zone.

dn R.A.W dn = R.A.W (full irrigation)

dn < R.A.W (incomplete irrigation)

7- Gross depth of irrigation (dg):is the depth of water is applied in order to stored the net
depth of irrigation. dg = dn + losses + L.R Rainfall .(3-5)

(L.R. : leaching requirements)

8- Total depth of water (dt):is the depth of water diverted from the sources for irrigation
required. dt = dg + losses (seepage losses) .(3-6)

(%8-5) ( %35) .

Fourth Lecture

Irrigation Efficiencies

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Irrigation

Efficiency is the ratio of the water output to the water input, and usually expressed as
percentage. Input minus output is nothing but losses, if losses are more output is less and
therefore efficiency is less. Water is lost in irrigation during various processes and therefore,
there are different kinds of irrigation efficiency as:

1- Efficiency of water conveyance (C.E.): It is the ratio of the water delivered into the
field from outlet point of the channel to the water pumped in into the channel at the
starting point. C.E = (dg/dt) 100% = (Qg/Qt) 100% ..(3-5)

2- Efficiency of water application (A.E):is the ratio of the quantity of water stored into
the root zone of the crop to the quantity of water actually delivered into the field.

3- Efficiency of water storage (S.E.): is the ratio of the water stored in the root zone
during irrigation to the water needed in the root zone prior irrigation (fiddle capacity
minus existing moisture content).

4- Efficiency of water used (U.E.): is the ratio of the water beneficially used including
leaching water to the quantity of water delivered.

5- Efficiency of water distribution (D.E.): it represents the extent to which the water has
penetrated to a uniform depth throughout the field. It can be defined as:

Where : d :Average of absolute values of devotions from the mean.

D :Mean depth of water stored during irrigation.

Example (4) A stream of 130 l/s was diverted from a canal and 100 l/s were delivered to the
field. An area of 1.6 hectares was irrigated in 8 hours. The effective of root zone was 1.7m. the
runoff loss in the field was 480m3. The depth of water penetration varied from 1.7m at the head
end of the field to 1.1m at the tail end. Average moisture holding capacity of the soil is 20cm
per meter depth of soil. Determined :C.E., A.E., S.E., U.E., D.E..irrigation was stored at a
moisture extraction level of 50% of the available moisture.

Solution :

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Irrigation

Water supplied to field during 8hr. @ 100 l/sec

Runoff loss in the field = 480m3, so water stored in the root zone = 2880 480 = 2460m3

Moisture holding capacity of soil = 20cm for 1m depth 1.7m depth of root zone = 34cm

Moisture already available in root zone at the time of start of irrigation = 50% 34=17cm

Additional water required in root zone = 34 17 = 17cm (depth)

= (17/100) (1.6 104) =2720m3

Deviation from the mean at upper end = 1.7 1.4 = 0.3

Deviation from the mean at upper end = 1.4 1.1 = 0.3 ,

Example (5) Given dg=100mm, A.E. = 60%, find dn & water losses.

Solution:

dg = dn + losses +L.R(=0) (=0) 100 = 60 + losses losses = 40mm

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Irrigation

H.W(3) Given soil has As= 1.5, F.C =30%, P.W.P=15%, R.Z =0.8m, A.D=50%, find dn, dg,
losses if A..E =70%.

Example (6) Given dn=5cm, A.E=65%, C.E=70%, find the depth of water required at the farm
gate and the depth of water at source.

Solution

H.W(4) Given A.E=45%, C.E=75%, find the percentage of water useful for the plant.

Example (7) Given a channel 30km length, seepage losses from the channel are estimated
0.07l/s/m length, if the discharge at the end of the channel is 18m3/sec, find C.E.

Solution

C.E = (Qend/ Qt) 100% , Qt = 18 + (0.07/1000) 30000 = 20.1m3/sec

C.E = (18/20.1)100% = 89.6 = 90%

H.W(5) A soil consist of two layers:

Top layer: F.C = 0.38 by vol., P.W.P =0.22by vol. i.s.m=0.32by vol., D=35cm, A.D=35%.

Bottom layer: F.C = 0.42 by vol., P.W.P =0.24 by vol. i.s.m=0.37 by vol., D=75cm, A.D=55%.
Required: 1- the required net depth of irrigation & the maximum dn.
2- if I.E=50%, C.E = 80%, find the total percentage of water losses during irrigation.
3- if the discharge applied from the source is 10m3/sec, the C.E=80%, I.E=60%, find

The net discharge applied to the farm.