Introduction of Irrigation??

• Irrigation is the process where water is moved from one area to another area which does not have much water.
• In the world of advance electronics, life of human beings should be simpler hence to make life more simpler and convenient, we have made ‘Automatic Plant Irrigation System.’
• There are different types of irrigation, like as, perennial irrigation and basin irrigation.
• A model of controlling irrigation facilities to help millions of people. This model uses sensor technology with microcontroller to make a smart switching device.
• Irrigation comes from Latin meaning ‘a supplying of water to land’.

Need of Irrigation System

• Engineers in Mesopotamia built humongous dams, to create reservoirs and canals that would carry water across land, so that people without easy access to water could get water for their needs.
• As part of the irrigation system, there were many canals carrying water to different parts of Mesopotamia.

Irrigation Methods

1. Surface irrigation
2. Sprinkler irrigation
3. Drip or Trickle irrigation
4. Sub-surface Irrigation

Surface Irrigation

• Water is applied to the field in either the controlled or uncontrolled manner.
• Controlled: Water is applied from the head ditch and guided by corrugations, furrows, borders, or ridges.
• Uncontrolled: Wild flooding.
• Surface irrigation is entirely practiced where water is abundant. The low initial cost of development is later offset by high labour cost of applying water. There are deep percolation, runoff and drainage problems.

Sprinkler Irrigation

• The sprinkler system is ideal in areas where water is scarce.
• A sprinkler system conveys water through pipes and applies it with a minimum amount of losses.
• Water is applied in form of sprays sometimes simulating natural rainfall.
• The difference is that this rainfall can be controlled in duration and intensity.

Drip or Trickle Irrigation

• Water is applied directly to the crop i.e. entire field is not wetted.
• Water is conserved.
• Weeds are controlled because only the places getting water can grow weeds.
• There is a low pressure system.
• There is a slow rate of water application somewhat matching the consumptive use.
• There is reduced evaporation, only potential transpiration is considered.
• There is no need for a drainage system.

Sub-Surface Irrigation

• Applied in places where natural soil and topographic condition favor water application to the soil under the surface, a practice called sub-surface irrigation.
• Impervious layer at 15cm depth or more.
• Pervious soil underlying.
• Uniform topographic condition.
• Moderate slopes.

Problems on Irrigation system

• Over irrigation because of poor distribution uniformity or management of waste water, chemicals may lead to water pollution.
• Under irrigation leads to increased soil salinity with consequent buildup of toxic salts on the soil surface in areas with high evaporation.
• Farm lands and fields should be situated miles away from your home.
• Extensive travel required, sometimes several times in a day to start and stop the irrigation water pumps.

How was this Invention changes the world

• It allows people to carry out farming which did not depend just on rainfall.
• As humans moved away from relying on rainwater, more land became available for people to grow crops. This has helped man have a more secure life because he is able to have food regularly.
• People are able to farm in more places in the world than they otherwise would have been able to.

Applications

• Irrigation in Fields.
• Irrigation in Gardens, Parks.
• Very efficient for paddy, Rice Fields.
• Pisciculture.

Advantages

• Highly sensitive, low cost and reliable circuit.
• Works according to the soil condition.
• Complete elimination of manpower.
• Can handle heavy loads up to 7A.
• System can be switched into manual mode whenever required.

Disadvantages

• This is a applicable for only large farms.
• Have limited lift after installation due to the detoriation of the plastic component in a hot, arid climate when exposed to ultraviolet light.

Conclusion

• In present day especially farmers are facing major problems in watering their agriculture fields, it’s because they have no proper idea about when the power is available so that they can pump water.
• Even after then they need to wait until the field is properly watered, which makes them to stop doing other activities.
• Here is an idea which helps not only farmers even for watering the gardens also, which senses the soil moisture and switches the pump automatically when the power is on.