Irrigation, Rate of
Irrigation, Rate of
the amount of water supplied to one hectare (ha) of land in a single watering period. The rate of irrigation is determined by the depth of the root layer of soil that is to receive water, the characteristics of the crop and the phase of its development, the texture and hydrophysical properties of the soil, and the method and purpose of irrigation. The usual rate of irrigation is 600–1,200 cu m/ha for gravity-flow irrigation, 300–800 cu m/ha for sprinkling, and 1,000–2,000 cu m/ha for pump-supply irrigation.