DISTANCE EDUCATION - GARDEN IRRIGATION COURSE
SAVE TIME and MONEY by GETTING IT RIGHT 1st TIME
Water is essential to healthy plant growth. It is often the major limitation to a plant's productivity. Irrigation may enable plants or turf to be grown in a dry climate where it would not otherwise be possible. It may also supplement the existing rainfall and improve growth rates by extending the growth period of the plant. It may ensure that there is adequate moisture during critical periods when a plant is growing most rapidly. Irrigation at appropriate times may also improve the quality of turf or the general health of garden plants. The value of irrigation can vary greatly from year to year depending on the distribution of rainfall during the growth season.
Correct watering is an essential part of garden maintanance, particular for large established gardens. Student gain valuable skills and knowledge in all areas of irrigation management for gardens. Learn to:
- Correctly estimate irrigation requirements
- Schedule irrigation
- Correct drainage
- Select the best irrigation system
- Design the right system
- Understand pumps and filters
Water is essential to healthy plant growth. It is often the major limitation to a plant's productivity. Irrigation may enable plants or turf to be grown in a dry climate where it would not otherwise be possible. It may also supplement the existing rainfall and improve growth rates by extending the growth period of the plant. It may ensure that there is adequate moisture during critical periods when a plant is growing most rapidly. Irrigation at appropriate times may also improve the quality of turf or the general health of garden plants. The value of irrigation can vary greatly from year to year depending on the distribution of rainfall during the growth season.
Duration: 100 hours
CONTENT
There are 10 lessons as follows:
- Introduction to Irrigation
- Soil Characteristics and Problems
- Estimating Plant Needs and Irrigation Scheduling
- Drainage
- Types of Irrigation Systems
- Trickle Systems
- Design Specifications
- Pumps and Filters
- Selecting the Right System for a Plant
- Design and Operation of Systems.
SUMMARY OF COMPETENCIES DEVELOPED:
- Explain the significance of soil in irrigation.
- Explain how to determine when to irrigate in a small scale situation.
- Manage irrigation in a given situation.
- Explain the significance of different aspects of moving water including: drainage, pumps, filters, storage and recirculation.
- Select an appropriate irrigation system for a given situation.
- Explain the principles of design for a simple irrigation system.
- Design a simple irrigation system.
- Oversee the installation of an irrigation system.
The main objective of irrigation schemes or systems is to produce a particular desired pattern of plant growth. Maximum vegetative growth does not necessarily correspond to maximum yield of the part of the plant desired e.g. fruit, nuts, or roots. In addition, achieving maximum yield may require inefficient use of available resources, whether it is land, water, equipment, or labour. 'Optimum yield' is usually the desired objective. This has been defined as the yield at which the benefit/cost ratio is at maximum, although even this may be hard to achieve if any of the resources required for the irrigation system e.g. land, water, or equipment is limited. Therefore, it is important to clearly define the purpose or desired outcome of an irrigation system
IRRIGATION: THE WIDER VIEW
Irrigation can be used to produce outcomes in terms of crop production. Irrigation schemes may also have other outcomes. Large-scale schemes may have an impact on human settlement patterns, causing local migrations of labour to or from irrigated areas with subsequent changes in the availability and cost of housing and services. Land prices may also be severely affected as land use patterns change. Impoundment of rivers and streams into dams and lakes can result in major environmental changes (such as changes to river characteristics and to flora and fauna populations) in areas both adjacent and far removed from those features. Small scale, even down to individual garden size systems, can still cause far-reaching changes. For example, the base flow component (year-round flow) of many urban streams derives almost entirely from home irrigation of gardens. If this was to stop these streams would cease flowing for much of the year. In addition, much of the excess water from irrigation systems that flow to streams, rivers and lakes is high in chemicals leached out of gardens or other crop areas. These chemicals, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilisers and pesticides, can cause major changes in vegetation and animal populations in and adjacent to water bodies.
MORE INFORMATION ON ACS DISTANCE EDUCATION AND OUR COURSES
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Sample Course Notes
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