Irrigation is the application of controlled amounts of water to plants at needed intervals.

Irrigation
helps to grow agricultural crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate disturbed soils in dry areas
and during periods of less than average rainfall. Irrigation also has other uses in crop production,
including frost protection,[1] suppressing weed growth in grain fields[2] and preventing soil
consolidation.[3] In contrast, agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-fed
or dry land farming.

Surface irrigation consists of a broad class of irrigation methods in which water is distributed over
the soil surface by gravity flowSprinkler irrigation is a method of irrigation in which water is
sprayed, or sprinkled through the air in rain like drops.Drip/trickle irrigation systems are methods
of microirrigation wherein water is applied through emitters to the soil surface as drops or small
streams. The discharge rate of the emitters is low so this irrigation method can be used on all soil
types.Subsurface irrigation consists of methods whereby irrigation water is applied below the soil
surface. The specific type of irrigation method varies depending on the depth of the water table.
When the water table is well below the surface, drip or trickle irrigation emission devices can be
buried below the soil surface (usually within the plant root zone).

Through this method, water is retained better in the topsoil. Formed soil aggregates block and
impede water flow in the cracks, and reduce the amount of water recharged in the groundwater.

During land leveling, the field should have no visible mounds of soil above the water surface after
the final leveling. To ensure a well-leveled land, it is recommended to have 3-5 cm water in the
field using a metal or wooden plank.

Managing water

Water helps the rice plant use soil nutrients efficiently, aids in weed control, influences farm
operations and farming systems, dissolves soil nutrients, regulates temperature, and facilitates
field operations and soil biological processes.

Uncontrolled water causes stress to the rice plant, and may affect its growth and yield.

Rice is typically grown in bunded fields that are continuously flooded up to 7−10 days before
harvest.

Continuous flooding helps ensure sufficient water and control weeds.

Lowland rice requires a lot of water.

On average, it takes 1,432 liters of water to produce 1 kg of rice in an irrigated lowland production
system. Total seasonal water input to rice fields varies from as little as 400 mm in heavy clay soils
with shallow groundwater tables to more than 2000 mm in coarse-textured (sandy or loamy) soils
with deep groundwater tables.
Continuous flooding of water generally provides the best growth environment for rice.

After transplanting, water levels should be around 3 cm initially, and gradually increase to 5−10
cm (with increasing plant height) and remain there until the field is drained 7−10 days before
harvest.

For direct wet seeded rice, field should be flooded only once the plants are large enough to
withstand shallow flooding (3-4 leaf stage).