Types of irrigation: how to compare methods for your area.

What are the main irrigation methods?

The classification presented by UNESP considers the way water is applied. Method is this way of applying; system is the set of equipment; Management defines when to irrigate and how much to apply.

Sprinkling: covering the area with drops.

In sprinkling, water travels through pipes and is distributed into the air by sprinklers. Reach, spacing and pressure need to work together. Just observing how far the jet reaches does not show whether the distribution over the area is adequate.

Wind, application intensity and soil infiltration are included in the planning. The water applied must not accumulate or drain on a schedule that is incompatible with the area. For gardens, there are still limits, paths and obstacles to consider. The sprinkler page presents the evaluation points used in the conversation about this solution.

Drip and microspray: defined application regions.

Drip applies water through emitters close to the crop. Microsprinkler distributes water in a region around the emitter. In both, the layout must take into account the roots and the planting design. The fact that the ground becomes wet near a point does not confirm that the required region is being served.

The choice requires comparing the distribution on the ground, the position of the lines and the protection of the emitters. It is not correct to assume that any dripper meets the same spacing or that one micro sprinkler replaces another just because it has a similar appearance. Specifications need to be part of the project.

Surface irrigation: water carried over the land.

Grooves, strips and basins carry water by gravity over the surface. These are methods with specific soil, terrain and application control requirements. Including them in the comparison helps you understand the rating, but does not mean that they are the recommended alternative or a service advertised by Perin for any property.

Sub-irrigation uses groundwater control. Buried drip applies water through emitters below the surface and continues to be localized irrigation. The position of the pipe alone does not define the method.

Automation and fertigation do not replace this classification.

Automating means controlling functions: schedules, opening sectors or activations, depending on the installation. Fertirrigating is applying fertilizers through water. They can integrate a drip, micro-sprinkler or sprinkler solution, as long as the set and management are compatible.

When comparing proposals, ask what will be automated and what will remain operator dependent. A panel does not, by itself, tell you which sensors, protections or forms of monitoring are included. Ask for a description of the functions and equipment included in the scope.

How to start choosing without skipping sizing.

FAO guidance is to compare local conditions, crop, technology, work required and costs. To turn this into a practical conversation, prepare the data below. Report what is known and what still needs to be measured, rather than replacing gaps with values ​​copied from another area.

• Use of area, crop, plant stage and spacing.
• Map or drawing, terrain and dimension that should be irrigated.
• Known water source, quality and flow.
• Energy, existing structure and routine available for operation.
• Objective: implement, expand or improve a system.

Take the comparison to the reality of the property.

Choose two plausible alternatives and discuss why each would serve the area. Also compare installation, inspection and maintenance. The best next step is not to put together a generic list of parts: it is to define what information is needed to size and limit the delivery.

For a crop or pasture, go to the agricultural irrigation page; for gardens and green areas, see landscaping. Perin receives data from the area to guide surveys and define the scope of the proposal. Use published projects to learn about real applications, without transferring results from one property to another.