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Definition: irrigation from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary

pronunciationpronunciation

(1612) 1 : the therapeutic flushing of a body part with a stream of liquid 2 : the watering of land by artificial means to foster plant growth

irrigation

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
in agriculture, artificial watering of the land. Although used chiefly in regions with annual rainfall of less than 20 in. (51 cm), it is also used in wetter areas to grow certain crops, e.g., rice. Estimates of total irrigated land in the world range from 543 to 618 million acres (220 to 250 million hectares), almost half of them in India, Pakistan, and China. The United States had almost 60 million acres (23.8 million hectares) of irrigated farmland in 1991. Methods of applying water include free-flooding of entire areas from canals and ditches; check-flooding, in which water flows over strips or checks of land between levees, or ridges; the furrow method, in which water runs between crop or tree rows, penetrating laterally to the roots; the surface-pipe method, in which water flows in movable slip-joint pipes; sprinklers, including large-scale center-pivot and other self-propelled systems; and a variety of water-conserving drip and trickle systems. In many cases irrigation is…
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Full text Article irrigation

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
in agriculture, artificial watering of the land. Although used chiefly in regions with annual rainfall of less than 20 in. (51 cm), it is also used in wetter areas to grow certain crops, e.g., rice. Estimates of total irrigated land in the world range from 543 to 618 million acres (220 to 250…
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Full text Article irrigation

From Environmental History and Global Change: A Dictionary of Environmental History
Supplying water to the soil by artificial means to encourage crop growth. Irrigation seems to have developed first on the fringes of the Zagros Mts in the Near E. In the ancient Near and Middle E irrigation produced the food surpluses which allowed the development of the first hydraulic…
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Full text Article irrigation

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Artificial supply of water to land, to maintain or increase yields of food crops, a critical element of modern agriculture. Irrigation can compensate for the naturally variable rate and volume of rain. Water is pumped from natural ponds, lakes, streams, and wells; basin systems and dams hold back…
| 172 words
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Full text Article Irrigation

From Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History
Irrigation, the artificial watering of land to produce crops, is used to compensate for lack of regular rainfall in arid regions. It requires large supplies of water either from surface water in lakes, streams, and rivers or from groundwater stored beneath earth's surface in aquifers (natural…
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Full text Article IRRIGATION

From Historical Dictionary of Australia
Because of Australia's large desert areas and irregular rainfall, irrigation is necessary for agriculture in many parts of the country to supplement low rainfall with water from other sources, mostly river systems and underground aquifers. Irrigation is used to produce rice, cotton, canola, …
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Full text Article Irrigation

From Encyclopedia of World Trade: From Ancient Times to the Present Full text Article A-Z Entries
The ancient practice of irrigation has vastly...
The process of bringing water to dry areas, primarily for the purpose of growing crops. Ancient civilizations developed along rivers such as the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile. While the population levels remained relatively low, the land close to the river yielded enough food, but as the population…
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Agricultural Research Service scientists download...
Since the onset of human civilization, the manipulation of water through irrigation systems has allowed for the creation of agricultural bounty and the presence of ornamental landscaping, often in the most arid regions of the planet. These systems have undergone a widespread transformation during…
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Full text Article Ear irrigation

From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Ear irrigation is the process of flushing the external ear canal with sterile water or sterile saline. It is used to treat patients who complain of foreign body or cerumen (ear wax) impaction. The purpose of ear irrigation is to remove earwax that is obstructing the ear canal or to remove a foreign…
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Full text Article Nasal Irrigation

From Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Because surgery in the nasal area has a high...
Nasal irrigation is the practice of flushing the nasal cavity with a sterile solution. The solution may contain antibiotics or steroid medications. Nasal irrigation is used to clear infected sinuses or may be performed after surgery to the nose region. It may be performed by adding antibiotics to…
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Full text Article Colonic Irrigation

From Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Patient undergoing colonic irrigation, or colon...
Colonic irrigation is also known as hydrotherapy of the colon, high colonic, entero-lavage, or simply colonic. It is the process of cleansing the colon by passing several gallons of water through it with the use of special equipment. It is similar to an enema but treats the whole colon, not just the…
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