HOR 130 Irrigation Principles and Practices

Lecture Hours: 3
Credits: 3

Focuses on irrigation system characteristics, management, maintenance, and scheduling. Explores plant-soil-water relationships and how they relate to irrigation methods, system components and equipment, and efficiency.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Identify various irrigation methods and their system components
Understand the installation, operation, basic maintenance, and cost of different irrigation systems
Understand the principles of basic soil-water-plant relationships
Describe the impacts of water quality and supply on irrigation system selection operation, and efficiency
Analyze irrigation methods for best selection and efficiency
Design an irrigation schedule

Content Outline

Historical perspectives on irrigation and its importance
Irrigation water supply
- Hydrologic cycle
- Water sources
  - Surface water
  - Groundwater
  - Wastewater
  - Drainage water
  - Municipal water
- Water rights
Irrigation systems
- Agricultural systems
  - Surface
  - Micro-irrigation
  - Sprinkler
  - Sub-irrigation
- Turf and landscape systems
  - Residential and small commercial
  - Large commercial
  - Athletic fields
  - Golf
  - Landscape micro-irrigation
- System selection considerations
  - Physical
  - Economic
  - Social
Soil-water-plant relations
- Soil properties
- Water movement in soils
- Uptake of water by plants
  - Plant requirements
Basic Hydraulics
Pumps
- Pump basics
- Types of pumps
- Pump performance
- Pump curves
Sprinkler types
- Spray heads
- Rotor heads
- Micro-irrigation
- Uniformity and Efficiency
System layout, uniformity, and efficiency
- Measure of irrigation application and uniformity
- Measure of irrigation efficiency
Irrigation scheduling