Irrigation: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	land irrigation

Photos and Videos

Large wheeled irrigation sprinkler sprays water over green crops in a field, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.

Aerial view of the Los Angeles Aqueduct winding through dry, hilly terrain with mountains in the background.

A concrete irrigation canal filled with water runs alongside farm fields and a dirt road, with crops and dry grass visible on the left.

irrigation sprinklers

A long center-pivot irrigation system sprays water over a green crop field with a grassy mountain rising in the background in Idaho.

Rows of young lettuce plants in a field being watered by a long overhead irrigation sprinkler system.

irrigation: centre-pivot system

A dense green corn field in Charente Maritime, France, with a large water jet spraying irrigation water across the crops under a partly cloudy sky.

irrigation: portable overhead sprinkler system

Learn about how the fog in the Atacama Desert of Chile irrigates Chañaral province

Oman's ancient irrigation systems: Supporting life in a desert

Extreme agriculture: Terrace cultivation on Madeira Island, Portugal

Explore traditional Egyptian irrigation methods and tools including the shaduf, water screw, and waterwheel

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

surface irrigation sprinkler system trickle irrigation basin system flood system subirrigation controlled canal falaj uncontrolled canal dongshuitian system vernalization Propagation pruning transplant forestry gardening horticulture Windbreak Hydroponics arboriculture

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

default image

Indravarman I

king of Angkor

Old Aswan Dam

Sir William Willcocks

British engineer

Cotton, Sir Arthur Thomas

Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton

British engineer