Agricultural Drainage Systems in Irrigated Ecologies

The production of crops ultimately depends on the health of the soil, a natural resource that is negatively impacted by poor drainage management, particularly in irrigated rice ecologies, due to drainage problems. Ineffective drainage management often has negative effects on farm economics because it can lead to land abandonment, which makes the land unproductive and causes large production depressions. Saline and wet conditions due to drainage problems can have a significant impact on crop productivity, making soils difficult to work with and severely limiting crop choice, intensification, and diversification. In order to retain soil moisture, leach salts beyond plant roots, improve crop productivity, and provide enough root zone aeration on poorly drained soils, an efficient artificial drainage system is essential. This makes irrigated land sustainable for the long term. This chapter focused on agricultural drainage systems in irrigated ecologies. A brief background on agricultural drainage systems was critically examined, looking at definitions, types, agricultural drainage in the global and African context, and benefits of drainage systems in agricultural production. The chapter also takes into account the factors affecting drainage systems, the influence of irrigation on drainage practices, drainage coefficients, and problems relating to drainage management in irrigated ecologies.