Irrigation: What It Does, & Why It Matters So Much For Humans

You might know the term irrigation. Possibly you’ve heard people mention it before. You may not know many details surrounding it, though. You might not realize why it matters so much.

We’ll discuss irrigation in detail now. You should understand this concept’s vital function and why humans can’t do without it.

What Does This Concept Mean?

What is irrigation? To put it in the simplest terms possible, irrigation means supplying water to crops or land. You can set up irrigation if you’re planting and cultivating crops, as the civilized world has for millennia. You can also supply your yard with water through irrigation if you want lush, beautiful grass.

Usually, you create channels down which the water flows, and that’s how you irrigate a region. You can trace this concept back some 5,000 years.

When earlier human civilizations created irrigation, they changed their entire world. They could grow crops like rice, barley, oats, etc. Once they had this ability, they could mass-produce grains and other raw food. They could store it in granaries and silos.

Once they did that, they could trade with each other, and they could also last through the harsh winters with their stores. Irrigation brought about larger crops, which in turn brought about commerce.

You Will Find Three Common Kinds

If you look into irrigation more seriously, you’ll soon note that three basic kinds exist. You can use surface irrigation. That means you’re using an overland water flow. Usually, you use a gravity-fed system.

If you have land that slopes down and a water source at the top, you can easily set up surface irrigation. The land’s downward tilt helps you, as the water naturally flows that way.

You also have sprinkler irrigation. You have doubtless seen this kind in your neighborhood if you live somewhere with lawns.

If you want a lush, thriving lawn, you can wait for rain, but if you live in a more arid region, you can set up a sprinkler system instead. You apply water in a way that you control. Usually, that simply means turning on the spigot when your lawn looks drab.

You will also sometimes see the drip irrigation method. This method involves applying nutrients and water, usually in smaller doses. You ensure optimal growing conditions that way.

If you’re growing crops and want the highest yield possible, you might use this third method. It’s the one you see the least of the three.

Should You Use Irrigation In Your Life?

Now that you know what irrigation means and the three different kinds, you might wonder about using it. Should you set up one of these methods and try it?

In some situations, having an irrigation method will benefit you. If you’re a farmer, and you’re growing crops because you need the money they’ll bring back, then setting up an irrigation method makes sense. You will spend cash on creating the irrigation method, but presumably, you will get more money back when you grow and sell a successful crop.

You might also grow a small crop for personal use. Maybe you have a vegetable garden, and you’ll set up an irrigation system for it if you’re not getting very much rain where you live.

Some individuals grow marijuana now in states where it’s legal. You might set up an irrigation system for that if you like.

You may also set up an irrigation system if you have a lawn that you cherish, and you want to make sure it flourishes. If you don’t get very much rain where you live, you might set up a sprinkler system. Those work best for lawns in almost all instances.

Irrigation System Drawbacks

You should also know that certain irrigation system drawbacks exist. If you use water, that means you’re not conserving it. In particularly arid climates, people won’t like it if you’re growing and watering a lawn. They need that water for more pressing matters, so a lawn will seem wasteful.

Also, irrigation costs money. If you’re using an irrigation system for a crop, and it still isn’t growing for one reason or another, you’ll have a massive water bill and nothing coming back from it.

You must consider whether you’re acting responsibly if you set up and use irrigation. Water isn’t an infinite resource, as individuals in some parts of the world will quickly tell you. Think carefully about whether you should create and utilize an irrigation system.