GENERAL INPORMATION

 Lectures:                    3 per week
 Practical:                    Every week
 Tutorials and Tests:     As necessary
 Assessment:
                    Practicals,  tests  and  tutorials:        30%
                    End  of the  year examination:         70%

 OBJECTIVE:

To  acquiant  BSc  Agriculture   students   with   the   principles   and practices  of  irrigation  and  its  related  issues of  water resources, drainage and soil conservation.

COURSE OUTLINE

 A.   INTRODUCTION
       What is Soil and Water Management?  Scientific Units (S.I.)

 B.   LAND EVALUATION
       Topographic Survey; capability classification. Classification for irrigation purpose.

 C.  WATER RESOURCES
      (1)  Hydrology
               Water sources. Rainfall: -- intensity/duration/frequency relationships.  Runoff: -- volume and
                peak flows.
      (2)  Groundwater Development
               Acquifers. Groundwater  hydraulics - transmissivity and storage coefficient.  Wells and
               boreholes.  Pumping test analysis.
      (3)  Dams and Reservoirs
               Small  earth  dams,  design  criteria  and  construction.
               Night storage dams.

 D.   IRRIGATION
       (1)  Introduction
               Role of irrigation  in Zimbabwe.   History of irrigation development  in  Zimbabwe.
               Constraints  to irrigation development.
       (2)  Irrigation Engineering
               Planning an irrigation project.  Choosing an irrigation method.  Basic hydraulics.  Pumps.
               Surface pass irrigation -- furrow and border irrigation design, operation and management.
               Sprinkler irrigation -- design, operation and management
               Trickle/drip irrigation -- advantages and disadvantages; design considerations.
               Irrigation control structures -- flumes, weirs etc.
       (3)  Irrigation Water Management
               Irrigation  scheduling --  methods and  practices (FAO & AGRITEX).   Soil water, crop water
               balance,  computer models.  Systems evaluation and  remedial procedure.   On farm  water
               management.   Interdisciplinary   diagnostic analysis.  0 and M. Alternatives to irrigation.
               Problem soil management and reclamation.

 E.   FIELD DRAINAGE
       Theory and practice of drainage, need and benefits of drainage, surface and sub-surface drainage,
       drainage system design.

 F.   SOIL CONSERVATION
         Causes of and types of soil erosion in Zimbabwe, USLE and
         SLEMSA and their applications.  Agronomic and mechanical
         control. Gully control and wind erosion control.
 
 

 PRACTICAL WORK
 a)     Use of theodolites for land levelling
 b)     Field measurements of soil water, water potential, hydraulic properties and infiltration
         characteristics using a neutron probe.
 c)     Pump selection
 d)     Case studies of irrigation designs (Visit to an irrigation scheme)
 e)     Case studies of soil erosion problems (Visit to IAE)