INCOH/SAR-19/99-Irrigation water quality

Abstract

Water is a necessary component in society's agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors. In the face of rapidly growing population of our country it is not surprising that major portion of the water is used for agriculture. In approximate terms more than 80% of the water is used in agriculture today with the industry accounting another 10%, leaving the rest for all other sectors including the domestic water supply. Within agricultural water use, the major component is utilised for irrigation of food and horticulture crops, livestock production, irrigation for agro/social forestry and to a smaller extent for agriculture. Crop and animal production are water dependent. The quality and quantity of water used in agriculture are two interrelated properties controlling the.' production capability of the land and the quality of the environment and the water resources. Water is considered suitable for agricultural use when it has no osmotic or specific toxic effects on crop production, when it contains no solutes affecting the chemical and hydraulic properties of the soil and when it does not cause the deterioration of surface and ground water.