Glossary:Irrigation system
The main irrigation systems (or methods) used by agricultural holdings are usually the following:
- Surface irrigation i.e. the leading of water along the ground, either by flooding the whole area or leading the water along small furrows between the crop rows, using gravity as a force;
- Sprinkler irrigation i.e. irrigating the plants by propelling water under high pressure as rain over the parcels;
- Drop irrigation i.e. irrigating the plants by placing water low by the plants drop by drop or with micro-sprinklers or by forming fog-like conditions.
Information on the use of these three irrigation systems are obtained through the Farm Structure Survey (FSS).
Further information
- Irrigation methods (ESMS metadata file — aei_ps_irm_esms)