Irrigation Efficiency - Definition and Its Types

Definition

The ratio of the amount of water available (output) to the amount of water supplied (input) is known as Irrigation Efficiency. It is expressed in percentage.

Types of Irrigation Efficiency

The following are the various types of irrigation efficiencies:

(a) Water Conveyance Efficiency (ηc):

It is the ratio of the amount of water applied, to the land to the amount of water supplied from the reservoir. It is obtained by the expression,

ηc = Wl Wr × 100 Where, ηc = Water conveyance efficiency Wl = Amount of water applied to land Wr = Amount of water supplied from reservoir

(b) Water Application Efficiency (ηa):

It is the ratio of the water stored in root zone of plants to the water applied to the land. It is obtained by the expression,

ηa = Wz Wl × 100 Where, ηa = Water application efficiency Wz = Amount of water stored in root zone Wl = Amount of water applied to land

(c) Water Use Efficiency (ηu):

It is the ratio of the amount of water used to the amount of water applied. It is obtained by the expression,

ηu = Wu Wl × 100 Where, ηu = Water use efficiency Wu = Amount of water used Wl = Amount of water applied to land

(d) Consumptive use Efficiency (ηcu):

It is the ration of the consumptive use of water to the amount of water depleted from the root zone. It is obtained by the expression, ηcu = Cu Wp × 100 Where,

ηcu = Consumptive use efficiency Cu = Consumptive use of water Wp = Amount of water depleted from root zone