Northeast Region Certified Crop Adviser (NRCCA) Study Resources

In This Section

• PO 16 Drainage class and productivity
• PO 17 Hydrology and landscape
• PO 18.1-2 Surface & Subsurface Drainage
• PO 18.3-4 Random & Pattern Layout
• PO 19.1-2 Location of Bedrock & Topography
• PO 19.3-5 Organic Soils, Type of Crop & Outlet
• PO 20 Drainage system benefits and risks
• PO 21 Hydric soil
• PO 22 Evapotranspiration of crops
• PO 23 Irrigation system requirements & benefits
• PO 24 Methods of irrigation
• PO 25 Irrigation water sources
• PO 26 Irrigation scheduling
• Summary

Competency Area 3: Drainage and irrigation AEM

PO 25. Understand the sources of water for irrigation and how water quantity and quality affects irrigation methods.

The sources of water for irrigation can include surface water sources, groundwater sources, municipal water supplies, grey-water sources, and other agricultural and industrial process wastewaters.

Surface water sources include 'flowing' water supplies (i.e., creeks, streams, canals) and 'standing' or stored water supplies (i.e., ponds, reservoirs, lakes).

Groundwater supplies may come from springs and wells, and although the quality is usually good, the available quantity that can be pumped at any time may again limit the irrigation method.

Grey-water is domestic wastewater, other than that containing human excreta, such as sink drainage, washing machine discharge or bath water.

The quality of agricultural or industrial process wastewaters often limits their use to surface or sprinkler irrigation methods, and in their suitability for fruit and vegetable crop irrigation.