CBSE Class 9 Answered

• The process of supplying water to crop plants in fields through canals, wells, reservoirs, tube wells etc. is known as irrigation.
• Wells, tube wells, ponds, lakes, dams, rivers and canals are some of the sources of irrigation.

Need for irrigation:

• To make the soil soft due to which ploughing of fields can become easier
• To provide moisture for germination of seeds
• To maintain the moisture of soil for healthy crop growth
• For the absorption of nutrient elements by the plants from the soil
• To protect crop plants from hot air currents as well as frost

Harmful effects of excessive irrigation:

• Excess of water in soil leads to water logging
• Sometimes, it inhibits the process of germination
• Roots do not grow properly in a standing water field
• Excess irrigation destroys standing crops
• Increases the amount of salt on the surface soil as water evaporates