Technical challenges thumb|Overirrigation because of poor distribution uniformity in the furrows. Potato plants were oppressed and turned yellow Irrigation schemes involve solving numerous engineering and economic problems while minimizing negative environmental consequences.ILRI, 1989, Effectiveness and Social/Environmental Impacts of Irrigation Projects: a Review. In: Annual Report 1988, International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement (ILRI), Wageningen, The Netherlands, pp. 18 – 34 . On line: Such problems include: Ground subsidence (e.g. New Orleans, Louisiana) Underirrigation or irrigation giving only just enough water for the plant (e.g. in drip line irrigation) gives poor soil salinity control which leads to increased soil salinity with consequent buildup of toxic salts on soil surface in areas with high evaporation. This requires either leaching to remove these salts and a method of drainage to carry the salts away. When using drip lines, the leaching is best done regularly at certain intervals (with only a slight excess of water), so that the salt is flushed back under the plant's roots.EOS magazine, September 2009 Overirrigation because of poor distribution uniformity or management wastes water, chemicals, and may lead to water pollution.Hukkinen, Janne, Emery Roe, and Gene I. Rochlin. "A salt on the land: A narrative analysis of the controversy over irrigation-related salinity and toxicity in California's San Joaquin Valley." Policy Sciences 23.4 (1990): 307–329. online Deep drainage (from over-irrigation) may result in rising water tables which in some instances will lead to problems of irrigation salinity requiring watertable control by some form of subsurface land drainage. For example in Australia, over-abstraction of fresh water for intensive irrigation activities has caused 33% of the land area to be at risk of salination. Drainage front instability, also known as viscous fingering, where an unstable drainage front results in a pattern of fingers and viscous entrapped saturated zones. Irrigation with saline or high-sodium water may damage soil structure owing to the formation of alkaline soil. Clogging of filters: algae can clog filters, drip installations, and nozzles. Chlorination, algaecide, UV and ultrasonic methods can be used for algae control in irrigation systems. Complications in accurately measuring irrigation performance which changes over time and space using measures such as productivity, efficiency, equity and adequacy. Macro-irrigation, typical in intensive agriculture, where also are used agrochemicals, often causes eutrophication.
Technical challenges thumb|Overirrigation because of poor distribution uniformity in the furrows. Potato plants were oppressed and turned yellow Irrigation schemes involve solving numerous engineering and economic problems while minimizing negative environmental consequences.ILRI, 1989 Effectiveness and Social/Environmental Impacts of Irrigation Projects: a Review. In: Annual Report 1988, International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement (ILRI), Wageningen, The Netherlands, pp. 18 – 34 . On line: Such problems include: Ground subsidence (e.g. New Orleans, Louisiana) Underirrigation or irrigation giving only just enough water for the plant (e.g. in drip line irrigation) gives poor soil salinity control which leads to increased soil salinity with consequent buildup of toxic salts on soil surface ,in areas with high evaporation. This requires either leaching to remove these salts and a method of drainage to carry the salts away. When using drip lines, the leaching is best done regularly at certain intervals (with only a slight excess of water), so that the salt is flushed back under the plant's roots.EOS magazine, September 2009 Overirrigation because of poor distribution uniformity or management wastes water, chemicals, and may lead to water pollution.Hukkinen, Janne, Emery Roe, and Gene I. Rochlin. "A salt on the land: A narrative analysis of the controversy over irrigation-related salinity and toxicity in California's San Joaquin Valley." Policy Sciences 23.4 (1990): 307–329. online Deep drainage (from over-irrigation) may result in rising water tables which in some instances will lead to problems of irrigation salinity requiring watertable control by some form of subsurface land drainage. For example in Australia, over-abstraction of fresh water for intensive irrigation activities has caused 33% of the land area to be at risk of salination. Drainage front instability, also known as viscous fingering, where an unstable drainage front results in a pattern of fingers and viscous entrapped saturated zones Irrigation with saline or high-sodium water may damage soil structure owing to the formation of alkaline soil. Clogging of filters: algae can clog filters, drip installations, and nozzles. Chlorination, algaecide, UV and ultrasonic methods can be used for algae control in irrigation systems. Complications in accurately measuring irrigation performance which changes over time and space using measures such as productivity, efficiency, equity and adequacy. Macro-irrigation, typical in intensive agriculture, where also are used agrochemicals, often causes eutrophication.