For furrow, sprinkler, or drip irrigation, it's important to remember that water can be lost on the way to the pump, or after it has been pumped onto the field. The water can be lost to evaporation, surface runoff, or percolation below the rootzone of your crop.
Determining how much effective irrigation your crop will receive requires making an estimate of the efficiency factor for your irrigation system. The following suggestions are for estimating efficiency between your pump and the field. Start with the range of factors in the table that correspond to your irrigation method. Then consider your local conditions and choose a value in that range. If the weather is especially warm or windy, your efficiency will be lower. If your soil has a loamy texture water infiltrates more slowly and evenly, so your efficiency will be higher than on a sandier soil.
|
Irrigation methods |
Field application efficiency |
|
Furrow (conventional) |
45-65% |
|
Furrow (surge) |
55-75% |
|
Furrow with tailwater reuse |
60-80% |
|
Sprinkler irrigation |
65 - 85% |
|
Drip irrigation |
90% |
The application efficiency along with Rate (gal/min), Area (acre), and Time (hours) can be entered into our Irrigation Calculator (click here to download it in Excel). The calculator will assist you in determining the correct precipitation equivalent to input into Adapt-N as an irrigation event.