Irrigation is the application of controlled amounts of water to plants at needed intervals. Irrigation helps to grow agricultural crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of less than average rainfall.

Surface irrigationconsists of a broad class of irrigation methods in which water is distributed over the soil surface by gravity flow. The irrigation water is introduced into level or graded furrows or basins, using siphons, gated pipe, or turnout structures, and is allowed to advance across the field. Surface irrigation is best suited to flat land slopes, and medium to fine textured soil types which promote the lateral spread of water down the furrow row or across the basin.

Sprinkler irrigationis a method of irrigation in which water is sprayed, or sprinkled through the air in rain like drops. The spray and sprinkling devices can be permanently set in place (solid set), temporarily set and then moved after a given amount of water has been applied (portable set or intermittent mechanical move), or they can be mounted on booms and pipelines that continuously travel across the land surface (wheel roll, linear move, center pivot).